Information Technology Center ITC: Vision, Plans, Issues August 2005

1. Information Technology CenterITC: Vision, Plans, IssuesAugust 2005

2. Discussion Items • Vision of new ITC (the next 3+ years; based on user expectations) • Structure • Sectors (their role, and what directions we are going to take: vision) • Networking • Information Security • Services, Hardware/Software (for faculty/students) • Help-Desk (Customer Relations Department) • Servers (Internet & eMail) • ERP and Applications • Training

3. Current User Expectations • What are our customers looking for? • Almost everything related to computers is referred to ITC • A Services Department • Internet access and eMail • Applications • Automation • Computing resources (for research) • Collaborative work environment • Security (no policy and no framework yet) • Storage (reliable) • Guidance and Awareness • Access to R&D resources • Self service applications • Office automation tools • Training • and many others

4. Role of ITC • Should we be doing? • Internet filtering (and morality control) • Exam grading • Providing content for the Web • Developing Software Packages (at an exorbitant cost, no economies of scale) for internal use • And many others

5. Current Structure No need to talk about it! (but briefly…)

6. Overview of ITC Departments

7. ITC at a Glance • Excellent job is done in some areas, but • Many users are not fully aware of many services offered. • Overlap exists between several ITC departments. • No standard procedures have been adopted in software development (documentation, deliverables, etc., ad-hoc). • Redundancy exists between CCSE and ITC functions and operations. • Policies, Procedures, Awareness/Training Programs and User guides are not in place. • The new vision must address • How to improve quality of services (to students, faculty, researchers, and administration) • Cost/Value • HR

8. A new structure • Is very much needed • Is going to define a new role for ITC • Comes from where? • Due to the new business line • Because of the changes in IT (enabler, and a commodity) • Changing needs of users • Because the old structure is obsolete, it is not working today and will definitely not work tomorrow • We have to think of a new organizational structure, as if the center does not exist (this will make our reorganization easy)

9. The New Structure … • Will employ new tools and techniques • (Strategy map, expectations of administration, etc) • Will look into the value creation process (most criticized) • Cause a change in number of personnel and number of departments • Will change roles: • Will involve retraining of staff to play new roles in our organization (for example the adoption of ERP solution) • Will bring in new departments (such as Information Security, ERP & Applications, Infrastructure, HelpDesk & Call-Center, Q&P, etc).

10. Issues • Services (how to create value) • Quality, Planning, and Audit (BSC) • Cost (the dangers of cutting-edge) • Re-looking closely at hardware, software, and licensing • Competencies (no IT Gurus) • New competencies must be developed to align staff with the coming changes • Visas, salaries, and raises (people, our biggest problem) • Faculty, Professionals, Staff • Plans • Training of IT staff (both Saudis and non-Saudis)

11. Activities Thus Far • Focus on Students (Web-Cache) • Framework Agreement for PCs/Laptops for Faculty/Students • Progress in WLAN and Faculty Campus Network • Networking of the new buildings • Integration of Infrastructure of CCSE/RI with ITC • Will reduce cost considerably • Will also look into centralization of other services such as backup, storage, email, etc. • Library and its relation to ITC • Aggressive participation in the ERP project • High performance parallel machines already used for research applications (our staff did a super job here with no cost) • DMS • A new Website

12. Draft of The New ITC’s Vision

13. The New Vision • In Infrastructure (Networking, Wireless, etc…) • In Information Security • Quality, Planning, & Audit (Business) • Training, Awareness • In Services (Internet and eMail) & Help Desk • Participation and continuation of the ERP project • In Hardware/Servers and Licenses • In Development (last but definitely the least)

14. Networking Vision: To have a high-speed, reliable and secure network infrastructure and services. Network as the main information delivery mechanism, with QoS to support multimedia content, (Voice/Video/Data), Network Everywhere (Wired, Wireless, ADSL, Internet), with redundancy, and major upgrades and replaced aging infrastructure every 3-4 years.

15. Wireless Vision:The vision is to implement an enterprise wide wireless network infrastructure, and a secure access policy. Future rests on wireless “Always On” network. Mobile computing devices are becoming cheaper, more powerful, and better integrated. There is a major potential in transforming research and educational environment.

16. Information Security Why? • New technological developments point to significant changes in how we handle information • Our ability and willingness to protect privacy and secure information has become critical • Enterprise-level Information/Data Administration (ownership, access and control) will ensure support for business processes

17. Information Security Vision:An information security framework (based on international standards such as ISO 17799), risk management based security approach, with Information Systems Auditing as an integral part. A Continuous process rather than a project, adopting ITIL standards. Resources: Chief Information Security Officer and Information Security department. Will need Investment in Man Power acquisition and training Computer Emergency Response Team for Saudi Arabia (CERT-SA) (Will ensure business continuity, disaster recovery).

18. Quality, Planning, & Audit (Business) Vision:To have an office playing a proactive role in new technologies, their adaptation, planning, and performance studies, to improve services, their quality, and increase return on investment.

19. Training, Awareness Vision:To increase IT literacy in the ever changing applications and facilities available at the ITC/KFUPM (increase level of literacy of Security, connectivity, pervasiveness, etc.,) to ensure higher utilization of existing facilities and resources. Continuous training of ITC staff. ITC to be an innovative and dynamic force in education, research and training.

20. Users Support Services & CCC Vision:The vision here is to formalize the processes for Help Desk Support by CCC (Customer Care Center), End user IT support Services, hardware support, desktop services and support for general purpose PC Labs.

21. Administrative and Enterprise Applications Vision:To have a consolidated department that will ensure continuation of the ERP Project in terms of Support and Management. In addition, support for both administrative and academic business processes (satellite application), University Portal, and Web Services will be addressed here. (This will merge the current 3 departments).

22. Systems Operations and Support Vision: To increase the number of low cost servers, downsize/right-size and reduce the current exorbitant licensing costs (spend intelligently). The target is to reduce costs of both hardware and licensing; and increase fault tolerance and reliability. • Enhance BW of Internet, increase services, and look for alternates for connectivity to increase fault tolerance. • High performance computing environment (clusters), mainly for research purposes are being investigated. • To work with CCSE/RI for an enterprise database, enterprise email, and other overlapping functions. • Efficient operation of the university-wide back-end computing services, including Windows, Unix and mainframe (several applications such as SIS currently run on these systems). This includes Enterprise Storage (to support online courses, etc.,), and Database Administration. Internet and eMail are currently handled by this department.

23. Thank you for your kind attention

24. Research Education Training KFUPM User Community Applications and Services Infrastructure Expertise Network Data Center Security Knowledge Resources Planning ITC Development Model

25. Major Strategic Directions • Persistent and pervasive access to information • Information privacy and security • ITC as an innovative and dynamic force in education, research and training • The Internet as a total communications medium • Customer relationship management

26. Persistent and Pervasive Access to Information • The future of computing rests on a wireless “always on” network connection. • Mobile computing devices are becoming smaller, cheaper, more powerful and better integrated • Major potential in transformation of research and educational environments

27. Persistent and Pervasive Access to Information ..What is ITC Doing • Implementing an enterprise-wide wireless network infrastructure • Working on a secure wireless access policy with mandated secure wireless network standards

28. Persistent and Pervasive Access to Information ..What is ITC Direction • Positioning all key information resources to be wireless-accessible • Providing users resources and support to be totally mobile • Ensuring higher utilization through awareness and training

29. Information Privacy and Security..What is ITC Doing • Working with CCSE/ICS faculty for an enterprise view of the university databases • Working on a University-wide policy for Data Privacy and Security

30. Information Privacy and Security..What is ITC Direction • Positioning all key information resources to be ISO/IEC 17799:2000 Compliant • Ensuring ERP implementation maintains information security standards

31. Innovative Use of Learning Technologies • An IT-enabled educational and research environment • Easy, ubiquitous technology support • Investment in high-performance computing technologies • Balance innovation and current successful practice • Continuous evaluation and improvement • Training faculty and staff to use IT successfully • Continuous education • Life-long learning and knowledge improvement skills

32. Innovative Use of Learning Technologies ..What is ITC Doing • Resource distribution through online change management and vendor frame agreements • Research platform established • Online learning centers and training programs • Training content production

33. Innovative Use of Learning Technologies ..What is ITC Direction • Fresh look at IT-enabled educational environment (coordinating with DAD) • Persistent and pervasive access to knowledge sources (coordinating and assisting Library) • Evaluation of impact and improvement

34. Internet Strategy • Internet strategy in compliance with university strategic plan • Complete content management through high-quality portal deployment • Persistent and pervasive access to Internet information • Internet 2 planning and deployment

35. Internet Strategy..What is ITC Doing • Newly-formed portal group for content development • Outsourcing of look & feel plus navigation for the portal

36. Internet Strategy..What is ITC Direction • Planning redundant/replicated Internet link • Positioning of resources to increase utilization

37. Customer Relationship Management • IT customer requirements and business process identification • Friendly working environments to provide support • Improved technical and social skills for support staff • ‘Rapid service’ improvements

38. Customer Relationship Management..What is ITC Doing • Deploying enterprise service desk as online service for IT support requests • Positioning enterprise change management as online service for IT resource requests

39. Customer Relationship Management..What is ITC Direction • Redesigning enterprise Help Desk and Training Centers for effective communication • Continuous training of trainers in IT and social skills • Effective frame agreement implementation to improve resource delivery schedules

40. Proposed Organizational Structure ITC DIRECTOR ITC Customer Care Center ITC Support Desk Help Desk Security Operations & Services Training Services Networking & Telecommunication Services Administrative and Enterprise Applications Systems Operations and Support User Support Services Network infrastructure ERP support Enterprise Servers Desktop Support Network Management Current Application Systems Maintenance (Academic & Administrative) Enterprise Storage Hardware Services Telecommunication Services Enterprise Database PC Lab Support University Portal & Web Services Operations (Labs & main Servers Area)