Note: This story originally appeared in an IT Times issue from 1992-1993. We reproduce it here in conjunction with our 10 year anniversary issue to give you a glimpse of the past as it relates to the technology news of today. To see how IT Times is reporting on this topic today, click here.

The young man standing at the front desk is next in line to sign up for a student e-mail account. He's waiting to use the terminal beside the woman who is on the telephone explaining how to move text when using WordPerfect software. Talk of network configurations and computer workstations dominates the conversation of the consultant staffing the desk in the back of the room.

Welcome to IT-CAP, the most visible symbol of the reorganization that turned seven separate campus entities into a new and unified Information Technology Division .

Campus Matchmaker
Short for Information Technology Campus Access Point, "The CAP" is nothing short of a campus matchmaker - it exists for the sole purpose of pairing technical desires with user-friendly solutions.

WE get hundreds of calls a day," says CAP manager Vicki Suter. "Many of the questions have simple answers which we give immediately over the telephone. When a client's need is more complex or involves the coordination of more than one IT unit, we determine how to best satisfy that need and then get back to the client with our recommendation."

Located in the Surge II building, just steps from the hustle and bustle of the campus Silo, the CAP welcomes both drop-in and telephone business. To accommodate the needs of faculty, students and staff, doors are open Monday-Thursday from 7.30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

While The CAP embodies the spirit of UCD`s Won-nation Technology Division, the heart of the organization rests in the five departments which see that the campus stays connected by keeping computers humming modems buzzing, telephones ringing, networks clicking and information flowing.

The departments that mesh together to form the Information Technology Division are Communications Resources, Technology Advancement and Resources, Information Resources, Advanced Networked and Scientific Applications, and Planning, Strategy and Administration.

"The purpose of the reorganization was to The] overlap and redundancy in functions and services, to group functions so that IT could offer better, and a broader range of, services, to encourage the formation of work groups and to make the organization more receptive to client input," says Carole Barone, who as Associate Vice Chancellor of Information Technology orchestrated the reorganization.

Organized Approach
Like The CAP itself, each of the departments in the IT division was organized with a specific purpose in mind. More sophisticated clients, those who know who can meet their needs, are encouraged to call the appropriate department directly. a client isn't sure where to go, its always OK to call The CAP.

While The CAP serves as a front for the entire division, the actual work goes on behind the scenes within each of the Information Technology units.

Communications Resources manages the campus's voice/data infrastructure and satisfies requests for telephone service, voice mail, video conferencing and network connections.

Technology Advancement and Resources provides hardware and software support for technical workstations, departmental Local Area Network GAN) installation and support, support for ITs extensive inventory of computing equipment and repairs laser printers and Apple hardware.

Information Resources provides media support, arranges computer training classes, develops and maintains campus computer applications; installs, manages, operates, and coordinates production for campus workstation labs and for central academic and administrative computers. Devoted to providing support for campus information needs, Information Resources also carries "Me CAP" under its umbrella.

Advanced Networked and Scientific Applications applies current research in information technology to the needs of the campus community to create or obtain leading-edge applications for IT clients.

Planning, Strategy and Administration interfaces with all of the IT departments to provide personnel, payroll, accounting and public relations support for the entire Information Technology Division.

In an informal survey, IT directors identified the "organized approach to the delivery of technical services as the greatest benefit of the reorganization.

Sharper Image
"It's not like the old days when a client who wanted to plug in a telephone and a modem had to contact two different departments to establish service," says Dick Kaye, director of Communications Resources. 'looking back, clients had to be confused. It just didnt make sense to make someone ask two separate entities for access to the same network."

Echoing Kaye's words is Laurie Bunten, director of ITs Planning, Strategy and Administration and interim director of Technology Advancement and Resources.

"The consolidation will eliminate confusion and, in turn, give our clients a sharper image of the resources available to them," says Bunten.

For example, one group now publishes the assortment of publications serving each of the IT units. 'This centralized coordination of client-oriented information not only saves money and eliminates redundancy, it also enables our publication team to pinpoint needs and publish the kind of information clients really want," Bunten says.

Pinpointing client needs and delivering great client service are ongoing challenges notes Associate Vice Chancellor Barone, who stresses that the IT reorganization is dynamic in nature. "What we have done is position ourselves for the future. We have to look down the road. We don't just change things around and say that's it. We are learning all the time and fine-tuning our position so we can deliver the best and most efficient service possible," Barone says.

Focus on Education
July 1, 1992 was the official birth date of the Information Technology Division, and since then informational databases have been expanded, the latest in computer hardware and software has been showcased and a focus on education has become a constant theme behind the movement to put information in the hands of the people who need it.

Here are some positive developments precipitated by the reorganization:

• Network 21: information Technology has contracted with JWP, a technical consulting firm, to design a fiber optic network that will connect 300 buildings on the Davis campus and Research Park Drive Facility. The project, dubbed Network 21, will increase the backbone speed of the campus network UCDNet and deliver voice, video, and data communications to the desktop.
  
  
• The CAP: Short for Campus Access Point, The CAP is set up to answer questions ranging from how to move text when using a word processing program to how to coordinate a multimedia presentation. All questions are fielded at the same number - 752-2548. Located in Surge II The CAP also welcomes drop-in business.

The spirit of the Information Technology unification is exemplified by the fact that all IT staff members, Carole Barone included, sign up to work at The CAP at least once a month.

• Brown Bag Seminars: For many working in the Information Technology Division, lunch hour is a time to learn from each other. "Network 21" and "Campuswide Information System" are just two titles of seminars given and attended by IT staff In addition to providing current information, the seminars give IT staff an opportunity to meet on an informal basis and develop professional networks. Videotapes of the seminars are available for checkout at The CAP.
  
  
• More Easy Access: To provide greater computing access, Information Technology lifted the dollar limits on faculty and student Easy Access accounts.
  
  
• CWIS Expansion: The Campuswide Information System (CWIS) has been expanded to include the departmental listings in the Campus Directory, site licensed software, and access to external information services such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and other UC campuses. During a brown bag seminar, CWIS administrator Joan Gargano showed how the system can be used to share articles, data bases and graphics as well as deliver classroom materials to students collaborated with the General Library to bring the campus the Center for Advanced Information Technology (CAIT), which is celebrating its grand opening January 27,1992. Located in Shields Library, the center showcases campuswide information systems, electronic communication tools, technology in the testing stage and the latest in computer hardware and software. A Software Evaluation Lab will be permanently located within the center.
  
  
• Elimination of Equipment Surcharge: The 4% surcharge placed on computer purchases through campus sources was eliminated effective July 1, 1992. The surcharge was used to assist the funding for consulting services provided by Computing Support Services and Computing Services. Information Technology continues to provide consulting services.
  
  
• More Calling Features for Less: Calling features such as call forwarding, ring again, and call park are now standard on single line telephones. Fourteen calling features are included in the standard offering at a cost of 50 cents per month. The net savings to clients who previously subscribed to packages which included some of the now-standard features is approximately $140,000.
  
  
• Video Conferencing: The campus has positioned it self to increase its commitment to distance learning with the introduction of video conferencing service on the Davis campus. The service is being coordinated by Communications Resources. In addition to being used to project video lectures in the classroom, video conferencing can save travel time and expense by allowing people to conduct "face-to-face" discussions over the telephone. Additionally, video conferencing is available in 203 Mrak.
  

• Hart Hall Wiring: Positioned for the future are Haft Hall classrooms which were wired to deliver multimedia presentations as part of the building's renovation. Videos and computer screen images are easily projected on a big screen for viewing. Through a connection to IT's Playback Center, the newly wired classrooms can utilize video conferencing and tune into off-air television programs and satellite transmissions.
  
  
• Video-Assisted instruction: This pilot program, which gives students an opportunity to view lectures on television, added hundreds of seats to six of the most sought after undergraduate courses. The program incorporates both video and in-person discussion into the classroom presentation. After viewing a televised lecture, students are able to address their questions to either the professor or teaching assistant.
  
  
• CCA Presentations: The Computer Consultants Association (CCA) and Information Technology collaborated to sponsor an ongoing series of presentations which focus on emerging computer applications and technologies. "Mac Anatomy" and "Jen's Top Ten Windows Shareware" are two of the many topics covered.
  

• IT Times: The official newsletter of the Information Technology Division, IT Times is published quarterly as an insert to Dateline UCDavis and distributed free of charge to all UCD faculty, staff and students. Copies also are available at the ITCAP. IT Times is devoted to keeping the campus community and others informed of Information Technology services facilities, and activities at UC Davis
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