CAUSE/EFFECT

Copyright 1998 CAUSE. From CAUSE/EFFECT Volume 20, Number 4, Winter 1997-98, pp. 46-51, 67. Permission to copy or disseminate all or part of this material is granted provided that the copies are not made or distributed for commercial advantage, the CAUSE copyright and its date appear, and notice is given that copying is by permission of CAUSE, the association for managing and using information resources in higher education. To disseminate otherwise, or to republish, requires written permission. For further information, contact Jim Roche at CAUSE, 4840 Pearl East Circle, Suite 302E, Boulder, CO 80301 USA; 303-939-0308; e-mail: [email protected]

True Partnerships: The Key to Technology Infrastructure Challenges

by Bruce A. Metz

Colleges and universities must build and maintain a robust, comprehensive technology infrastructure to provide the foundation for services required today and into the next century. The reality is that significant financial, technical, and human resource challenges pose formidable obstacles, preventing many institutions from succeeding. Rider University solved the problem by forming a true partnership with Bell Atlantic Corporation, a leading communications vendor with extensive experience integrating advanced information technology into academic environments.

The Rider-Bell Atlantic collaboration produced a $4 million state-of-the- art campuswide fiber-optic information and communication network offering an array of video, voice, and data services to all faculty, staff, and students. This article describes how Rider developed and fostered its partnership with Bell Atlantic, and how this way of doing business provides significant benefits to the university.

Background

Rider University is a comprehensive institution composed of four colleges that serve 5,200 students in a central, suburban New Jersey location between New York City and Philadelphia. In 1993 the university recognized the necessity of making a substantial institutional commitment to information technology in order to achieve vital strategic objectives. By integrating information technology into teaching, learning, and research across the curriculum, Rider looked to strengthen its competitive position and become more distinctive as a teaching institution.

A campuswide task force formulated an information technology strategic plan to realize the goal that was endorsed enthusiastically by all constituencies. Initially, more than $6 million was allocated for the pervasive deployment of information technology to support instruction, research, scholarly and creative activity, academic and administrative decision-making, and campuswide communications.

At the time of the funding commitment, Rider�s technology environment included a very limited and aging physical infrastructure insufficient for the university�s current, much less its future, needs. Data services were based on a minimal optical fiber backbone connecting only ten of the thirty-nine buildings on the main campus, and none of the residence halls. Wiring within buildings proceeded according to no formal distribution systems. This wiring consisted of home-grown expanses of Category 3 unshielded twisted pair copper that proved quite difficult to maintain. A small minority of users had network-level desktop connections at 10 megabits per second (Mbps) using 10Base-T shared Ethernet. Most users had terminal-level connections with a data rate of only 9.6 kilobits/second. Moreover, the data network infrastructure included no empty conduit space for expansion.

Voice services were also limited. A separate copper cabling plant supported the telephone system, served administrative and academic buildings only, and was deteriorating. The university�s analog private branch exchange (PBX) was over ten years old and well past its useful life. In addition there was no video capability or video network, and only basic audio-visual services were provided.

There was wide agreement that a completely new campuswide information and communication infrastructure formed the key to establishing Rider as a leading, state-of-the-art interactive teaching institution. Owing to the significant role envisioned for information technology at Rider, the requirements for a new physical infrastructure went well beyond the typical project. Specifically, the following principles guided Rider�s initial project planning:

These requirements led Rider to pursue a strategy of partnering with a top-flight networking and communications vendor. The university expected that a partnering strategy would add significant value and benefit by improving infrastructure design, implementation, and performance, giving Rider staff as-needed access to sophisticated technical expertise not available internally; allowing Rider to keep pace with rapid technological change while controlling technical risks; freeing internal technical staff and resources to focus on core competencies and new priorities; and controlling, and possibly reducing, infrastructure operating costs following installation.

To meet its needs, Rider envisioned a partnership that went well beyond the typical outsourcing arrangement. The university was prepared to make significant commitments to an external partner, so that the vendor would not have to spend time seeking Rider�s business at each turn. In return, Rider expected that the selected vendor would continually understand the university�s evolving requirements, provide the best solution at a fair price, and further Rider�s vision for the use of technology in all areas of the institution. Of equal importance, Rider expected that the vendor would enter into a legal relationship as a joint principal with the university emphasizing cooperation, trust, shared risk, and a strong commitment to work together.

Beginning the partnership

To find its partner, Rider elected to follow a more open-ended and informal approach than normally associated with campus networking projects. The standard method typically involves the development of a lengthy Request for Proposal (RFP) that once completed is released for bids by interested vendors. The RFP is often based on extensive analysis and design work performed by university technical, administrative, and academic personnel, assisted by consultants experienced in networking and related technologies.

Rider�s approach started with some of the usual steps. First, a core project team was formed consisting of members of the technology organization, facilities department, and key administrative and academic organizational units. An external consultant with a strong track record of successful infrastructure installations was selected to join the team. As an initial task, the team produced a brief general requirements statement that contained three major parts: (1) campus infrastructure needs identified by various constituencies and departments throughout the Rider community, (2) nature and status of the aging infrastructure that was in place, and (3) university partnership goals, objectives, and expectations.

Subsequently, the project team engaged in a research effort to reduce the vast number of potential vendors to a group of reasonable size. The team targeted vendors who had extensive experience integrating voice, video, and data networks, and applying advanced communication technologies to academic enterprises. The team looked for vendors who offered a range of services that encompassed network installation, management, and maintenance. Other factors researched in a preliminary way included the quality of a vendor�s management and technical personnel, and the company�s financial strength. Where possible, customer references for similar projects were identified and interviewed. In some cases, site visits were made to gain first-hand knowledge of the work that was performed.

At the conclusion of the research phase, the project team contacted a targeted group of vendors about Rider�s impending infrastructure project. Each vendor was invited to engage in a collaborative proposal development process with the project team. Since the infrastructure project was highly complex, vendors were informed that the process could carry on at varying degrees of frequency over a period of six to nine months. Initially, several vendors contacted chose not to participate. Other vendors began the process but withdrew at different stages along the way. In some cases, it appeared that vendors were reluctant to invest a significant amount of time in a potentially lengthy process that did not guarantee any business at the completion. In other cases, vendors seemed to decide that they could or would not meet the terms and conditions the project team described.

The general requirements statement served as the starting point for the initial series of meetings between Rider�s project team and representatives of participating vendors. The initial meetings had two primary purposes. First, the project team made certain that each vendor clearly understood the university�s expectations for the chosen partner. Second, the meetings provided a mechanism for both Rider and each vendor to make sure there was a common basis to proceed before any in-depth collaboration began.

The ongoing dialogues that followed the screening period provided Rider�s team with a number of benefits. At a technical level, the team had an opportunity to learn about different infrastructure solutions, each with their own advantages. Ultimately, the project team used this knowledge to ensure that different aspects of separate recommendations were incorporated in the final infrastructure solution, significantly improving the end product. At an organizational level, the team was able to assess what partnership dynamics might be like with each vendor. Communication, problem solving, and conflict resolution issues arose frequently during many meetings in the proposal collaboration period. By working through the issues, the project team learned which vendor best fit the university�s culture and organizational style.

Some vendors proved more customer-focused, showing a greater desire to understand customer needs and act in a responsive, accessible, and service-oriented manner. These companies tended to propose solutions that met Rider�s current and future needs. In contrast, the less customer-focused vendors were more interested in selling particular products or their "solution." Vendors also differed in the flexibility and breadth of their organization. Some vendors were better able than others to bring in the right people at the right time to develop different parts of the overall solution. In addition, vendors tended to project varying degrees of credibility. In some cases, vendors acknowledged their limitations as well as capabilities by describing what they could not do in an up-front way. Other vendors tended to over commit and maintain that they could do everything Rider needed.

By the end of the discussion phase, three vendors prepared and submitted detailed proposals for the university�s new campuswide infrastructure. Rider�s project team carefully reviewed each proposal. The review process triggered a new series of discussions that led to proposal revisions. Ultimately, the proposal from the Bell Atlantic Corporation was selected based on its superiority in seven critical areas: (1) quality, clarity, and completeness of solution; (2) partnership opportunities; (3) quality of management and technical personnel; (4) overall quality of Rider-vendor working relationship; (5) vendor flexibility; (6) breadth of vendor services and knowledge; and (7) competitive pricing.

In order to deliver the optimal infrastructure in support of Rider�s vision, several Bell Atlantic companies contributed to the proposal and would be involved in its implementation. Bell Atlantic-New Jersey, Inc. had primary responsibility for the networking portion and overall accountability for ensuring that all other Bell Atlantic entities satisfied or exceeded the university�s requirements. Bell Atlantic Network Integration, Inc. (BANI) had primary responsibility for the information infrastructure, including cabling and data network hardware as well as the video services portion. Bell Atlantic Meridian Systems, Inc. (BAMS) had primary responsibility for the telecommunications or voice services portion.

In retrospect, the frequent contact between Rider�s project team and Bell Atlantic representatives provided important benefits for infrastructure installation and beyond. Each group got to know each other, developed trust and confidence in the other party�s abilities, and learned how to work together. Bell Atlantic staff had the opportunity to understand Rider�s needs in depth and the nature of the university�s organization prior to starting a large-scale implementation. Ultimately, this understanding was reflected in the extent to which the Bell Atlantic infrastructure proposal met Rider�s short- and long-term project objectives. Indeed, the smooth manner in which the formal contract for the project was completed provided an early sign that a partnership was already formed.

The infrastructure project

The infrastructure project linked thirty-nine buildings on a 353-acre campus at a total cost of approximately $4 million. All told, the network included approximately 10,000 connections: 4,000 data, 4,000 voice, and 2,000 video. The project proceeded in two phases.

In the first phase, which took place from June to August of 1995, an optical fiber backbone was installed underground to interconnect all thirty-nine buildings. Cabling, wiring distribution systems, and associated equipment were installed in all residence halls and fraternity houses. Video, voice, and data services were then made available to all resident students in time for the fall 1995 semester. Off-campus connections to the data network were also put in place.

The second phase of the installation involved cabling, wiring distribution systems, and associated equipment for all academic and administration buildings. This phase was completed between August 1995 and January 1996, while the campus was busy. The tight deadlines formed a big challenge for all involved in the project. Nevertheless, the project was completed without major or unexpected difficulties. Rider successfully cut over to the new network for all faculty and staff in early January 1996, right on schedule.

Full-time project management services provided by Bell Atlantic proved to be a key factor in the project�s success and keeping the project on track. The sense of teamwork that developed during the proposal phase carried over throughout the implementation. Staff from the Bell Atlantic companies and members of the Rider campus community worked in a total spirit of cooperation. Changes that are inevitable in a complex project were always discussed and performed if necessary, providing a level of flexibility in the implementation that is difficult to capture in a formal contract. Since staff from all Bell companies were already very familiar with Rider�s campus, work proceeded quickly and smoothly.

Composite fiber of both multi-mode and single-mode fiber was used for present and future needs. Fiber was terminated in closets in each of the buildings. From those points, Category 5 copper was installed to carry data to every end node, Category 3 copper wiring was used for voice, and coaxial cable was installed for cable television. Every office, classroom, and conference room was connected to the voice and data networks. Video was installed everywhere except offices. In the residence halls, each of the approximately 1,800 students involved was provided with individual Ethernet and voice connections in their rooms, along with a single video connection per room.

The data network was based on both fiber data distributed interface (FDDI) and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technologies, with data rates in the backbone as high as 155 Mbs. All users have network-level connections at the desktop, with data rates of 10 Mbs from both shared and switched Ethernet, and 100 Mbs from fast Ethernet. In a few cases, users have ATM speeds -- 155 Mbs -- at the desktop.

ATM was selected as the primary transport for Rider�s multimedia instructional network. It is used for the delivery of multimedia instructional materials prepared by faculty, including images, audio, and video. The plan is to use ATM to send digitized materials stored on network servers to electronic lecture halls, selected public access labs, the library, and advanced technology centers throughout the campus. The ATM network will also be used for videoconferencing applications on- and off-campus.

A special feature of the new infrastructure is its fiber-distributed, digital private branch exchange (PBX) switch -- the Northern Telecom Meridian 1 Option 81 PBX -- supplied by BAMS along with the Meridian Voice Mail System. In a traditional campus environment, a PBX is located in a central switch room, and voice service is distributed over a copper backbone. The Meridian system, however, took advantage of Rider�s fiber backbone to distribute voice service. At Rider, 14 Meridian Fiber Remote/Intelligent Equipment Modules were positioned on wall-mounted shelves in IDF closets. Each Fiber Remote delivers voice services to 256 telephone stations, using Category 3 UTP in the buildings. Money was saved in infrastructure costs since a separate copper backbone for voice was not needed. And since the optical fiber backbone is immune to electromagnetic interference, the distributed PBX eliminated virtually all worry over communication disruptions due to electrical storms. This benefit was important, since the Rider campus is situated in an area that is lightning prone, and in the past storms occasionally knocked out phone service.

Video capabilities of the new infrastructure include a 50-channel system that delivers cable television channels around the campus including all residence halls. Off-air channels, satellite downlinks, videoconferences, distance learning, and multimedia can be integrated into the system and distributed throughout campus as the university�s video applications require.

In addition to a new campus infrastructure, the university completed other major technology initiatives to make use of the new capabilities, benefiting all members of the campus community. Academic technology initiatives included new public access computing laboratories, multimedia technology centers across academic disciplines, a faculty resource center, a new library information system, and electronic lecture halls in each college. The successful integration of technology has transformed Rider�s academic programs, library services, campus life, and administrative operations. For example, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools evaluation team concluded in their May 1996 re-accreditation report that Rider�s new library information system "is one of the most advanced and technologically sophisticated integrated library systems in the country. When linked with the new campuswide information technology infrastructure, these two systems provide one of the most powerful pedagogical tools available anywhere."

Continuing the partnership

Since conclusion of the infrastructure project, the Bell Atlantic companies provide a broad range of services critical to the success of information technology at Rider. The services include:

The ongoing relationship with Bell Atlantic enables Rider�s information technology organization to better serve faculty, staff, and students by concentrating its resources on core competencies and responding to new priorities. With Bell Atlantic personnel responsible for most of the infrastructure, the university�s technology staff can focus largely on other areas that directly benefit customers, such as communication applications, instructional uses of technology, distributed computing resources, training programs, technical support services, and help desk functions.

University expenditures for infrastructure operation and support have increased in keeping with the substantial growth in capability. The additional costs are funded by a portion of new revenue derived from two sources: (1) the resale of video, voice, and data services to resident students; and (2) the establishment of a technology fee for all students. Full-time students pay a fee of $75 per semester; the fee for part-time students is $10 for each three-credit course enrolled. The balance of the revenue is used for academic technology projects, providing students with visible, new facilities for their fee and giving the university an ongoing opportunity to enhance its technology environment.

Since Bell Atlantic provides vital infrastructure services to Rider at a lower cost than possible in-house, the level of expenditure increase is significantly lower with the partnership. Some services, such as twenty-four-hour, seven-day-a-week network monitoring, would prove cost prohibitive for the university to implement on its own. Multi-year agreements with Bell Atlantic enable Rider to fix certain infrastructure costs for an extended period of time. This degree of cost control over critical functions leads to better short- and long-term financial planning for other major technology areas.

The single most important factor contributing to the current success of the partnership is that both parties put a significant amount of time and energy into managing the relationship. Rider technical managers oversee the functions performed by Bell Atlantic personnel, ensuring that the activities of both organizations are well integrated. The university retains the right to approve or reject on-site Bell Atlantic staff assignments to make certain there is always a good fit between people working together. In addition, Bell Atlantic�s responsibilities are performed and evaluated in accordance with detailed service-level agreements. The agreements specify the tasks to be accomplished as well as performance metrics, such as how quickly network hardware repairs are to be done. Regular meetings between Rider and Bell Atlantic personnel ensure that services are always delivered in the most effective ways possible. The meetings typically involve the right people who are empowered to make decisions about the particular issues at hand. Open communication channels at technical and management levels enable both parties to work through inevitable problems, differences, and changes over time.

Conclusion

Rider University is exceptionally well positioned to meet the technological challenges confronting institutions of higher education in the 21st century. The Rider-Bell Atlantic partnership resulted in a comprehensive, state-of-the-art information and communication infrastructure that enables the university to benefit from networked technologies now and in the years to come. Rider�s transformation is well under way; the infrastructure has already changed the institution�s academic programs, library services, campus life, and administrative operations extensively. The long-standing nature of the partnership means that future progress will proceed at the same rapid pace. Personnel from both organizations look forward to continuing to work together, investigating new areas, developing new plans, and capitalizing on new technologies. The Rider-Bell Atlantic experience shows that with proper planning, partnering can be an excellent tool for redefining and reenergizing the information technology organization and, at times, the university as a whole.

For further reading:

Bergquist, William H., Juli Betwee, and David Meuel. Building Strategic Relationships: How to Extend Your Organization�s Reach through Partnerships, Alliances, & Joint Ventures. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1995.

CIO Outsourcing Research Center. http://www.cio.com/forums/outsourcing/articles.html

Crowley, Larry G. "Conceptual Mode of Partnering." Journal of Management in Engineering, 11(5). September-October 1995: 33-39.

Kanter, Rosabeth M. "Collaborative Advantage: The Art of Alliances; Successful Partnerships Manage the Relationship, Not Just the Deal." Harvard Business Review, 72(4) July-August, 1994: 96:108.

Outsourcing Institute Online Library. http://www.outsourcing.com/library/library.html .

This was one of the award-winning papers presented at the CUMREC �97. Other CUMREC papers can be found by searching the CAUSE Information Resources Library (http://www.cause.orgasp/doclib/). For papers from 1997, enter "CUMREC and 1997". CUMREC �98 meets in Atlanta, May 17-20.

Bruce Metz ([email protected]) is currently Vice President of Information Technology at Tufts University. He was formerly Associate Vice President of Information Technology at Rider University.

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