Voluntary centralization of user support in a de-centralized organization

ABSTRACT

At the University of Maryland, budget constraints, questions of duplication of effort, and a call to raise operational efficiency have encouraged a number of relatively autonomous units to turn to the central Office of Information Technology (OIT) for assistance in providing IT services targeted to their specific needs. The required services have varied widely, from classroom and desktop support to the provision of server infrastructure. In this panel, the presenters will discuss the approaches taken to provide services to this diverse range of customers. On-site support models for desktop computing, classrooms, and labs include full-time service desks as well as part-time or on-call support. Back-end infrastructure has generally been centralized, as has the creation of software images for labs and classrooms. Included in the discussion will be a highlight of lessons learned as more units have requested increased OIT support.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.6 MANAGEMENT OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
      K.6.4 System Management
          Subjects: Centralization/decentralization

General Terms:
Management

Keywords:
AV support, application server support, centralization, classroom support, desktop support, file and print server support, help desk, lab support, outsourcing