Open Letter to UF OIT Staff

Just like the seasons, another cycle of new students and faculty has started. This seems like a good time to summarize some of the major improvements in IT that have happened over the summer.

A major upgrade to the e-Learning system was completed a few weeks ago. The enterprise system was upgraded to WebCT Vista Version 4 and launched on August 17th, 2007. The e-Learning system growth has been exponential. During the Spring 07 term, there were 45,000 discrete user accounts, 2960 live course sections running a class and 5000 course accounts. This upgrade was completed in record time through an effective collaboration between support units in AT, CNS and the Blackboard Company. The upgrade included new hardware, a redundant database, and the new version of the software. Vista 4 is a stable product that offers improvements in performance as well as many new features and functions. The main enhancement is that the users of the e-Learning system will see improvements to the web interface as well as some new tools. Please check with the AT website for all the new enhancements.

There was also a major upgrade to our video conferencing system. AT's Video & Collaboration Services is now providing an improved method of distributing streaming video presentations on the web. By using the Mediasite system, Video & Collaboration Services can provide Rich Media presentations that combine regular Windows Media streaming video with high-resolution graphics captured directly from a computer. Mediasite allows users to view the video content on a full-screen or skip ahead to specific topics by selecting slides from the thumbnail gallery.

The Mediasite Server will be hosting Rich Media presentations for large format courses such as STA2023 and MAC1147 this fall to provide students with archived, on-demand copies of the course lectures. Recording services are available in the classroom located in Norman Hall. Recordings can also be requested to be on-location, based on availability. For more information visit http://video.ufl.edu.

Many parts of the Academic Technology operations were moved to their new home in the HUB. This move was part of the HUB’s $10M renovation and the consolidation of student focused services for AT and the International Center.

A main architectural feature of the building is the new UF Computing Help Desk facility. The new circular walk-up Help Desk provides easy access to in-person support to help solve technology problems for faculty, staff and students. In addition to the walkup area, a new state-of-the-art call center makes the Help Desk even more effective and efficient at solving situations by phone or submitted by e-mail. An improved space for assisting customers with laptop issues is also part of the new facility.

The HUB also offers a great open space for collaborating with your colleagues, whether student, faculty, or staff, in an informal setting. In the style of an internet café, there is comfortable seating, wireless connections, the new International Video Wall which brings in television stations from around the world, access to the food court and, of course, the new Starbucks. The facility also offers student group study rooms, a semi-enclosed meeting room with a large plasma display and laptop hookups, as well as computers and collaboration areas highlight some of the facilities available to students. A new multi-media production area provides additional media capabilities not available for walk-in use by students elsewhere on campus. Two high-end videoconferencing suites provide the ability for students and others to meet with peers and collaborators from around the globe at the touch of a button.

The HUB's second floor also has great new facilities. The Application Support Center is an annex of the UF Computing Help Desk and provides the opportunity for assistance with more involved computer applications, as well as continuing support with graduate student Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Across the hall from the Application Support Center is the new home of Software Licensing Services, which, like Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Support, was relocated from Building 105 to this new, central location. Software Licensing Services is ready and able to help with the procurement and distribution of software site licenses to the UF community. Also located on the second floor, next to the top of the grand staircase and elevator, is a new 34-seat computer training facility. Please walk over and take a look around.

The Wall-Plate Project is now well underway. Although originally planned to replace 25,000 network data ports over the next 5 years, initial customer contacts and site visits have “revealed” closer to 35,000 ports CNS has been wrapping up prior year commitments to current customers including: UPD, Reitz Union, Fine Arts, Stuzin, Rinker, and Library East. They are now beginning installations for the first wave of new customers/buildings including: Anderson, Keene-Flint, Dickinson, McGuire, Powell, and McCarty D.

Aided by the free data port (Provost-funded) and the 50% off discounted offer on the telephone handsets, many users are now choosing to convert their aging telephone systems to Voice-over IP. For more information on the Wall-Plate project see http://www.cns.ufl.edu/wallplate/.

Finally, the UF Exchange project continues to move forward. The goal is to provide an adopt-in enterprise messaging system with the growth capabilities to handle all current and future adopters providing efficient and cost-effective service. The project is managed using a three-team approach: the project team to implement the system and handle operations, the management team to steer the project, coordinate input and policies and decisions and finally the advisory committee which will provide input and guidance on policies and requirements. The project is working to develop a model that includes support from the help desk as tier one through the operations team as tier three support.

All in all it has been a busy summer with great improvements in the services and support OIT provides to campus. Please let the people who work so hard to provide these services know how much you appreciate their efforts.

Marc Hoit