Overview of IT Services at
The University of Bradford
Version 1.0
October 2014
Introduction
• Purpose: provide a short induction briefing on IT
services at the University for new senior staff
• Agenda:
–
–
–
–
Brief history of how we got to where we are
Overview of the current services and organisation
Summary of IT Strategy and status of IT Investment Plans
Indication of the University’s IT Challenges &
Opportunities
• Questions arising
Some Key Historical Perspectives
Computer Centre & MIS Computer Centre & MIS in Learner
as independent units
Support Services planning unit
2 large
mainframes
CAA
PC Clusters
Student Accom. networked
(dial-up ResNET)
100s of virtual
servers
N/w upgraded to Cat6
Wifi in The Green
Wifi hotspots
Secure off-campus access
eduroam
Smartcard
1st Mobile App
Access Control
ResNET replaced
with cabled n/w
Ericsson telecomms
platform
Finance system 1
HR/Payroll
system 1
Learning Support Services combining
IT Services & Library Services
E-payments
Finance system 2
HR/Payroll system 2
Computerised Timetabling
SAINT
Office 365
for students
Blackboard
FM for School of
Life Sciences
FM for School of
Health Studies
FM for SCIM
Administrators
FM for School of Social & Intl Studies
FM for Students Union
Creation of One IT Service Desk/
FM for Corporate Services
E-Strategy 2004-08
IT Strategy 2009-14
E-strategy Programme (£12m)
Current Invest. Plan (10/11)
KEY:
- Infrastructure milestones
- System milestones
- Support milestones
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
1970s/80s/90s
2002
Change Programme
Current IT Infrastructure
Library
Student
Central
School of
Eng & Info
The
Green
JB
Priestley
Other wifi
hotspots
City
Campus
Cloud & Shared
Services (eg
Microsoft,
UCAS, NorMAN
Shared 24/7
Help Desk)
Richmond
Bdg
Other
schools
School of
Mnmt
Emm
Lane
Wifi
hotspots
YHMAN
Internet
access
Partner
Institutions
(eg China, Dubai)
SUPPORT METRICS
Storage: >200 Terabytes
Staff PCs: ~3000
Fixed on-campus Student PCs: ~1000
Corporate Ipads & Tablets: >50
Corporate Mobile Phones: >400
Corporate Smartphones: >200
Data Sockets: ~6000
Voice Sockets: <4000
Live accounts: >25,000
KEY SUPPLIERS
HP: data storage, switches, desktop,
MFD printers/copiers
Vodaphone: iPhone, iPads, tablets,
corporate mobiles & smartphones
Microsoft: campus desktop
Oracle: campus database
Novell: network
Some of our Key Systems
Academic
Finance (E5)
Library Catalogue
HR/Payroll
(Resource Link)
E-Resources
Student admin
(SAINT)
VLE (Blackboard)
Internal Website
About UoB
File storage
Email (Office 365
for students)
Email (in-house
for staff)
External Website
Student
Admin &
support
Printing &
Copying
>100 student
apps
Estates
(Salto, FACTS)
SUPPORT METRICS
Total staff: 2,500 ; total students 15,000
SAINT users: 800 staff & all students
Blackboard users: 800 staff & all students
Finance users: 275 staff
HR/Payroll (MyView) users: all staff
Salto users: all staff & students
FACTS users: 80 staff/students
About UoB users: 5,000
Printing & copying: >2 million pages/yr
Students apps: >1000 concurrent users
KEY SUPPLIERS
Microsoft: Office 365
Blackboard: Bb Learn, Bb Mobile, Bb
Collaborate, TxtTools
Tribal: SAINT
Business Objects: Reporting
Advanced Business Solutions: E5
NorthgateArinso: ResourceLink
IT Support to Students & Staff
Students
Student
Union
Corporate
Services
School of
Life
Sciences
School of
Health
Studies
School of
Social &
Int Studies
IT Services (G Hill)
•IT Systems (P Briggs + 11fte)
•IT Infrastructure (G Bell + 16.4fte)
•IT Support & Telecomms (R Goodair + 16.5fte)
•IT Info, Training & Advice (A Carter (0.4fte) + 6fte)
School of
Man.
School of
Man.
IT Support
School of
Eng &
Informatics
School of Eng
& Informatics
IT Support
Measuring Service Levels & Support
STAFF &
STUDENTS
SERVICE DESK
•35k phone calls & 20k emails pa
generating 10k jobs: >60% from CS/LSS
•Jobs are 50:50 incidents vs change
requests – trend to fewer incidents: 89%
cleared by target date
NorMAN
(out of hours backup to Service Desk)
•260 calls taken pa: Just over 50% dealt
with by NorMAN
SERVICE AVAILABILITY
•Target 24/7 100% availability:
>99% achieved
•Limited number of incidents pa:
Typically fixed within 4 hour target
SATISFACTION SURVEYS
•11/12 & 12/13 Internal Survey:
87% V Satisfied; 12% Satisfied
•NSS survey ratings:
11/12 81% for Learning Resources
12/13 84% for Learning Resources
(just below sector average)
ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
•Regular reviews of support service
levels with user management
•Positive relationships established
All statistics are from IT Services Annual Reports (2011/12 & 2012/13)
IT Governance (before/after 2011)
Before 2011
After 2011
IT Strategy & Policies
ISC
Director of IT Services
Monitoring Service Levels & legal
oversight of DPA/FOI
ISC
IT Services’ Infrastructure Group
Monitoring of IT Spend vs Budgets
LSS
Director of IT Services, reporting
through Director of LSS
Prioritising & Supporting Investment
Plans
ISC
Strategic Planning Office
Overseeing Implementations of
Approved Projects
ISC
Technology Programme Board
(chaired by Director of LSS)
Overseeing Implementations of
Approved Projects
ISC
Student Data & Information
Programme Board (chaired by
PVC L&T)
Overseeing Implementations of
Approved Projects
ISC
L&T Programme Board (chaired
by PVC L&T)
ISC – Information Strategy Committee
IT Strategy 2009/14
Web-Enabled
Campus
Smart
Administration
OBJECTIVES
Infrastructure in the
Information Age
Supporting Learning & Teaching
Environments
Delivering a customer-focused
service
Prioritising business systems to
support institution
Enabling Information Access &
Security
Making savings & delivering
efficiencies
Recent IT Budgets & Investments
(£000k)
2009/10
2010/11
2011/12
2012/13
STAFF COSTS
IT Services staff costs
1,651
1,610
1,587
1,650
FM staff costs (*)
167
167
171
388
Schools’ IT staff costs
949
969
988
804
2,767
2,746
2,746
2,842
783
859
902
931
Other Univ. IT op. costs
1,947
1,804
2,038
**2,079
Total Univ. IT op. costs
2,730
2,663
2,940
** 3,010
Total Univ. IT staff costs
OPERATING COSTS
IT Services operating costs
IT INVESTMENT PROJECTS
2010/11 Investment Plan
2,700
(4 yr period 2010/11 to 2014/15
* FM staff costs will be included in IT Services staff costs budget from 2013/14, rather than re-charged
** Estimated
Approved Investment Projects Status
Web-Enabled
Campus
Enhanced
Learning
HRX eRecruitment
Student System
Devt
Course Info
Smart
Database
Administration
Student Attnd.
Mntrng
Timetabling
Unified Comms
Research Mgt
System
Mobile Apps
PROJECT KEY
2010/11 Invest Plan
completed
Out of Hours IT
Infrastructure in the
Information Age
Blackboard
Servers
IT Rolling
Replacement
2010/11 Invest Plan
in progress
2010/11 Invest Plan
postponed
Green IT Projects
£2.7m funding
of which
£500k postponed
2013 Investment Planning Round
• Reviews with senior users generated list of
proposed IT-related projects (some areas only)
• An Interim Planning Review approved:
– Re-implementation of Student Information System
(£1.3m)
– Smartcards for bursary students (external funding)
– Continuation of current technology enhanced learning
system (reserves)
• Remaining proposals await full Investment
Planning process
• Further level of detail is provided in a separate
presentation (‘IT Investment Planning 2013’)
Looking Forward: Challenges
Supporting students &
staff in the effective use of
technology for learning,
teaching and assessment
Promoting digital
literacy of staff
and students
Supporting the trend
towards IT
consumerisation and
Bring Your Own Device
Impact of
“Technology
University of the
North” on IT
Increased focus on
Research driving
new specialist needs
(HPC, MI, PGR/PGT tools)
IT at
University
of
Bradford
Facilitating
institutional
efficiencies &
modernisation
Delivering a
professional,
quality service
New forces for
change: mobile,
social s/w, cloud,
data usage
Looking Forward: Opportunities
Coordinated approach
to developing
refreshed Corporate &
IT Strategies
Adopt/exploit
technology innovation
in the schools to benefit
the wider University
Creative IT input to
embrace mobile
potential in new
Marketing Strategy
Changes &
New
Strategies
at UoB
Potential for further
efficiency savings through
consolidating IT support
budgets
Refresh IT
Governance
arrangements to
assist new IT Strategy
Q&A