Infrastructure and Operations

Heraclitus of Ephesus is widely credited with the sentiment that the only constant is change. For the infrastructure and operations domain, a slight revision to the proviso is necessary: the only constant is rapid change. The higher education technology landscape continues to evolve. This evolution is recognized in the 2018 EDUCAUSE Top 10 IT Issues, where the importance of an institution-wide IT strategy (issue #3) and digital integrations (issue #8) make clear that an institution's IT strategy—and the IT infrastructure and operations that support that strategy—must be designed to support the institution and help it achieve its mission. IT strategy cannot succeed if IT infrastructure and operations cannot support rapid forward progress during a period of great change. The Internet of Things (IoT), increasing use of the cloud, and high demand to support multiple platforms, devices, and levels of connectivity mean that colleges and universities must deliver integrated technologies and services quickly in an increasingly complex environment.

This section covers the 18 trends and 17 technologies included in the infrastructure and operations domain. The two trends significantly influencing institutional infrastructure and operations posture—the contributions of IT to institutional operational excellence, and the increasing complexity of technology, architecture, and data—hint at this domain's strategic importance during a time of great transition. The only technological constant is rapid change, and a digital transformation in higher education must take place.

Technologies

Included in this domain:

  1. Application performance monitoring
  2. Blended data center (on premises and cloud based)
  3. Cloud monitoring platform to track distributed infrastructure apps, tools, and services (e.g., Datadog)
  4. Data center capacity planning and management tools
  5. Ethernet fabrics
  6. Integration platform as a service
  7. IPv6
  8. IT asset management tools (e.g., CMDB)
  9. Life-cycle contract management
  10. Massively scalable database architectures and software
  11. Next-generation firewalls
  12. Next-generation LMS/digital learning environment
  13. Next-generation Wi-Fi (e.g., 802.11ah, HaLow)
  14. Service-level reporting tools
  15. Software-defined networks
  16. Uses of APIs
  17. Uses of the Internet of Things for campus management

Complete initial deployment and maintain these technologies.

Our research shows that half of institutions are planning to deploy and maintain one infrastructure and operations strategic technology:

  • Next-generation firewalls

Pilot and start deploying these technologies.

At this time, a majority of institutions are planning to pilot and deploy these two infrastructure and operations strategic technologies (listed below from highest to lowest attention):

  • Uses of APIs
  • Blended data center (on premises and cloud based)

Decide when these technologies fit your strategy, and start planning.

About one-half of institutions are watching these five infrastructure and operations strategic technologies carefully, deciding and planning for potential future deployment (listed below from highest to lowest attention):

  • IT asset management tools (e.g., CMDB)
  • Application performance monitoring
  • Next-generation LMS/digital learning environment
  • Service-level reporting tools
  • Next-generation Wi-Fi (e.g., 802.11ah, HaLow)

Learn about and track these technologies.

About one-half to three-quarters of institutions are tracking and learning about the following nine infrastructure and operations strategic technologies (listed below from highest to lowest attention):

  • Data center capacity planning and management tools
  • Life-cycle contract management
  • IPv6
  • Integration platform as a service
  • Software-defined networks
  • Uses of the Internet of Things for campus management
  • Cloud monitoring platform to track distributed infrastructure apps, tools, and services (e.g., Datadog)
  • Ethernet fabrics
  • Massively scalable database architectures and software

Peer Institution Approach to Strategic Technologies

Understanding what peer institutions (both current and aspirational) are doing can help you gauge whether your institution's current approach is on track or might warrant reconsideration. Some technologies are more relevant for some types of institutions than others. We looked at broad demographic categories, including Carnegie class, institutional size, and approach to technology adoption and found differences in attention score based on those factors. (See the methodology section for explanation of our attention score calculation.) In figure 5, the US mean is the average attention score for an item from all US respondents. The minimums and maximums are the lowest and highest average attention scores among all groups within the categories of Carnegie class, institution size, and timing of technology adoption, with labels indicating which group or groups returned that score. In the event of a tie, all tied groups are represented.

Graph showing the attention score averages and differences. Y-axis represents the items. X-axis represents the attention score. All data provided is approximate. Uses of APIs: U.S. Mean = 3.3; Minimum = 2.8 (MA pub.); Maximum = 3.6 (DR priv.). Blended data center (on premises and cloud based): U.S. Mean = 2.6; Minimum = 2.2 (MA priv.); Maximum = 2.9 (BA). IT asset management tools (e.g., CMDB): U.S. Mean = 2.5; Minimum = 1.8 (MA priv.); Maximum = 3.3 (DR priv.). Application performance monitoring: U.S. Mean = 2.3; Minimum = 1.9 (Less than 2,000 FTE/8,000-14,999 FTE); Maximum = 2.7 (15,000+ FTE). Next-generation LMS/digital learning environment: U.S. Mean = 2.2; Minimum = 1.7 (AA/MA pub.); Maximum = 2.5 (MA priv.). Next-generation firewalls: U.S. Mean = 2.1; Minimum = 1.6 (Less than 2,000 FTE); Maximum = 2.6 (DR pub./15,000+ FTE). Service-level reporting tools: U.S. Mean = 2.1; Minimum = 1.3 (BA); Maximum = 2.5 (MA priv.). Next-generation Wi-Fi (e.g., 802 11ah, HaLow): U.S. Mean = 2.1; Minimum = 1.7 (Late adopters); Maximum = 2.4 (DR priv.). Data center capacity planning and management tools: U.S. Mean = 1.9; Minimum = 1.5 (MA priv.); Maximum = 2.3 (MA pub.). Life-cycle contract management: U.S. Mean = 1.8; Minimum = 1.4 (Less than 2,000 FTE); Maximum = 2.3 (DR priv.). IPv6: U.S. Mean = 1.7; Minimum = 1.2 (MA priv.); Maximum = 2.3 (DR pub.). Integration platform as a service: U.S. Mean = 1.6; Minimum = 1.3 (Less than 2,000 FTE/Late adopters); Maximum = 2.3 (DR priv.). Software-defined networks: U.S. Mean = 1.6; Minimum = 1.2 (BA/2,000-3,999 FTE); Maximum = 1.9 (DR pub./Non-US). Uses of the Internet of Things for campus management: U.S. Mean = 1.4; Minimum = 0.9 (Less than 2,000 FTE); Maximum = 1.8 (DR priv.). Cloud monitoring platform to track distributed infrastructure apps, tools, and services (e.g., Datadog): U.S. Mean = 1.2; Minimum = 0.8 (2,000-3,999 FTE); Maximum = 1.6 (DR priv.). Ethernet fabrics: U.S. Mean = 1.1; Minimum = 0.7 (MA priv.); Maximum = 1.7 (DR pub./15,000+ FTE). Massively scalable database architectures and software: U.S. Mean = 1.0; Minimum = 0.3 (Less than 2,000 FTE); Maximum = 1.4 (AA/15,000+ FTE).
Figure 5. Attention score averages and differences for infrastructure and operations technologies

Preparing for the Future

Understanding the technologies that are most relevant for your institution and how fast a certain strategic technology may be growing is critical to institutional IT strategy. We estimated the pace of growth based on the percentage of institutions we predict will implement each technology over the next five years (by 2023). Figure 6 positions each technology in one of 12 cells based on institutional intentions (the "recommendation for today") and the expected pace of growth of that technology. Reflecting what was noted above, the figure shows that institutions continue to track and learn about a number of technologies, with only a couple of technologies on the fast track to reaching the pilot, deploy, and maintain stages.

4 boxes with recommendation for today  Each Box has 3 possible Pace of Growth categories: SLOW, MODERATE, FAST Box 1: Deploy and maintain  Moderate: • Next-generation firewalls Box2: Pilot and deploy  Fast: •	Uses of APIs • Blended data center (on premises and cloud based) Box 3: Decide and plan  Moderate: • Application performance monitoring • Next-generation LMS/digital learning environment • Service-level reporting tools • Next-generation Wi-Fi (e.g., 802 11ah, HaLow) Fast: •	IT asset management tools (e.g., CMDB) Box 4: Track and learn  Slow: •	Integration platform as a service • Uses of the Internet of Things for campus management • Cloud monitoring platform to track distributed infrastructure apps, tools, and services (e.g., Datadog) • Ethernet fabrics • Massively scalable database architectures and software Moderate: • Data center capacity planning and management tools • Life-cycle contract management • IPv6 • Software-defined networks
Figure 6. Plans for 2018 and pace of growth for infrastructure and operations technologies