Tag Archives ⇒ ucisa-2006-03

The Wireless City – partners in time

· ostephens

Presenters: Michael Ahern and Craig Hickson, University of Lancaster

Michael is starting by talking about UCLan – one of the first pervasive wireless infrastructures in HE. However, this was a move apparently resisted by the IT team at the time.

To encourage use, iPAQs were given to art and fashion students, complimented by a ‘virtual base room’, with course focused around the new technology.

Also iPAQs for senior managers, to use electronic diaries. Despite a slow take up by ‘senior’ colleagues (age and status), there are some that are now wedded to them – although also a fair number that are expensive paperweights. One thing I’d say here is that I (like the speaker) have never really got to grips properly with handhelds. I tend to have fads (I’ve had a Psion and a Palm), but never really used them. However, my laptop (12″ powerbook since you ask) is brilliant – would much prefer to have it with me than a handheld – I guess that this is about personal preference.

Having got wireless, UCLan decided to look at forming partnerships with commercial partners to provide a city wide (Preston) facility – Social, Educational etc. However – they didn’t want to make money (in fact, the business plan was to lose money). This has been a significant challenge in getting partners! Eventually team up with TeleGeneration and Preston City Council. This would provide free access to UCLan staff and students anywhere in Preston, and a ‘pay for’ service for others.

At this point, they had to tackle the challenge of selling it to the potential users.

They found that retail locations were initially suspicious – they couldn’t believe there was no catch. They eventually launched with 20 locations.

After the network had been running successfully for a few months – they decided for a big launch as “UK’s first wireless city” – which got picked up extensively.

What I really like about this initiative is that the University has engaged with the local community to provide something that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. It leads me to wonder what we should be doing for our local community?

The Wireless City – partners in time

· ostephens

Presenters: Michael Ahern and Craig Hickson, University of Lancaster

Michael is starting by talking about UCLan – one of the first pervasive wireless infrastructures in HE. However, this was a move apparently resisted by the IT team at the time.

To encourage use, iPAQs were given to art and fashion students, complimented by a ‘virtual base room’, with course focused around the new technology.

Also iPAQs for senior managers, to use electronic diaries. Despite a slow take up by ‘senior’ colleagues (age and status), there are some that are now wedded to them – although also a fair number that are expensive paperweights. One thing I’d say here is that I (like the speaker) have never really got to grips properly with handhelds. I tend to have fads (I’ve had a Psion and a Palm), but never really used them. However, my laptop (12″ powerbook since you ask) is brilliant – would much prefer to have it with me than a handheld – I guess that this is about personal preference.

Having got wireless, UCLan decided to look at forming partnerships with commercial partners to provide a city wide (Preston) facility – Social, Educational etc. However – they didn’t want to make money (in fact, the business plan was to lose money). This has been a significant challenge in getting partners! Eventually team up with TeleGeneration and Preston City Council. This would provide free access to UCLan staff and students anywhere in Preston, and a ‘pay for’ service for others.

At this point, they had to tackle the challenge of selling it to the potential users.

They found that retail locations were initially suspicious – they couldn’t believe there was no catch. They eventually launched with 20 locations.

After the network had been running successfully for a few months – they decided for a big launch as “UK’s first wireless city” – which got picked up extensively.

What I really like about this initiative is that the University has engaged with the local community to provide something that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. It leads me to wonder what we should be doing for our local community?

IT Services: Help or Hindrance (2)

· ostephens

Brian Kelly has started by outlining his AUP (Acceptable Use Policy) for his talk – he is happy for us to record it, blog it, etc. This highlights the fact that I haven’t had permission from anyone else to blog their talks.

I guess if someone objects, I’ll consider their objections, and decide whether to change my notes to reflect objections or corrections.

Brian is outlining the experience of ‘Children of the Web’ – today’s undergraduates use the web naturally. But what does it mean to ‘IT Support’ – should we be supporting Amazon, Flickr etc.

Brian has suggested that the image of IT people is negative – perhaps even worse than Librarians. Not sure where this leaves me as a qualified librarian working in IT.

Brian has suggested that ‘e-learning’ is different to previous IT applications. Traditionally we have been looking for the best software to do something. However, e-learning is about ensuring “changes (learning) happens inside a student’s head.”

I would argue that this is really about a move from applications to services. To be trite, Applications are easy – services are hard. Perhaps having solved the easy problems (applications are now cheap and easy to write), we are now trying to solve the harder ones – engaging with the service.

Seemed inevitable, Brian has mentioned Web 2.0. Using Google as an example. Compare our University Maps to the Google equivalent (try searching “tw20 0ex” on Google Maps

Brian’s keeps making the point that we are often putting ourselves (IT Services that is) in the way of what users want to do. We have gone from enablers (we give access to IT) to barriers (we stop people using services).

Perhaps we (University IT) need to separate out our ISP type activities (networking halls of residence, providing access to students/staff) from our more ‘Corporate’ IT activities. We do this in an organisational sense (we have an ‘Admin computing’ section), but in reality we run these quite closely together. It would be interesting to look at other organisations.

Interestingly Brian has just mentioned University of Manchester – apparently restricting p2p filesharing to free up network bandwidth for Skype use. This is an interesting approach – but also shows the limitations of University IT – my ISP at home doesn’t have to ban one thing to support another (does it?)

Brian has proposed some principles for IT services

Just a namecheck for ‘UCISA 2.0’

IT Services: Help or Hindrance (2)

· ostephens

Brian Kelly has started by outlining his AUP (Acceptable Use Policy) for his talk – he is happy for us to record it, blog it, etc. This highlights the fact that I haven’t had permission from anyone else to blog their talks.

I guess if someone objects, I’ll consider their objections, and decide whether to change my notes to reflect objections or corrections.

Brian is outlining the experience of ‘Children of the Web’ – today’s undergraduates use the web naturally. But what does it mean to ‘IT Support’ – should we be supporting Amazon, Flickr etc.

Brian has suggested that the image of IT people is negative – perhaps even worse than Librarians. Not sure where this leaves me as a qualified librarian working in IT.

Brian has suggested that ‘e-learning’ is different to previous IT applications. Traditionally we have been looking for the best software to do something. However, e-learning is about ensuring “changes (learning) happens inside a student’s head.”

I would argue that this is really about a move from applications to services. To be trite, Applications are easy – services are hard. Perhaps having solved the easy problems (applications are now cheap and easy to write), we are now trying to solve the harder ones – engaging with the service.

Seemed inevitable, Brian has mentioned Web 2.0. Using Google as an example. Compare our University Maps to the Google equivalent (try searching “tw20 0ex” on Google Maps

Brian’s keeps making the point that we are often putting ourselves (IT Services that is) in the way of what users want to do. We have gone from enablers (we give access to IT) to barriers (we stop people using services).

Perhaps we (University IT) need to separate out our ISP type activities (networking halls of residence, providing access to students/staff) from our more ‘Corporate’ IT activities. We do this in an organisational sense (we have an ‘Admin computing’ section), but in reality we run these quite closely together. It would be interesting to look at other organisations.

Interestingly Brian has just mentioned University of Manchester – apparently restricting p2p filesharing to free up network bandwidth for Skype use. This is an interesting approach – but also shows the limitations of University IT – my ISP at home doesn’t have to ban one thing to support another (does it?)

Brian has proposed some principles for IT services

Just a namecheck for ‘UCISA 2.0’