Integrated (Private) Cloud Computing Environment for Access to Specialized Campus-bound Software Applications - Pilot Study
Emil H Salib, Ian Healey, Alexander Chamberlain, L. A. Griffith · 2016
Abstract Faculty and students are searching for solutions that allow them on and off-campus access to expensive lab-bound software. Universities are looking for ways to reduce IT and hardware costs. In this paper, we explore how private cloud computing solution that provides secure access to virtual desktops pool and can be accessed on a wide range of inexpensive lightweight single-board computers, thin client devices or personal electronic devices already owned by students (on a bring-your-own-device basis). We also describe how we have been able to integrate our solution with James Madison University (JMU) network services infrastructure. This has proven crucial to conducting three successful pilot (proof of concept) studies where the students had access to cloud-based virtual desktops using thin client devices (such as a single-board computer) from on and off-campus.