What is a cloud based grant management system?

At AIMS Software Ltd, we provide cloud based grant management systems to organisations globally.  The majority of our clients are hosted on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), which provides world class levels of security, monitoring, flexibility, and access.

However, that doesn’t tell you what a cloud based system is – it’s a term that is widely used but can be foggy in meaning (pun somewhat intended).

A cloud based grant management system is, at the very core, a funding administrative system that can be accessed via an internet browser.  Data – whether applications for funding, client payment details, or activity reports – is stored in a ‘cloud’ – and accessed remotely. ‘The cloud’ refers to servers that are accessed over the internet, and the software and databases that run on those servers. Cloud servers can be located in data centres all over the world.

However, being able to access data remotely doesn’t automatically make it a cloud platform.

With our decades of experience working with grant management systems globally, there are some areas we consider to be critical for a truly cloud based grant management system.

• Online access anywhere, or in specific geographical areas
• Hosting security and monitoring
• Technical operational manual (TOMS) for data security
• Data storage in EU, UK, or other areas/countries as required
• Option to host in your own cloud, on your premises or with a third party service provider

For AIMS Software Ltd, it’s the security and monitoring of the hosting solution that makes it suitably cloud based. True cloud platforms are built on exceptionally robust infrastructures to store data that is simultaneously both more accessible and more secure.

What should you look for in a cloud based system provider?

• Security

Will your data be hosted on servers with world class security protection, ideally with a recognised name in cloud based solutions? What sort of monitoring and system testing does the supplier offer? Do they employ external penetration testers to push their security to its limits?

• Updates

How often does the supplier intend to release updates? And are these free at point of use?

• Back ups

Does the supplier take back ups very seriously? How often will they backup your data and system, how accessible are the back ups? What is their emergency plan – in case of hacking, data loss or system failure?