Annual report of the Information Technology Standards Workgroup

The IT Standards Workgroup serves as a guiding influence on the direction of information technology investment at the University of Vermont. In the interest of ensuring faster, more consistent, and generally better support for your investments, the committee will set the standards for centrally supported and centrally managed technologies.

These standards will include all types of information technology purchased by the University. It is not the aim of this group to limit the choices available to members of the University community, but rather to recommend directions for technological investment to individuals and departments.

What do IT Standards mean for me?

No institution like the University of Vermont can offer centralized support services for all technologies, past and present. The IT Standards Workgroup identifies the technology tools that have the most value to our students faculty and staff. Our support staff are then able to focus their resources on providing comprehensive, high quality support services. Technology standards provide a means of ensuring that all users at the University will have the support necessary to get their jobs done.

By using standard technologies, people and departments are more likely to be able to exchange information and to successfully collaborate with students, clients and colleagues throughout and outside the University. Students and employees will find their technology-related skills more valuable as working and learning environments become more consistent.

How do I learn more?

It is vital that all concerned parties understand the reasons for each standard and the considerations put in to their implementation. It is in this spirit that the committee will strive to make ALL aspects of its operation visible to the University Community.

Our policies and procedures are explained at our web site. Here you will find information about our currently adopted standards, notes on the standards currently under discussion, and ways that interested members of the UVM Community can participate in the work of the IT Standards Workgroup.

IT Standards

Below you will find several changes to the landscape of information technology at UVM. The item summaries list the points of information that are most likely to impact individuals and departments. More detail, including the decision-making process, is available online. A link for each item is listed below.

Antivirus Utilities -- Norton Antivirus

We have selected Norton Antivirus as the best comprehensive solution for UVM's antivirus tool. Important features include:

• central management facility
• support for many operating systems

Additionally, a solution will be selected to provide scanning of email at our central mail servers.
Details of this decision at http://www.uvm.edu/itnetwork/standards/antivirus/

Secure Remote Terminal and File Transfer Utilities -- Secure Communications SSH and NiftyTelnet+SSH

We have identified Secure Communications SSH as the best comprehensive solution for UVM's SSH client for computers running Windows. For computers running Macintosh OS, NiftyTelnet+SSH provides a solid, free solution combining Telnet and SSH support.

Details of this decision at http://www.uvm.edu/itnetwork/standards/ssh/

Operating Systems

The following operating systems will be supported:

• Windows 98
• Windows 2000 Professional
• Macintosh System 8
• Macintosh System 9

Support for the following operating systems will be discontinued:

• Support for DOS, Windows 3.1, Windows 3.11 ends effective June 30, 2001
• Support for Macintosh System 7 and earlier ends effective December 31, 2001
• Support for Windows 95 ends effective June 30, 2002

Window ME (Millennium Edition) will not be supported.

Resources for planning and migrating to standard tools:

• Consulting services are available to help plan migration to current, supported operating systems.
• Reduced-cost licenses for current versions of these applications is available through the Microsoft Select and Campus Agreements. (See http://www.uvm.edu/itnetwork/standards/licensing/)
• Need-based funding is available through the CAP program to help units offset the cost of replacing old hardware and software. (See http://cit.uvm.edu/cap/)

Details of this decision at http://www.uvm.edu/itnetwork/standards/os-support/

Office productivity software ('Office Suites')

The standard tools for office or business productivity are:

• Microsoft Office Standard 97 and 2000 for windows
• Microsoft Office 98 and 2001 Macintosh edition
• Lotus Smartsuite

Support for the following versions will be discontinued:

• Microsoft Office Standard 4.x, effective June 30, 2001
• Microsoft Office Standard 95, effective June 30, 2002

Resources for planning and migrating to standard tools:

• Consulting services are available to help plan migration to current, supported operating systems.
• Reduced-cost licenses for current versions of these applications is available through the Microsoft Select Agreement
  (See http://www.uvm.edu/itnetwork/standards/licensing/)
• Need-based funding is available through the CAP program to help units offset the cost of replacing old hardware and software.
  (See http://cit.uvm.edu/cap/)

Details of this decision at http://www.uvm.edu/itnetwork/standards/officesuite/

On the Horizon

The IT Standards Workgroup has projects in progress, items about to be started, and ideas for discussion down the road. We hope that you will join the effort be contributing your needs, thoughts, and concerns.

Here are some othe things we're working on:

Web-based Survey tools

We are currently investigating several tools for administering surveys via the web, and collection of the results in an easy-to-access way. We will be selecting one of the tools as a supported standard. Too see the work in progress, see http://www.uvm.edu/itnetwork/standards/datasurvey/.

Email client software and Web browser software

We will be considering the various tools for managing email and for browsing the web. The discussion will begin before the end of the semester. To stay informed, see http://www.uvm.edu/itnetwork/standards/email/.

Getting involved

The IT Standards Workgroup is an open body. Participation by members of the UVM Community is vital to the successful. You can participate in a variety of ways:

• Email your ideas to it-standards@list.uvm.edu
• Join the it-standards listserv and listen to the discussions. See http://list.uvm.edu/archives/it-standards.html.
• Join the it-standards list and participate!
• Read the IT Standards documentation, including the communications of the listserv, at http://www.uvm.edu/itnetwork/standards/.

On behalf of the IT Network and the Standards Workgroup,
Geoffrey Duke, Coordinator Information Technology Standards Workgroup
Computing Analyst II, Computing & Information Technology