its in bits

A Note From Bill…

When Randy Livingston spoke at our Town Hall last week, he mentioned that during its recent annual budget-setting activities, the Provost's Budget Group set the University's budgets for Fiscal Year 2010 and Fiscal Year 2011. By focusing on the next two years (rather than just 2010), the University was able to plan necessary budget reductions that help Stanford stabilize its financial position even further into the future. Now, with budgets set for 2011, the Budget Group is starting to focus on major efficiency initiatives that can create large-scale, sustainable savings across the University. One task force will look for opportunities for Stanford to become more efficient in its use of information technology. We are fortunate that Randy will be co-chairing the task force. (For more information on the University's efficiency initiatives, see the 10/19 email from the Provost or visit efficiency.stanford.edu.)

This is excellent timing for IT Services. We have been working on a plan that recognizes our need to significantly reduce costs and improve our efficiencies over the next five years. For example, as I mentioned at Town Hall, the Trio Project is our largest and most important efficiency project this year. The project is called Trio because it addresses three fundamental areas: the creation of a comprehensive and easily understood service catalog, the transformation of our ordering process to a more intuitive, Amazon-like experience, and the automation of the provisioning of many of our services.

Of course, the task force must and will be focused more broadly than just IT Services. It will look closely at the services offered by Administrative Systems and IT Services. It will consider opportunities that allow for those services to be leveraged by distributed IT units to reduce redundancies and create efficiencies. In turn, effective use of central services allows the distributed IT units to devote more of their resources to their unique local needs. Additionally, the task force will look for opportunities where IT can more greatly benefit teaching, learning, and research by eliminating or automating related administrative activities.

Such change will not happen overnight. It will have political and cultural implications, as well as technological implications. We are fortunate to have the support from the Provost, the Budget Group, and Randy and his task forces as we examine these issues. I also realize that key to our success is your continued support. In the coming weeks, each of our work groups will begin to offer their ideas about creating efficiencies in internal work and processes, rationalizing centralized and distributed IT activities, and automating or enabling much of Stanford’s work. As you have ideas and suggestions, I urge you to share them broadly. This is an exciting challenge, and another way that IT Services can make a significant contribution to creating the future of Stanford University.

- Bill Clebsch
IT Services

October Town Hall Now on the Web

Information from the IT Services October 2009 Town Hall session is now available on the web. You can find the slide deck from the session, as well as the Draft FY10 Three Year Strategic Plan and Roadmap.

- Nancy Ware
Planning & Communication

Results and Analysis of IT Services Pandemic Exercise

IT Services conducted a Pandemic Exercise on September 16 in which a majority of staff members worked remotely to simulate what may be required in the event of a pandemic outbreak.

A survey was issued after the exercise to collect feedback on individuals’ experiences. 84% of survey respondents indicated they participated by working off site that day, or worked on campus but had no face-to-face meetings.

Relative to tools that enable working remotely, almost a third of respondents used WebEx for virtual meetings or audio-conferencing during the exercise, felt that it was easy to set up and use, and liked the ability to display and collaborate on documents. Some felt that it was difficult to hear on conference calls, as phones were not put on mute or there was an echo on the line.

More than half of respondents used our new Stanford IM (Instant Messaging) during the exercise, felt that it was easy to set up and use, and liked the ability to chat with their entire workgroup. Some felt that there were limitations because not everyone in IT Services uses Stanford IM yet.

Everyone in IT Services uses Unified Messaging in some form and survey respondents felt that it was easy to set up and use, especially with the updated voice portal to arrange for any voicemails to be delivered to their email accounts.

Relative to accessing file storage, more than half of respondents had everything they needed already on their laptop or portable device, while many also remotely accessed a Stanford file server (AFS, CIFS), or accessed a document repository (DocuShare, SharePoint, etc.), or by “other” methods (remotely logged in, Remote Desktop, accessed via email, etc.). Only a few indicated they could not access necessary files or documents, some of which were in paper format at their offices.

Overall, there were many positive comments about the exercise. Survey respondents appreciated the opportunity to test their collective ability to work remotely, and many indicated they were more productive by avoiding the daily commute and routine interruptions while working from home.

We will share additional details at a Tech Briefing entitled Working Remotely: Lessons Learned from IT Services’ Pandemic Exercise, October 23 at 2 p.m. in Turing Auditorium. Chris Lundin and Matthew Ricks will present, along with Keith Perry of Environmental Health and Safety.

- Chris Lundin, Client Support
Matthew Ricks, Computing Services

IT Services Jordan Quad Disaster Drill October 29

IT Services will conduct a joint ER Team field and SOC (Satellite Operations Center) emergency response drill on Thursday, October 29, from noon to 4 p.m., rain or shine. We will respond to an unknown disaster that has damaged all of the buildings and produced casualties in Jordan Quad within the perimeter of Campus Drive, Panama Street, and Via Ortega.

The IT Services ER Team (now a part of SCERT — Stanford Community Emergency Response Team) will activate its emergency response to perform incident assessment and the setup of a communications net, to perform building assessments and reconnaissance, to conduct triage, first aid, and morgue operations, and to set up shelter operations and hygiene stations.

ER Team members will participate along with any IT Services staff or university SCERT members who wish to join us. We are looking for volunteers to be team members and to be simulated casualties. We invite all IT Services staff to come out, support our effort (as observers), and give us feedback. If you are interested in joining our outdoor emergency adventure, contact Tom Prussing.

The IT Services SOC will also conduct a parallel drill from 1–3 p.m. The SOC will convene via a page that will go to SOC members at 1 p.m. They will respond to a set of incidents that are causing major disruptions to various IT services.

- Tom Prussing
Computing Services – Technical Facilities

Campus Readiness Moving to Tech Training

Jo-Ann Cuevas and Ammy Hill, our Campus Readiness experts, will move from Documentation, Design, and Development to Technology Training as of October 19. Jo-Ann and Ammy already work closely with Tech Training, providing presentations to the campus community as new services are rolled out or existing services upgraded, and teaching ongoing classes on some of our standard software and services.

In their new roles, Ammy and Jo-Ann will work more closely with Mark Branom, Tech Training's in-house trainer, to expand and update our course offerings. They'll also continue to work with DDD on documentation and client communications.

Though they'll be moving on the organization chart, Jo-Ann and Ammy will remain in their present office near their DDD pals in Spruce.

- Christopher Kittle
Documentation, Design, and Development

Winter Closure

Stanford plans to shut down to the fullest extent possible from Monday, December 21, 2009 through Friday, January 1, 2010. The University will re-open with the start of business on Monday, January 4, 2010. During the 2009 Winter Closure period, the following dates have been designated as University holidays:

Thursday, December 24, 2009,
Friday, December 25, 2009, and
Friday, January 1, 2010

Except where operations must continue, all areas of the University are asked to close down beginning December 21, 2009. We are communicating now to help as you plan your vacations and days off through the end of the year. We will follow up with more specific information as the time draws nearer.

- Nancy Ware
Planning & Communication

Informal Mentoring to Replace Formal Program

The end of October marks the end of the FY09 formal mentoring program in IT Services. Thank you to everyone who participated this past year.

We have asked mentoring pairs to take the time over the next couple of weeks to evaluate and close their FY09 mentoring relationships.

There will be no formal, IT Services-wide mentoring program in FY10 (although there may be some formal mentoring partnerships to support rotational assignments). We strongly encourage informal mentoring partnerships, so feel free to seek new, informal mentoring relationships if you would like one. Your manager can help you.

If you have any questions about mentoring or coaching, feel free to contact me.

- Dani Aivazian
Organizational Development

Watch Those Space Heaters!

As the cold weather rolls in, think before putting your old forced-air space heater to work. According to the United States Department of Energy, the average forced air heater (heating element and fan) uses twice as much power as your desktop computer. Radiant heaters are much more efficient in providing warmth, as they heat just you instead of trying to heat all of the air in the room.

Using a radiant heater instead of a forced air heater can save up to 530 kWh annually — enough to power your refrigerator for a year! You can buy a radiant heater from the SmartMart catalog, such as the Electric Radiant Heater Under Desk 110V, Electric Heater Analog Flat Panel 400W, or Convection Heater Radiator 120V 1500W. (Note: while this heater is labeled “convection,” it actually is a radiator [there’s no fan].) And even better, plug that radiant heater into a SmartStrip to have it automatically turned off when you’re not there.

- Joyce Dickerson
for Susan Kulakowski, Campus Energy Manager