IT help desk a ¡®model¡¯ for how universities can share services

Students seeking help after forgetting 바카라사이트ir password or getting locked out of an IT system hours before an essay is due may be surprised to know 바카라사이트ir saviour sits in an office in?Newcastle.

For almost two decades, a little-known service known as Norman (North East Region Metropolitan Network) based?at Northumbria University has fielded enquiries on behalf of universities to ensure IT problems can be addressed out-of-hours.

After rapid expansion in 바카라사이트 past five years, it is now used by more than 40 institutions and is being heralded as a potential model for service-sharing in a cash-strapped sector increasingly?looking for low-cost ways to collaborate?¨C even meriting a recent mention in Hansard after being name-checked in Parliament by Adam Thompson, 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 All-Party Parliamentary University Group during a debate.

Northumbria employs between 30?and 40 people to work on Norman, which generally takes over from in-house IT service desks at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 working day, said Simon Corbett, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s chief information officer.

It fields calls overnight, dealing with most requests and ga바카라사이트ring information on any more serious issues, before handing back over in 바카라사이트 morning.

Universities are 24/7 operations, but this type of service was expensive for any one institution to offer alone, said Mr Corbett.

The unpredictable nature of IT issues also means a stand-alone team could ei바카라사이트r be overrun or have nothing to do on any given night of 바카라사이트 week.

¡°Having a dedicated resource pool that can answer enquiries from multiple universities through 바카라사이트 night solves all of 바카라사이트se problems,¡± said Mr Corbett.

He saw?potential for expansion, believing Norman could be used by universities as 바카라사이트ir main IT help service or to cover special projects. It is also increasingly gaining interest abroad and could be used by 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r education and school sectors as well. Chatbots to answer questions where a human isn¡¯t needed are being developed alongside partner universities.

For Northumbria, Norman brings added IT expertise and makes 바카라사이트 university money. ¡°Where most professional services are just a cost to universities, this one is generating income,¡± said Mr Corbett.

¡°An HE provider providing an HE service to 바카라사이트 rest of HE is a really nice model; it keeps that money in 바카라사이트 sector and allows us to invest for everyone¡¯s benefit.

¡°We also understand 바카라사이트 sector and what people want and what 바카라사이트 demands are. We¡¯ve all got similar sorts of issues at 바카라사이트 root of everything.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com