The University of Western Australia has flagged plans for a number of large new technology projects as the institution continues its drive to standardise core ICT services.
"Basically we're going through a transition process, and it's a long, slow and painful journey," UWA's director of Technology Services Chris Rasmussen told ZDNet Australia recently. "But we're making progress, which is the main thing."
Since he took on his current role in May 2005, Rasmussen has presided over the amalgamation of three separate areas into its new Information Technology Services (ITS) division. He has also beefed up the division's business analysis and project management skill set, with a view to better understanding user needs within the university from a business rather than a technological standpoint.
Like the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), UWA has now started to pursue high-level information and research management strategies, while seeking to put in place basic building blocks of technology infrastructure.
Rasmussen said it was difficult to get an accurate picture of the UWA's group IT spend, but his department estimated the total ongoing annual IT spend was in the vicinity of AU$16 million, excluding major projects run from time to time.
Over the year to December, UWA reviewed its information management strategy, producing a report detailing recommendations for eliminating information silos. "It looked at all aspects of information management across the university," said Rasmussen of the review, noting UWA enlisted external consultants the Quadrant Group to help with the process.
"That report's with senior management at the moment," he added. "The next step for that is basically for us to form a steering group. We can't implement all the things that were in there obviously -- it would cost millions and millions -- but we need to work through them, in some sort of a priority scheme over the next few years."
UWA is also currently in negotiations with a vendor selected to deliver a new multi-million dollar research management system. The final contract will likely be signed in the next couple of months, and will be delivered over the next two or three years. He couldn't divulge the vendor's identity.
In future, the university will implement the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) service delivery framework with the help of an external consultant.
Back to basics
UWA is also kicking off major projects to
upgrade and simplify aspects of its operational and support
infrastructure.
Rasmussen's centralised ITS division has traditionally administered the university's core data network, with some individual schools and faculties hosting much of their own server and internal network equipment. The university has now conducted a review into some of these assets.
"We haven't really for a long time stood back and taken a holistic view of the infrastructure we've got, what we are trying to do with it, and where we are trying to go," said Rasmussen.
"What we're doing basically through this review is looking at the backbone infrastructure, what do we need to do to manage the whole of the network, what facilities do we need in our datacentre ... and if we increase the bandwidth of the network across the campus, what sort of service can we provide so that [some schools and faculties] don't need to host the equipment themselves."
Rasmussen's division has also applied for funding to instigate a central service desk to tackle support issues. "There'd probably be more than 20 helpdesks across the university," said the executive, noting many schools and faculties operated their own helpdesks. His own department has two of its own.
"What we're looking at doing is running a project to identify an ITIL-compliant service desk solution, and get a site licence in place for the university," said Rasmussen. "So that even if some of these areas are going to operate separate service desks, if we could get most of them onto the same platform at least, it would be a lot easier for collaboration internally."
"Ultimately, for those who want it, we'd be able to offer a central service."
A new Web portal is also currently being planned, primarily for students but also touching on staff needs. Rasmussen's team is currently selecting the technology platform for that effort; he couldn't comment on which vendors might be involved. The division is hoping to reach a decision by the end of April, with the technology being rolled-out over the next year.
Rasmussen's division will also provide technical resources to aid in the re-development of UWA's public Web site.
UWA is one of the nation's largest universities with more than 17,000 enrolments in 2006.
A portal solution? The last thing students actually want.