California State University, Los Angeles
Information Technology Services: New Organization,
Better Service
A new division, Information Technology Services (ITS), blends the best from the former IRM Operations and ATS organizations. Service-based and operating with a Best Management Practices model, ITS is ready to support the campus’s Strategic Plan and service CSULA’s technology needs.
The New Organization
Under the leadership of the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Peter Quan, four units provide these vital support services:
- IT Infrastructure: desktop services; server, network, LAN/WAN, telephone, and computer operations; and database administration and systems
- Enterprise Application Systems: application integration; data warehousing; PeopleSoft applications; and auxiliary systems
- Support Services: financial management; user and technical support; and University Baseline.
- IT Security and Compliance: IT security, policies, procedures, documentation, and compliance; and campus IT Directory services.
Best Management Practices
To align and measure its performance with strategic objectives ITS uses a customized version of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) FCAPS, a best management practices model. With
additional components, a new model was born to provide managers and staff a quality assurance standard for all systems and customer services.
CCCDSAFE is defined as:
Customer Relations Management
The methodologies, strategies, information, online services, and technological capabilities to more rapidly and comprehensively serve CSULA users.
Configuration Management
Requires the configuration of all systems to be updated regularly and securely stored. Prior working configurations can be retrieved and reinstalled quickly if needed.
Change Management
Establishes procedures for handling any system or operational change and minimize disruption to related systems and users.
Disaster Recovery Management
Establishes the process used to recover from a failure, fault, or stoppage of support systems.
Security Management
Ensures infrastructure integrity, incorporating legal requirements, and mitigating University risk, a system to design, implement, and maintain user authorization and authentication.
Accounting Management
Delineates how information, costs, and metrics are gathered, recorded, analyzed, and charged back.
Fault Management
A process to detect and isolate problems, and to predict and prevent future problems.
Efficiency Management
Delineates standards for any procedure or process; monitors performance to meet or exceed standards.
This new discipline will help ITS strive to achieve the target
technological environment on campus. ITS is at the early planning
stage of defining what CCCDSAFE means in terms of our
infrastructure, applications, support, and security. As this
division continues the build-out of all the Cal State L.A.
technology initiatives, it will adopt and adapt the CCCDSAFE
discipline in a phased approach that is most conducive to those
implementations.
To Better Serve You
To provide improved service and measure delivery of that service, ITS goals include: better systems availability and performance, better security, and better customer service. Merging ATS and IRM Operations allows ITS to be more efficient and effective. It will continue to focus on important CSU and national trends, as well as relevant emerging technologies. And, in light of rapidly changing State and Federal legislation and shifting world events, security will be even a greater priority. By providing a robust infrastructure and quality service, the new ITS is poised to be more in tune with the campus’s needs and the University’s mission.
Visit our new Web site: http://www.calstatela.edu/its