Middleware Deployment Issues:The Institutional Environment

Mark Crase,California State University Office of the Chancellor

Internet2 Middleware CAMP 24 June, 2002

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Where we are…

• Middleware is steadily moving out of the test-bed environment and into the mainstream.

• Implementation challenges at higher education institutions are a reflection of the idiosyncrasies of that environment.

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Institutional Environment: Public vs. Private Institutions

• Public and private institutions will be subjected to different governance pressures that may impact how Middleware might be developed and deployed.

– Legal– Political– Financial– Governance Structure

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Institutional Environment: Collaborative vs. Competitive

• Effective middleware development will require participation from all quarters.

• Development in a culture of cooperation and information sharing will require less effort than in an environment where information is hoarded or success is judged on departmental gains or losses.

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Institutional Environment:Institutional Vision vs. Local Control

• Is there a strategic vision for the institution or is business done an a day-to-day, year-to-year basis?

• Are business practices and applications well-coordinated?

• How “hardened” are your silos?• Is there an ERP project underway?

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Institutional Environment:Strategic vs. Tactical Planning

Middleware development and deployment will require both approaches:

• Strategic planning to define the implementation “road map,” ensure long-term success and ongoing alignment with the institutional mission

• Tactical planning and project management to ensure implementation stays on time and on budget

• IT Architecture will help do both

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Institutional Environment:Risk and Change Readiness

Risk Averse vs. Thrill SeekingChanging the way we do business involves risk.• Commitment of resources that might be used elsewhere

• Shifts in control of services and/or applications• Reliance on unfamiliar/untested technologies

Change Readiness• Simply put, change is tough! How ready is your institution?

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Institutional Environment:Entrepreneurial vs. Structured

Free agents are frequently the source of innovation, but command-and-control is required to ensure the “trains run on time.”

• Both are needed• Balance is required• What incentives will you use to ensure that everyone is engaged?

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Institutional Environment:Acceptability of Outsourcing

Some middleware solutions might best be provided by the commercial sector, but institutions with represented employees may find this approach unacceptable.

• What are the options?• Are required resources available in-house? If not, are consultants available for the short term?

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Institutional Environment:Role of IT

Perceived Value of Central IT• Is Central IT seen as adding value, or as a barrier to progress?

• Will it be accepted in a coordinating role or will a surrogate be required?

Strategic Resource vs. Tactical Tool• Are strategic decisions made with IT in mind, or is IT a “bolt-on” after the fact?

• Are funding decisions made with IT input?

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Institutional Environment:Policy & Legal Constraints

Stewardship of DataCentral vs. Distributed is really not the issue.• Is data stewardship well-defined?

Access to Data• Formally or loosely governed?• Access authority centralized or distributed?

Data Administration• Centrally managed or distributed?• HIPPA and FERPA compliant?

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Institutional Environment:Resources Requirements

Financial Resources• Centrally managed or distributed?• Multi-year or annual budgets?

Human Resources• Centrally managed or distributed?

Communications• “Mass Media” for accuracy and consistency• “Personal Touch” for context

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Institutional Environment:Middleware and its Role

Middleware Must Be Defined• Do the stakeholders understand what it is?• Have the components and their relationships been defined?

Benefits of Middleware Described• Do program managers understand how middleware can help improve/increase service?

• Do end-users understand how it will affect their activities?

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Institutional Environment:Middleware and its Role

Business & Academic Drivers Defined• Internal drivers:

– Transactions between members of campus community– Transactions between members and institution

• External drivers:– Transactions between institutions

Mapping Benefits Against Drivers• Match priority applications against the appropriate middleware components

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Questionsand

Comments?

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Contact Information

Mark Crase, Sr. Dir., Technology InfrastructureCalifornia State University, Office of the Chancellormcrase@calstate.edu

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