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Planning and Creating an Information Technology
Infrastructure: One Branch Campus Experience from the
Middle East
Planning and Creating an Information Technology
Infrastructure: One Branch Campus Experience from the
Middle East
Dr. David J. AyersmanChief Information Officer
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Dr. David J. AyersmanChief Information Officer
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Overview
1. About Qatar and Education City
2. Problem Statement (Challenges for a new CIO in the Middle East)
3. Description of Activities (Projects and Solutions)
4. Next Steps
5. Importance and Relevance to Others
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
1. About Qatar and Education City
• Location
• Population
• Government
• History
• Change
•Safety
•Qatar Foundation
•Education City
•Mission
•Partners
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Qatar• Smaller than Connecticut
• Pearls, Fishing, to LNG
• Population (885,359 est.); 80% in Doha; 30,000 before 1950’s; mostly ex-patriots
• Arabic is primary language; English widely understood
• Per Capita Income
• *Mobiles = 716,800
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Middle East
• centrally located
• 300 miles to Iraq
• 140 to Iran
• enter by air or water or through Saudi by land
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Historical Development
• 1868 to 1971 (British Protectorate; Ruled by Al-Thani family)
• 1930’s discovery of oil and LNG
• 1950’s infrastructure began
• 1995 bloodless coup (founding of Education City)
• 2001 border disputes resolved
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Doha, Qatar
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Rapid Development
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Terror?
• Doha Player’s Club (March 19, 2005)
• Very low crime
• Compounds
• US Military Presence
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Education City
• 2500 acres, private, nonprofit, multi-institutional
• generous funding by Qatar’s ruling family
• student body (and faculty/staff) diversity (regional)
• Al-Jazeera children’s channel, hospital, science and technology park, RAND corporation, QA, ABP
• future partners?
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Mission• Qatar Foundation’s mission is to prepare the
people of Qatar and the region to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world, and to make Qatar a leader in innovative education and research.
• To achieve that mission, Qatar Foundation supports a network of centers and partnerships with elite institutions, all committed to the principle that a nation’s greatest natural resource is its people. Education City, Qatar Foundation’s flagship project, is envisioned as a center of excellence in education and research that will help transform Qatar into a knowledge-based society.
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Education City
• 1997 Virginia Commonwealth University (arts)
• 2001 Weill Cornell Medical College (medicine)
• 2003 Texas A&M University (engineering)
• 2004 Carnegie Mellon University (computer science and business)
• 2005 Georgetown University (foreign service)
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
2. Problem Statement• Challenges for a new CIO in the Middle
East
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Initial Questions
• CIO Responsibilities?
• IT Staff Expertise (new staff; to be determined)
• Budget and Procurement Process?
• Cultural and Environmental Factors?
• Communication (VCU, QF, vendors, clients); Dec in Richmond
• IT Dependency on QF? (Quality of Service?)
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Additional Factors
• Mission and Strategic Direction?
• Culture (hours of operation, formality, familiarity, meaning of agreements, work week)
• 7,000 miles and 8 time zones (4 common hours with main campus!)
• Staffing (high turnover, expertise, personalities)
• Assessment of Needs
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
VCUQ IT (2005)
• 50% Macintosh
• unix server?
• no wireless
• dependent upon QF IT for network, email, etc.
• no admin access to main campus IT services
• no asset management?
•no classroom technologies
•no media services
•no trouble ticket system
•ineffective relationships with QF IT and VCU
•lack of policies/procedures
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
VCUQ IT Staff 2005VCUQ IT Staff 2005
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
3. Description of Activities
• Projects and Solutions
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Needs Assessment: Priorities• Gain Familiarity and
Understanding
• Expend Current Budget in 4 Months
• Create Inventory
• Acquire Infrastructure (servers and data/electric)
• Service-Level Agreement
•Web Site (gain access; become autonomous)
•Standardize Equipment
•Provide Wireless
•Create Identity (qatar.vcu.edu)
•Classroom Technologies and Atrium
•Create VCUQ Network
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Procurement Challenges• QF or VCU?
• VA Restrictions Apply?
• Sole Source or Competitive Bids
• No flexibility in budget
• On-site Maintenance and Warranty Needed
• Main Campus Contracts Not Recognized
•Export Agreements Vary
•Changing Procedures?
•Changing Personnel
•Retailers 20% Surcharge?
•Who are the Vendors?
•Agreements with Vendors*
•Follow-up, Follow-up
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
4 Months for Initial Scope Document?• In January 2005 I contacted one of the companies that my predecessor told me about who
seemed capable of performing the technology enhancements that we needed for our classrooms. I invited them to campus so we could develop a scope document based on the technical expertise and approximate the costs that would be associated with this project which they could provide us. The budget at that point was known but an accurate estimate of the cost for the project was not yet known.
• On Feb 1, 2005 I met with representatives from Almana and Partners to discuss the VCUQ audiovisual needs. We toured the 6 classrooms that needed renovations and S. Parameswaran (Systems Engineer) and Mohan Kumar (Sales Executive) took notes and asked questions. They agreed to submit a quote to me that would reflect their estimate for the equipment and installation. No quote for this project was ever received by me from Almana and Partners.
• At the end of February, I met with Mansoor Mopari and his partner from NEST Middle East Co. W.L.L. to discuss the VCUQ audiovisual needs. We toured the 6 classrooms that need renovations. Mansoor and his colleague agreed to submit to me a quote that would detail the equipment that would be needed, the cost of that equipment, and the cost of the installation of the equipment. No quote for this project was ever received by me from NEST Middle East.
• On March 22, 2005 I met with Victor Mettry from TechnoQ to discuss the VCUQ audiovisual needs. We toured the 6 classrooms that needed renovations. Victor agreed to submit to me a quote that would detail the equipment needed, the cost of that equipment, and the cost of installing that equipment. In early April, I received a quote from TechnoQ.
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Procurement Improvements
• corporate card for online purchasing
• re-shipping from main campus
• recognition of sole source vendors
• localization for PO
•increased spending limit
•increased minimum for multiple quotes and capital items ($300 to $2500)
•budget request to allocation (flexibility for purchasing)
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Projects
• Service Level Agreement
• Planning
• VCUQ Domain Transition Project
• Classroom Enhancement Projects
• VCUQ Web Site
• Atrium Project
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Service-Level Agreement
• None (since 1997?)
• Scope of Responsibilities
• Performance Indicators
• Performance Expectations
• Signatures
•The value of this document was greater as a symbol of cooperation than as a formal contract.
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
VCUQ Domain Transition
• Acquire Infrastructure
• Approval from QF IT
• Extensive Coordination and Assistance with Main Campus IT
• IP Range, Firewall, NAT, Domain Registration, etc.
• Migration of Email (no messages lost!)
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Atrium Project
• Only large-venue area in Education City (+450)
• Video Displays (16 50” DSP, 7 42” Plasma)
• 5.1 Sound, 4 video cameras, lighting, 2 podiums
• DVD Recording
• IP Video-conferencing
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Atrium 1 of 5
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Atrium 2 of 5
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Atrium 3 of 5
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Atrium 4 of 5
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Atrium 5 of 5
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
General Colin PowellGeneral Colin Powell
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
General Colin PowellGeneral Colin Powell
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Classrooms (12)
• Ceiling-mounted video projector
• Teaching station with networked computer
• Sound; Lighting; Multi-region DVD
• Motorized projection screen
• *Motorized window shades
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Communication
• Teleconferencing (2 speaker phones)
• Video-conferencing (2 Polycom systems)
• Email Forwarding and LDAP Updates
• Identity (qf.org.qa versus qatar.vcu.edu)
• Committees and Projects
• On-Site Visits (CIO, Procurement, etc.)
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
IT Organizational Changes
• creation of Student Apprentice positions
• division of responsibilities
• new positions (to be filled July 2007)
• new services offered
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
VCUQ IT Staff 2007VCUQ IT Staff 2007
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
VCUQ IT (2007)
• 50% Macintosh
• 400 computers (185 students, 105 faculty/staff)
• wireless
• independent of QF IT for network, email, etc.
• admin access to main campus IT services
•3-year computer replacement cycleclassroom technologies
•media services
•trouble ticket system
•effective relationships with QF IT and VCU
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
4. Next Steps
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
New Projects
• Building Expansion Project
• Telecommunications (VoIP)
• Curricular Integration
• Further Integration with Main Campus
• SCT Banner
• Email?
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Areas to Improve
• Communication with VCUQ Senior Leadership
• IT Staff Skill Areas
• Application of Existing Technologies
• Exploration of New Technologies
• New CIO for FY 2007-2008
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
5. Importance and Relevance to Others
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Unique? Challenges
• Procurement Issues?
• Cultural Expectations (Work, Schedules, Communication)
• Relationships with CEO, CFO, CAO?
• New Facilities?
• Policies and Procedures?
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Being CIO in Qatar
• Challenging and Rewarding
• Cultural Understanding and Respect
• Leverage Relationships to Achieve Business Goals
• Make Adjustments (Pace of Projects, Procedures, and Hands-On Leadership)
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Related Information
• Dr. Tim Chester, CIOTexas A&M University in Qatar
• Educause Quarterly, Number 2, 2005
• http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EQM0528.pdf
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar
Thank You!
Copyright David J. Ayersman, 2007. This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.