|
In the News!
Emergency Broadcast Alert System Test - Information Technologies, in cooperation with RAVE Wireless, completed a sucessful test of its MoBull Plus - Emergency Broadcast Alert System September 7th. USF Media Relations, Student Affairs and IT tested the broadcast function with over 11,000 students, faculty and staff. The test alert was distributed to most subscribers within 10 minutes or less. MoBull Plus is one of the options campus administrators have at their disposal to alert the USF community in the event of an emergency. For more information and to sign up, visit: www.mobull.usf.edu
FAU Project - The Division of Information Technologies (DoIT) has completed a project for our “sister” institution, Florida Atlantic University. DoIT was asked by FAU to reproduce for FAU the extraordinary software application used for automated electronic test score and transcript transmission. During the implementation of the OASIS Student Information System, USF modified the SunGard HE Banner System in order to provide high levels of efficiency in the processing of test scores and transcripts for transfer and FTIC applicants. Florida Atlantic University contracted with USF for the provision of this work. This project was a win-win arrangement since FAU was able to obtain the needed functionality that was already proven to be effective and USF was able to add resources to its Banner upgrade project. Additionally, in accomplishing this work for FAU, USF personnel were able to have early access to the new software and learned new techniques which have reduced the time required for the Banner upgrade.
Port Authority Contract - The Division of Information Technologies has renewed its contract with the Tampa Port Authority (TPA) for the provision of telecommunications services. DoIT began providing telecommunications service to the TPA when the Downtown center was established in the then new TPA building on Channelside Drive. The renewal of this contract represents TPA’s satisfaction with the services provided by USF DoIT. This service helps offset the cost of telecommunications to USF.
USoG Project - The Division of Information Technologies has completed an application development contract for the University System of Georgia. USoG utilizes the same Banner and PeopleSoft environment that is used at the University of South Florida. When USoG planned for some improvements to its system USF DoIT contracted to do the work under its structured software applications lifecycle management process. DoIT was able to deliver the specified software to USoG on time and with complete user satisfaction. This was a mutually beneficial project since USoG obtained what it needed at a cost-effective price and USF benefited by receiving outside revenue which enabled it to allocate more resources to USF projects.
Hosting Contracts - The Division of Information Technologies/Central Florida Regional Data Center announces the renewal of contacts for hosting of applications with Florida Gulf Coast University, New College Florida, and University of North Florida. DoIT/CFRDC hosts the Banner suite of applications for those institutions, which includes the hardware environment in a secure data center and the provision of system and database administration. New in this contract renewal is the provision of a “warm site” at the NWRDC for each institution should the CFRDC be rendered inoperable. This gives DoIT’s customers added assurance in the event of unexpected situations.
Warm Site - USF completed the first test of its “warm site” for business continuity. Over two years ago DoIT began a program to establish a rapid response operation in the event of some catastrophic event which would render the Central Florida Regional Data Center inoperable. DoIT bought equipment and has contracted with the Northwest Regional Data Center in Tallahassee for space in order to continue operations for USF’s mission critical systems. The mission critical systems are OASIS, GEMS, FAST, the usf.edu main web site, and the IT Exchange e-mail system. While the hardware has been in place for some time, the system had not been tested. During May 2006, IT, in conjunction will all the central business units, ran through an exercise of operating on a copy of the database for each of the major systems. The test exercise was a success and there is now a higher reliability factor in the warm site. It should be noted that in the event of a real disaster the “swap” to the warm site would not be instantaneous but would allow systems to be up an running within hours. This is a great improvement over the previous business continuity plan.
Data Stewardship Committee - USF Data Stewardship Committee created. The Division of Information Technologies and the Division of Decision Support (Academic Affairs) have worked together to formulate a recommendation for the formation of a Data Stewardship Committee (DSC). The DSC will be a working subcommittee of the Enterprise Business System Council and will be composed mostly of information and data consumers and custodians. The group will make policy recommendations, facilitate many aspects of data stewardship (such as documenting standards, definitions, etc), and work to prevent (and when necessary recommend corrections to) data problems. The DSC will be a vital component in the drive towards quality data and information at USF.
|