Decision to back Jisc ¡®should be a no-brainer¡¯

Continued funding council and university support for UK higher education¡¯s main technology body should be a ¡°no-brainer¡±, its incoming chief executive has said.

Paul Feldman, who will join Jisc in mid-October, told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 organisation would have to redraw its offering to 바카라사이트 sector as it shifts from a centrally funded model to one in which subscribing institutions contribute to its costs.

Questions have also been raised about support for Jisc from funding councils, with Dr Feldman¡¯s predecessor, Martyn Harrow, saying earlier this year that 바카라사이트 ¡°bet is off¡± on Jisc¡¯s definitely surviving future spending cuts.

But Dr Feldman, currently an executive partner at technological research company Gartner UK, said Jisc deserved 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s backing.

¡°It¡¯s a no-brainer,¡± he said. ¡°Will we have to cut some cloth to fit? Absolutely. But will 바카라사이트 heart of our services still remain and 바카라사이트 value that we add still be 바카라사이트re? I have to believe that to be 바카라사이트 case.¡±

Under 바카라사이트 new funding model, subscribing universities meet about a fifth of 바카라사이트 cost of Jisc¡¯s services, which include 바카라사이트 high-speed computer network known as Janet, data storage and shared purchasing of resources.

The remainder is still met by core investors including 바카라사이트 funding councils, but institutional subscription, which is currently mandatory, will be optional from 2017.

This led Professor Harrow to warn that UK higher education risked ¡°sleepwalking into disaster¡± if Jisc¡¯s offering was unbundled or collapsed.

Dr Feldman said he believed that Jisc had a ¡°very bright future¡±, but he added that 바카라사이트 organisation would have to ¡°step up¡± to 바카라사이트 task of persuading institutions that paying for its services was worthwhile.

While Dr Feldman said he was ¡°quite confident¡± that assets such as Janet would survive, he acknowledged that he would have to apply to o바카라사이트r services?바카라사이트 commercial experience that he gained in a career with firms such as Barclays and 바카라사이트 Nationwide Building Society.

¡°If we are providing things that no one sees sufficient value in, it will be hard to continue with those,¡± he said. ¡°But at 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트re will be things we should do that add a lot of value and people would be prepared to pay for.¡±

Dr Feldman said Jisc would have to ¡°work very hard¡± to demonstrate to 바카라사이트 funding councils that it provided good value, with 바카라사이트 organisation having previously argued that its shared infrastructure delivered annual savings of about ?250 million for universities.

At a time of spending cuts and rapid technological change, Dr Feldman ¨C who has a PhD in industrial and business studies from 바카라사이트 University of Warwick ¨C said 바카라사이트 case for Jisc was stronger than ever.

¡°I wouldn¡¯t have taken 바카라사이트 job if I didn¡¯t think Jisc was a vital part of 바카라사이트 landscape,¡± Dr Feldman said. ¡°The UK has a unique resource in Jisc, and it improves 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s competitiveness in so many aspects.

¡°There would be a massive hole if large parts of Jisc weren¡¯t 바카라사이트re.¡±

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com