University Academic and Administrative
Information Technology Steering Committee
Monthly Update for February, 2014
I.
New IT Investment Proposals
1. CBORD CS Building Access Control System
Sponsor:
John Venutti, VCU Police Chief
Description: VCU’s current building access control solution exposes the University
to security risks and faces expensive equipment end-of-life replacement
cost. This Proposal is to procure and implement the integrated and
automated CBORD CS Access building control and management
system.
Schedule:
Thirteen months (March 2014 – April 2015)
Resources: UCC Staff (1) – Server installation
Network Services (4) – 2 Network Engineers (hardware & network),
Installer, and Contractor Supervisor
VCU Police (3) – 1 Project Coordinator, 2 Project Assistants
VCU Housing (2) – Coordination of access assignments & schedules
Building Managers (?) – Coordination of access assignments &
schedules
VCUCard (4) – Manager, 2 Equipment Techs, 2 System Administrators
Audience:
VCU faculty, staff, students and visitors
Benefits:
Reduce risk through automated data exchange with VCUCard
Enhance security and cecrease manual processing
Overall improvements in customer service to faculty, staff, visitors
(NOTE – only buildings with existing access controls are included,
approximately 80% of all VCU campus facilities)
5-Year Cost: $2,321,445 initial cost
$81,214 per year operational cost
Funded:
Yes
Recommendation: APPROVE
2. Internet Upgrade
Sponsor:
Alex Henson, Chief Information Officer
Description: VCU currently receives an aggregate Internet bandwidth of 5 Gbs from
two carriers. This project will increase the aggregate bandwidth to 7
Gbs. Additionally, the license file for the Procera traffic shaping
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appliances will be upgraded to cover the increased bandwidth and the
allocation to ResNet increased from 2 Gbs to 3 Gbs.
Schedule:
May 2014 – July 2014
Resources: Project Manager
Network Engineer
Audience:
All members of the University Community who utilize the Internet via
a VCU network connection.
Benefits:
A 40% increase in the bandwidth available for Intenet traffic, and a
33% increase in bandwidth to the residence halls.
5-Year Cost: $370,000 per year ($62,000 increase over current cost)
Funded:
Yes
Recommendation: APPROVE
3. Network Equipment End-Of-Life Refresh
Sponsor:
Alex Henson, Chief Information Officer
Description: This project will replace approximately 80 network switches reaching
EoL in FY15. Expanding on the work completed with the Gig to
Building project, the new switch models will provide gigabit Ethernet
connections to the desktop.
Schedule:
One year (July 2014 – June 2015)
Resources: Project Manager
Network Engineer
Audience:
All members of the University Community who utilize a VCU network
Benefits:
Improved network reliability and access speed
5-Year Cost: $294,400 one-time (a contingency amount of 10% of the value of the
switches is included to address sub-standard wiring that may be
encountered)
Funded:
Yes
Recommendation: APPROVE
4. Sanger Hall Network Upgrade
Sponsor:
Alex Henson, Chief Information Officer
Description: This project will install fiber to supplement the existing riser, allowing
us to move from a floor distribution switch topology to a building
distribution switch model, thus eliminating one switch hop and bringing
the building back into compliance with standards. If alternative space
can be found, the main distribution point will be relocated from the B3
level. Additionally, approximately 60 switches will be replaced to
address the issue of the imminent end of manufacturer support.
Schedule:
Six months (May 2014 - November 2014)
Resources: Four total – (1) Project Manager
(1) Construction Supervisor
(2) Network Engineers
Audience:
All University community members who utilize the network in Sanger
Hall (note - the current out of standards topology induces a measureable
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amount of jitter and latency to network traffic to and from Sanger Hall,
resulting in higher error and re-transmission rates. While this is not
noticeable by end users under current utilization, it could become
apparent as network speeds and utilization increases.)
Benefits:
Improved network reliability and access speed
5-Year Cost: $350,000 one-time
Funded:
Yes
Recommendation: APPROVE
5. PrivateNet Network Refresh
Sponsor:
Alex Henson, Chief Information Officer
Description: PrivateNet supports VCUCard point of sale terminals and other
financial transactions. Some network components of PrivateNet are
aging and are at increasing risk of equipment failure. This project will
replace approximately 40 network switches reaching EoL in FY15. The
bulk of those switches will be replaced with newer model switches that
have been removed from service during renovations; the replacement
switches are limited to 100Mbs ports (plenty for PrivateNet
applications) but are still under manufacturer support until 2019.
Schedule:
Five months (May 2014 – September 2014)
Resources: Project Manager
Network Engineer
Audience:
All members of the University Community who utilize the PrivateNet
network
Benefits:
Improved network reliability and access speed
5-Year Cost: $72,500 one-time (note - utilizing the used switches reduces project
cost by $95,000)
Funded:
Yes
Recommendation: APPROVE
UAAITSC ELT Monthly Update for February, 2014
4
Infrastructure and Operations Portfolio
Project/Sponsor
Cost
Funded
Benefits
Description
1. Telephone Equipment
and Billing System /
Technology Services
$225,000/
$28,000 yearly
Primary operations
system for
Telecommunications
office
Replace current system
(Pinnacle) losing vendor
support
2. LANDesk Customer
Management System /
Technology Services
$150,000/
Y
$120,000 yearly
Improved user
experience, elimination
of duplicative solutions,
integration with current
software suite
Replace current system
(Remedy), savings to
partially fund new
system
3. Move Blackboard
LMS to hosted solution /
Technology Services
$318,000
Y
Eliminate hardware costs
and reduce staff time to
support
Move Blackboard from
VCU-supported platform
to vendor-supported
4. Point-Of-Sale System
for Technology Store /
Business Services
$17,250 initial/
$2,000 yearly
Y
Support sales and
administrative activities
of new technology retail
outlet
Business Services to
implement the
LightSpeed POS system
5. QRadar Security
Incident Monitoring
System / Technology
Services
$118,000 initial/ Y
$23,600 yearly
Information Security
Office to procure
additional components
and upgrade QRadar
6. Serve and Storage
Architecture for MOOCs
/ Learning Innovation
and Student Success
$18,000 initial/ Y
$18,000 yearly
Improve monitoring of
risks and vulnerabilities
that affect VCU’s
information technology
assets, and provide
better data to aide
decisions regarding
those risks
Model and showcase
distinctive, highengagement online
learning that leads to
deep learning
7. RedCap Survey Tool
Support / Center for
Clinical and
Translational Research
$100,000 yearly N
(salary + benefits)
Y
Improved service to all
users of RedCap survey
software
Implement the
WordPress Course Site
and build an online
learning community for
MOOCs beginning in
Summer 2014
Request to add staff (1)
required to fully support
RedCap survey tool
UAAITSC ELT Monthly Update for February, 2014
8. e911 System /
Telecommunications
PORTFOLIO COST
$131,400
Y
$1,077,650 initial
$291,600 yearly
5
Provide number and
location data for all 911
calls
Replace existing system
losing vendor support
NOTE – RedCap support
funding is not identified
In Queue
1. PARCS Parking Access
and Control System /
Parking&Transportation
$2.5 - $3
Million
(TBD by RFP)
Y
Enhance customer
service, security, and
financial position of
parking system
(eliminate $5 Mil subsidy
from University Fee)
Procure and implement
an integrated access
control, automated
revenue, and enterprise
management system
Business Process Automation and Improvement Portfolio
Project/Sponsor
Cost
1. Grants Management
System/Office of
Research Administration
Funded
Benefits
Description
$670,000 /
Y
$35,000 yearly
Improve grant
submission and award
management processes
Implement Click
Commerce system
2. Animal Resources
System / ORA
$437,000 /
Y
$20,000 yearly
Improved functionality
in animal resource
management
Implement Click
Commerce system
3. Time and Attendance
System / Human
Resources
$262,000 /
Y
$26,900 yearly
Automated attendance
and leave recording;
improve FLSA
compliance
Implement TimeClock
Plus system
4. ImageNow site
license/ Technology
Services
$399,500 /
Y
$72,000 yearly
Remove funding barrier
for schools and
departments; leverage
functionality
Convert per user
license to site license
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5. Hobsons Apply
Yourself / Strategic
Enrollment Mgmt
$100,000 + /
Y
$25,000 yearly
Improve graduate
application process
6. Visa Management
System / Global
Education Office
$60,000 /
Y
$10,000 yearly
Automate reporting of
student/staff/faculty
visa information to
SEVIS
7. Career Services
Technology Platform /
University Career Center
$125,000
Y
Improve ability for
students to perform job
searches
8. VIRTIFY Clinical Trial
Registration and Results
System
$65,000
Y
8. Course Evaluation /
Center for Teaching
Excellence
$90,000 /
Y
$18,500 yearly
Improve required
reporting to
ClinicalTrials.gov;
ensure compliance with
FDAAA
Improved instrument,
more student data
PORTFOLIO COST
$2,208,500 initial
$207,400 yearly
Purchase off State
contract, configure and
implement hosted
solution
Implement the
Sunapsis system from
Indiana University
Partner with School of
Business and School of
Engineering to procure
hosted solution
Purchase and
implement VIRTIFY’s
Clinical Trial
Registration and
Results System
Implement the
eXplorance Blue
system
IN QUEUE
1. Customer Relationship
Management System /
Development & Alumni
Relations
$2.5 – 3 million
Y
2. Curriculum Vitae
Builder / School of
Medicine
$50,000 (estimate) Y
Improve
communications
management to
support fundraising and
alumni relations
Consistent format
User friendly
Eliminate redundant
data entry
Online updates
Issue an RFP to replace
current Mellinum CRM
system
Develop a system to
automate the
production of CVs for
School of Medicine
faculty and staff
UAAITSC ELT Monthly Update for February, 2014
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Innovation Portfolio
Project
Cost
Funded
1. Research
Opportunity and
Application System /
Center for High
Performance
Computing
$60,000
2. Preterm Birth
Prevention / School of
Medicine
$50,000
Y
3. Predictive Crime
Analysis / VCU Police
Department
$9,000 / year
Y
PORTFOLIO COST
$119,000 initial
$9,000 / year
Benefits
Description
Provide researchers
ability to post research
opportunities and
students to apply for
them
Quest for Distinction
funded project to be
developed by Nihar
Sheth
Provide research data Collection of
demographic
information; program
related information;
Tracking returning
subjects; information
browsed by subjects
Tracking crime by time
and location will
facilitate better
utilization of VCU PD
resources.
This health literacy
project will place
computers in 5 resource
centers throughout
Richmond’s East end.
Purchase a license for
PredPol, the same
system used by
Richmond PD.
Non-Discretionary Portfolio
Project
Cost
1. Security Camera
Upgrade / VCU Police
$ 1,200,000
PORTFOLIO COST
$1,200,000
Funded
Y
Benefits
Description
Upgrade existing
cameras and install 300
additional ones
Improve surveillance
and the ability to
identify suspects
UAAITSC ELT Monthly Update for February, 2014
Initial Cost
TOTAL FOR ALL PORTFOLIOS
$4,605,150
Other Information/Issues for ELT:
The UAAITSC does not have a representative from the Council of Deans.
8
Yearly Operational Cost
$508,000