In response to changing University needs and advancing technology, Information Technology Services (ITS), the University's central computing and communications service organization, launched a number of new programs and initiatives this summer and fall.
Directed by Dan Updegrove, ITS encompasses academic computing; administrative systems; data, voice and video networking; data center operations; a help desk; microcomputer sales and repair; computer education and training; audio-visual services; design, reprographics and printing; and other support services. ITS services are delivered by a diverse professional and technical staff, a large complement of student computing assistants and consultants engaged for specialized projects.
Headquartered at 175 Whitney Ave., ITS has numerous computing clusters, specialized facilities and offices throughout the campus. Increasingly computing support is delivered through school- and department-based "first-tier" providers, with ITS personnel focused on a "second-tier" help desk and "third-tier" specialists dispatched from the help desk. A new group within ITS Support Services is charged with managing this interface to customer units, facilitating and, in some cases, providing local support services on a contract basis.
Highlights of recent ITS initiatives are provided below, with details available on its website (www.yale.edu/its).
Organizational Changes
* A new Support Services unit has been created, under the direction of Edward Keegan. Support Services include the Help Desk, Education and Training, Microcomputer Sales Center, Repair, Desktop Services, User Accounts and Distributed Support (www.yale.edu/support).
* Reprographics & Imaging Services (RIS) has merged with Printing and Graphics Services and has established a formal liaison with the newly appointed University Printer, John Gambell, whose office will soon be located at 175 Whitney Ave.
* The Science and Engineering Computing Facility (SECF) has been restructured, with its former director, Martin Ewing, assuming the new position of director of information technology in engineering, reporting to
D. Allan Bromley, dean of engineering.
* A new ITS Sciences & Social Sciences Faculty Support Program is currently being organized based on the Work Station Support group previously directed by Keegan. This program complements the Humanities Faculty Support Program, which was established last year.
* The Telecommunications Department has appointed John Meickle, director of technology planning, as interim director of operations for the Medical Center.
Major Projects
* Project X, the University's three-year effort to replace aging financial and human resources and payroll systems and to re-engineer the underlying business processes, released the first new systems in June, as part of a phased rollout that is expected to be completed in April 1999 (www.yale.edu/pjx).
* The Year 2000 Project is a campuswide effort to identify and remedy all critical computer, laboratory and building systems that could fail or behave unpredictably after Dec. 31, 1999. Analysis is underway of the survey distributed to all departments this summer (www.yale.edu/year2000).
* The University Library's ORBIS/NOTIS system and Development and Alumni Affairs' Benefactor system have been upgraded to Year 2000 compliance.
* The Building Data Ready Project, which extended fiber optic backbone cabling to all campus buildings and extended ethernet cabling to all workstation locations, was completed after a three-year effort.
* The Classroom Data Ready Project to install Ethernet in University classrooms has begun with over 125 classrooms now wired, including all classrooms in the newly renovated Linsly-Chittenden Hall. LC 101 is the first FAS classroom to have ethernet available at every seat.
* Cable television is now available in undergraduate residences and will be installed later this fall in graduate residences and selected classrooms (www.yale.edu/video).
New and Upgraded Services
* The University's gateway to the Internet has been upgraded from 4.5 Megabits/second to 10 Mbps.
* A new 100 Mbps switched Ethernet connection is now available in laboratories and offices, as well as the standard 10 Mbps shared Ethernet.
* The PPP modem pool has been upgraded to support 56 Kbps dial-up service.
* "Roaming" IP addressing is now available campus-wide, enabling users of laptop computers, once registered, to connect to the Internet wherever there is an activated port (classrooms, Sterling Memorial Library, numerous computer clusters).
* The campus-wide calendar management system, Meeting Maker, has been upgraded, with synchronization now provided for the Palm Pilot personal digital assistant.
* A new network-based hard disk backup service, ADSM, is now available campus-wide.
* "Teaching with Technology," a new website offers information on all course-related web pages, news groups, chat rooms and other communication tools for faculty and students (www.yale.edu/instruct).
* The Microcomputer Sales Center has relocated to the lower level of the Yale Bookstore on Broadway. MCSC sells Apple, HP and IBM hardware and a wide variety of software and peripherals (www.yale.edu/mcsc).
* Expanded hours for the Repair Center at 181 Whitney Ave. are: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. for drop-off service and on-site system upgrades of Apple, Digital, HP, IBM and other brands of equipment.
* Computer-based Training (CBT) materials, accessible via the campus network, now complement ITS classroom training programs (www.yale.edu/edpgm).
* A new distributed Print Management System for printers in Academic Computing Services clusters improves convenience and reliability of printing and replaces declining balance cards with direct billing to bursar accounts.
* A new web page provides an overview of the operating status of ITS systems (www.yale.edu/its/status).
* The Information Security Office has licensed sophisticated scanning software that enables ISO to alert systems administrators of both security vulnerabilities and sources of software upgrades (www.yale.edu/its/security).
* A new ITS Help Desk is available during business hours at 432-9000. Intended primarily for local support providers, the help desk can also answer questions from end users whose local provider is unavailable.
Rate Changes
* Long-distance telephone rates have decreased on average 20 percent for domestic calls and 40% for international calls.
* The new, high speed 100 Mbps Ethernet service will be charged at $36/month.
* Both the standard 10 Mbps and full-service (10 Mbps with email, Meeting Maker and ADSM) Ethernet connection rates have been revised. The rates are variable and are dependent upon type of service and school affiliation. Consult www.yale.edu/its/rates for complete details.
* The rate for all modem access has increased from $5/month to $10/month.