Information Technology Solutions

Slack Enterprise Grid

One of the primary goals of the campus Digital Transformation is to bring all of UCR together on common platforms so that we can learn, teach, work, and collaborate seamlessly. ITS has invested in Slack Enterprise Grid, a centralized, secure virtual space where students, faculty, and staff can communicate, collaborate, share content, and much more.

Having everyone in our Highlander community on the same platform provides the flexibility to have separate yet connected workspaces across the University. What’s more, Slack is the preferred collaboration tool within the UC system, meaning you can connect outside of UCR, too!
 

LEARN MORE ABOUT SLACK ENTERPRISE GRID 

Ursa Major

Thanks to ITS' new research computing strategy and a first-of-its-kind agreement with Google Cloud Platform (GCP), UCR now boasts pioneering research computing services. Ursa Major will provide game-changing research innovation and scale for researchers by expanding campus research computing services. 

More information about Ursa Major will be available soon! In the meantime, connect with the Research Computing department. 

Enterprise Data Strategy

Foundational to the ultimate success of our campus goals is the data being used to measure progress. As part of the campus Digital Transformation, ITS has developed an enterprise data strategy to bring together key data assets and ensure that they are trusted, secure, easily accessible, and of the highest quality. 

This Enterprise Data Strategy provides a path forward to:

• Establish effective campus data governance that builds trust in the data being provided to answer important questions
• Build a data management program that ensures data is high quality, accurate, and up to date
• Create platforms that ensure faculty, staff, and students have access to all the data they need in a secure manner

Stay tuned for more information as we work to present and deliver on this Digital Transformation effort!

Cloud Enterprise Infrastructure

As part of the campus Digital Transformation, ITS has developed a cloud migration strategy that will utilize a new service agreement with Google Cloud Platform (GCP). GCP is a collection of cloud computing services that can be used to build, deploy, and manage applications and infrastructure on the internet. Essentially, it's a set of tools and resources that can be used to create and run software in the cloud. 

There are four key reasons ITS is migrating to the cloud: 

1. Security: Importantly, the cloud offers greater security and reliability than an on-premise data center. Google has invested heavily in securing its cloud platform, and GCP offers advanced security features such as encryption, access control, and threat detection. Additionally, GCP is designed to be highly available, with multiple data centers and redundancy built in to ensure that our data is always accessible.
2. Scalability: The cloud offers greater flexibility and scalability than an on-premise data center. With the cloud, we can easily add or remove computing resources as needed, without having to purchase and maintain additional hardware. This makes it easier to handle sudden spikes in demand, and to scale up or down depending on our campus needs.
3. Accessibility: The cloud offers greater accessibility and collaboration. With the cloud, UCR data can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, which makes it easier for people to connect and collaborate. Additionally, cloud-based services often have built-in collaboration tools, which can help teams work more efficiently. 
4. Cost Savings: Migrating to the cloud will help reduce costs. With an on-premise data center, we have to purchase and maintain our own hardware, which is expensive and time-consuming. With the cloud, we only pay for the resources we use, which will be more cost-effective in the long run. 

RISE: Generation Zoom

The Rooms for Increasing Student Engagement (RISE) effort has provided a jumping-off point to improve classroom technology and enhance learning. As a result of the success of this effort, along with the continued space constraints on campus and demand for flexible working and learning environments, ITS has invested in the next edition of RISE with the purchase of a unique service agreement with Zoom.

The benefits of RISE: Generation Zoom include: 

• For staff, Zoom Rooms are a familiar software-based solution that lets folks schedule, join, and control video meetings from both classrooms and conference rooms. It works with existing room equipment, like cameras and microphones, and can be easily integrated with popular tools like Outlook and Google Calendar. This will allow folks in department-managed spaces to hold high-quality virtual meetings, which is almost as good as being in the same room together.
• For students, Zoom Rooms enhance their ability to attend virtual classes, participate in group projects, and have study sessions with classmates from both on- and off-campus. 
• For faculty, Zoom Rooms makes it easier to broadcast and record lectures, hold virtual office hours, conduct meetings with colleagues from other departments, and collaborate on research projects, which can save time and increase productivity.

Currently, ITS is piloting RISE: Generation Zoom with the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. Stay tuned for more information about this Digital Transformation effort!  

Zoom Phone Services

Existing telephony services are over a decade old, impacting reliability and lacking important features that UCR needs to operate effectively and efficiently. As part of the campus' Digital Transformation, ITS has entered into a service agreement with Zoom that will unify the campus with a common, modern telephony platform: Zoom Phones.

Learn more about Zoom Phone Services

IAMRiverside

The University’s objective is to improve security, governance, and optimize the account lifecycle for university-issued accounts and access for all students, staff, faculty, and guests of the University. 

To accomplish this objective, we will replace the current homegrown identity registry with a sustainable and scalable commercial off-the-shelf solution that integrates with existing authoritative identity information sources and downstream systems.     

LEARN MORE ABOUT IAMRIVERSIDE

Watch previous Tech Town Halls by clicking the links below:

October 2023 Tech Town Hall

January 2023 Tech Town Hall