UAAITSC ELT Monthly Update for April, 2016 11
University Academic and Administrative Information Technology Steering Committee
ELT Monthly Update for April, 2016
New IT Investment Proposals
1. Voice Messaging Service
Sponsor: Robin Roane, Director of Telecommunications Services
Description: Implement a new voice messaging solution deployed in a virtual, rather than physical environment. This will allow utilizing the existing University corporate Virtual Machine (VM) clusters in both the University Computing Center (UCC) and Harris Hall for backup. This configuration will provide failover and fault isolation in the event of disruption to the network. Most importantly, replacement will eliminate the Windows operating system security issues.
Resources: Telecommunications Staff – director, business and operations managers, engineers, inventory administrator
Audience: VCU and VCU Health, both on campus and remote site locations throughout the state of Virginia.
Benefits: The new platform will incorporate more mobility applications and, potentially, unified communications through integration with email platforms.
Total Cost: $327,200 (hardware $7,000, software $255,000, services $65,200)
Funded: Yes
Recommendation: APPROVE
2. Performance Planning and Evaluation Solution
Sponsor: Susan Carkeek, Office of the President
Description: Procure and implement the Ellucian Talent Management system to provide HR with greater flexibility to enhance performance planning and evaluation within the Tier III restructuring agreement with COVA.
Resources: Project Manager, other VCU staff TBD.
Audience: All staff and A&P Faculty and those who manage them will use and benefit from the system. This system would not include T&R Faculty unless they supervise others.
Benefits: 1. Identify and Reward High Performers – One specific outcome desired from the Tier III HR Restructuring project is adopting performance-based or “merit-pay” for all employees. To do this, the University must have meaningful performance evaluation. A new system can help employees and managers visually see performance against goals, assess outcomes, and help identify high performers to be rewarded accordingly. The current EWP process for Classified Staff and the distributed approach to A+P Faculty evaluation will not effectively support “pay for performance”.
2. Develop Aligned Goals – Cascade organizational goals into more refined goals and expectations at the school/unit level, and to team and employee levels – helping link employee contributions to the overall University priorities and strategies. There are strong synergies with this functionality and the need that has been identified for “assessment management” in the Provost’s Office of Planning and Decision
3. Support. When done right, performance management systems support both organizational and individual accountability through deliberate goal setting and tracking.
4. Strengthen University-wide Competencies: Clearly identifying shared values and behaviors that are expected by all members of the University community, enhances the University’s ability to hire, retain, and reward those who align with and support its mission. Increasing the visibility of those competencies in career development and performance evaluation programs reaffirms their importance in the workplace, strengthens and reinforces the dynamic culture VCU aspires to, and further enables both individual and organizational success.
5. Provide Meaningful Feedback – Enable continuous development and improvement with on-going documentation of accomplishments and addressing problems as they arise, so they never grow into larger issues.
6. Successfully Develop Employees – Create individual development plans based on an employee’s competency assessment to help plan for the next move on their career ladder, develop skills gaps, and improve strengths. Career development and career advancement are the highest priorities that emerged from employee feedback in the Great Place 7. 7. Initiative. Good software tools can encourage employees to take ownership of their own career development – increasing engagement, job satisfaction and motivation.
Total Cost: TBD by negotiation with vendor
Funded: Yes
Recommendation: APPROVE
Infrastructure and Operations Portfolio
1. CBORD CS Building Access Control System /
VCU Police Department / $1,631,445/ Y
$81,214 yearly / Enhance building security and reduce risk, improve service to customers / Procure and implement the CBORD CS Access building control system, convert all VCU buildings
2. Hosted Email Encryption Service / Technology Services / $170,700/ Y
$68,925 yearly / Unified email encryption for Gmail and Lotus users; avoids cost of upgrading end-of-life equipment / Migrate email encryption from in-house to Zix systems hosted environment
3. Telephone Equipment and Billing System / Technology Services / $225,000/ Y
$28,000 yearly / Primary operations system for Telecommunications office / Replace current system (Pinnacle) losing vendor support
4. 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
5. 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
6. Point-Of-Sale System
for Technology Store /
Business Services / $17,250/ Y
$2,000 yearly / Support sales and administrative activities of new technology retail outlet / Business Services to implement the LightSpeed POS system
7. QRadar Security Incident Monitoring System / Technology Services / $118,000/ Y
$23,600 yearly / Improve monitoring of risks and vulnerabilities that affect VCU’s information technology assets, and provide better data to aide decisions regarding those risks / Information Security Office to procure additional components and upgrade QRadar
8. Server and Storage Architecture for MOOCs / Learning Innovation and Student Success / $18,000/ Y
$18,000 yearly / Model and showcase distinctive, high-engagement online learning that leads to deep learning / Implement the WordPress Course Site and build an online learning community for MOOCs beginning in Summer 2014
9. e911 System / Telecommunications / $131,400 Y / Provide number and location data for all 911 calls / Replace existing system losing vendor support
10. Internet Upgrade /
Technology Services / $370,000 yearly Y / Increase aggregate bandwidth from 5 Gbps to 7 Gbps / 40% increase in bandwidth available for Internet traffic
11. Network Equipment End-Of-Life Refresh /
Technology Services / $294,000 Y / Replace 80 existing network switches reaching EOL in 2015 / Improved network reliability and access speed
12. Sanger Hall Network Upgrade / Technology Services / $350,000 Y / Install new fiber to improve architecture and meet standards / Improve Sanger’s network reliability and access speed
13. PrivateNet Network Refresh / Technology Services / $72,500 Y / Replace 40 network switches on the VCUCard point-of-sale network / Improve financial network’s reliability and access speed
14. Incident Management System / VCU Police / $120,000 Y / An incident management system allows for the real-time collection and aggregation of information related to incidents or events that could cause life safety issues or operational continuity disruption. / Improve response to incidents and management of Police resources.
15. Weather Notification System / VCU Police / $5,500 yearly Y / Ensure operational and public safety units can make efficient and timely decisions during severe weather events / Improved weather information will facilitate better decisions about VCU reaction and preparation for weather-related events.
16. PARCS Parking Access and Control System / Parking & Transportation / $2.4 Million 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
17. Utilities Management System / FMD / $150,000 Y / Solution to track utility consumption, costs, forecasting, rate verification and charges / Contract with EnergyCap for hosted system.
18. Network End-Of-Life equipment replacement
/ Technology Services / $160,000 Y / Replace 116 network switches reaching obsolescence. / Procure and install new equipment.
19. Hosted Ironport eMail Service / Technology Services / $15,869 yearly Y / Relocate the majority of email traffic between Ironport and Google from the VCU network. / Transfer the 3 Ironport appliances to a Cisco-hosted solution.
20. Penetration Testing Solution / ISO / $12,000 yearly Y / Identify VCU security vulnerabilities before an attacker can exploit them. Additionally, this system can also be used to conduct social engineering exercises against VCU personnel, thus providing anti-phishing training. / Employ a third party to perform continuous penetration tests against VCU’s perimeter technology infrastructure and actively share results with the VCU information security team.
21. Packet Broker Device / ISO / $80,000 initial Y / Automated and real-time defensive capabilities that will minimize the risks of compromise for on-premises assets and reduce the amount of threats and incidents needing manual intervention. / Procure and implement a packet broker device that will allow the University to integrate various individual security tools in-line with the University’s overall network.
22. Identity Access Management Solution / Technology Services / $450, 000 initial, Y $311,000 yrs 2-5=
$1,694,000 / Reduced wait times for new eID accounts, more control over access to systems and resources, and increased efficiencies through granting baseline access by role in the university. / Implementation of an identity access management (IAM) solution will streamline current user access authorization workflows and procedures, and provide access management to critical university resources.
23. SOPHOS security software renewal / Technology Services ISO / $53,000 yearly Y / SOPHOS security software provides protection against computer virus and malware attacks. / The existing contract for Sophos expires in June 2016 and VCU will need to issue an RFP to establish a new contract so we can ensure that continuing services for endpoint protection are provided.
24. Avaya IP-PBX Equipment, Support, and Maintenance / $1,000,000 Y / Lowers overall cost, eliminates physical servers security risk / Establish a contract to provide equipment, maintenance coverage, and expert level technical support for the existing Communication Manager system (IP-PBX) and adjunct servers (i.e. voice mail, Session Manager, Session Border Controller).
PORTFOLIO COST / $9,100,295 initial
$ 798,108 yearly
Business Process Automation and Improvement Portfolio
Project/Sponsor / Cost Funded / Benefits / Description1. Customer Relationship Management System / Development & Alumni Relations / $2,073,604 / Y
$245,874 yearly / Improve communications management to support fundraising and alumni relations / Implement the Blackbaud CRM system
2. Grants Management System/Office of Research Administration / $670,000 / Y
$35,000 yearly / Improve grant submission and award management processes / Implement Click Commerce system
3. Animal Resources System / ORA / $437,000 / Y
$20,000 yearly / Improved functionality in animal resource management / Implement Click Commerce system
4. Time and Attendance System / Human Resources / $262,000 / Y
$26,900 yearly / Automated attendance and leave recording; improve FLSA compliance / Implement TimeClock Plus system
5. 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
6. Hobsons Apply Yourself / Strategic Enrollment Mgmt / $100,000 + / Y
$25,000 yearly / Improve graduate application process / Purchase off State contract, configure and implement hosted solution
7. Visa Management System / Global Education Office / $60,000 / Y
$10,000 yearly / Automate reporting of student/staff/faculty visa information to SEVIS / Implement the Sunapsis system from Indiana University
8. Career Services Technology Platform / University Career Center / $125,000 Y / Improve ability for students to perform job searches / Partner with School of Business and School of Engineering to procure hosted solution
9. VIRTIFY Clinical Trial Registration and Results System / $65,000 Y / Improve required reporting to ClinicalTrials.gov; ensure compliance with FDAAA / Purchase and implement VIRTIFY’s Clinical Trial Registration and Results System
10. Course Evaluation / ALT Lab / $90,000 / Y
$18,500 yearly / Improved instrument, more student data / Implement the eXplorance Blue system
11. Curriculum Vitae Builder / School of Medicine / $50,000 (est.) Y / Consistent format
User friendly
Eliminate redundant data entry
Online updates / Develop a system to automate the production of CVs for School of Medicine faculty and staff
12. Recreational Management System / VCU Recreational Sports / $65,000 (est.) Y / Improve customer service, record keeping and audit tracking; record inventory loan and point of sale transactions / Survey the marketplace for a new rec sports information system; procure, implement, train staff
13. Huron Consulting Agreement for OnCore Financials / Office of Research / $290,000 Y / Create database for clinical research studies at VCU for accurate billing and compliance with regulatory issues / Engage Huron consulting services to extend OnCore to be enterprise solution
14. Portal for Board of Visitors / Presidents Office / $3,000 / Y
$32,000 yearly / Collaborative software to allow BOV members to securely store and access documents. / Implement the chosen solution and introduce to BOV operations
15. Courseleaf
/ Office of Faculty & Academic Affairs / $199,980 / Y
$35,980 yearly / Automate and integrate the catalog and academic activities into a more efficient and effective central reference system. / Purchase and implement the Courseleaf software.
16. Banner Revitalization/VP for Finance and Administration / $75,000 Y / Streamline business processes and make ERP data more accessible, accurate, and usable / Engage consulting firm to analyze and identify how Banner can be revitalized.
17. Online Student Orientation / Strategic Enrollment Management / $49,975 Y / Provide improved service to incoming freshmen and eliminate inefficient processes. / Contract with Advantage Design Group for their hosted system.
18. Governance, Risk and Compliance e-Solution / $125,000 / Y
$110,000 yearly / Centralizing information within one GRC Software Platform creates efficiencies in reporting, data analytics, monitoring and oversight of compliance and risk activities. / Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) e-solution – an enterprise-wide, comprehensive, vendor-hosted solution to effectively manage and document compliance activities.
19. Kaltura Video and Media Content Management
System / $94,500 initial Y
$150,000 yearly / Publish and share video and rich media; consolidate duplicative solutions; unlimited storage / Replace current video repository with Kaltura hosted solution.
20. lyndaCampus Learning Library and Training Repository / $120,000 yearly Y / Video library with top-quality courses from industry experts. / Replace Atomic Learning with lyndaCampus hosted solution.
21. SPGA Web Site / $68,000 initial Y / Integrate student portsls, intranets, social media to reach current and potential students, alumni, donors and supporters. / Engage Web developer to design and implement new site for L. Douglas Wilder School