-I think everyone's alert to any opportunity to receive added value," Murgatroyd told ZDNet Australia. -If you're taking on board a major piece of new software, for example, if you can also get the company to come to the party with training that's an important aspect." Higher Ed Systems (HES) is a subsidiary of the Australian vice-chancellors committee, with a role of partnering with higher education institutions in management system software acquisitions.
Murgatroyd said that Australian universities are consolidating their IT purchases across the campus, and are looking at whole-of-life costings, such as support, maintenance, and disposal and upgrade costs. -Largely because there's such a pressure on resources at the moment, and small departmental needs have to be prioritised."
According to Peter Demou, IT plans and programs manager for the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), as the scope of IT investment widens--due to the increased use of the Internet and the digitisation of audio, video and publishing--university IT investment decisions are increasingly coming under the scrutiny of upper management,
-The size of the spend is large enough for everyone to notice," Demou told ZDNet Australia. -There's more now, more servers, access points, security, and so on."
-We're trying to move towards a centralised IT procurement model," said Demou. -It's not solely for cost reductions, it's also a strategic decision. We want to drive a more stable operation by developing key relationships with key suppliers."
When deciding where to make IT purchases, UTS looks for lateral things such as work experience opportunities, scholarships, and research opportunities for academics, according to Demou.
-Apple had a good university higher education sector relationship, they provided you with the lowest cost, and research and development opportunities and a few other nice little features," said Demou.
Simon Carlile, the pro-vice chancellor in charge of information technology at Sydney University, agreed that upper management are interested in driving the consolidation of IT investment, but said complete consolidation will not happen.
-We have central purchasing of major infrastructure, servers, network infrastructure," Carlile told ZDNet Australia, -a very significant fraction is managed by individual faculties or departments, with their workstations and small servers." This is because a lot of these purchases are related to research and have very specific needs, he said.
-If you do manage to develop more strategic relationships with one or two vendors you get other aspects, such as onsite warranty service," he said. -We are thinking more and more of IT being an investment, with a portfolio that you manage, rather than a cost centre."
-We look at the business benefit and total cost of ownership, it's alignment with current architecture, the extent to which it would require external assistance, the extent to which the benefits could produce or require business change," said Carlile. -We recognise the organisation moves at a certain pace, so if it required a significant change in a limited time we wouldn't take it on."
He said Sydney University looks for improved levels of service, or providing services in an area they previously did not, and the bottom line is not always the bottom line.
-In a more vertically integrated and commercial environment it is possible to put a dollar value on things like quality of service, but it's difficult to do in a higher education environment," he said. -For instance, self-service of students is very important, even though it may not add anything to the bottom line."
