Mission-Critical Support for University Systems & Infrastructure Upgrade
The University of Glasgow has embarked on a £1bn multi-year investment programme to enhance services and facilities for its 37,000 students. At the same time building on its international reputation as a leading research institution with a World Top 100 ranking.
This once in a generation investment includes the re-development of the University's 14-acre site in the heart of the city's cultural quarter. On completion it will feature state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities and welcoming public spaces.
Project Background
The transformation will also include modernised and better targeted security provision.
Recognising the importance of personal safety and wellbeing as influencing factors in both student recruitment and retention, Head of Security Gary Stephen, invited Nu Xform to develop a framework for a comprehensive upgrade of services and systems.
It includes the delivery of a new joint IT and Estates Initiative to build a sector-leading network and security operations command centre for the University in support of its 'Community, Connectivity, Challenges, Values and Vision' strategy.
An example of the physical and digital estate coming together as one.
"Nu Xform are giving our University mission-critical support as we move ahead with the most significant systems and infrastructure upgrade in years. It's a relationship based on in-depth knowledge of the sector that gives me real confidence."
Project Scope
Improve the safety of students, staff and visitors by increasing the operational efficiency of the estate
The control room will be established as a central hub to break down silos of data and systems. Thereby enabling a collaborative approach to delivery and protection of shared services, improve cost effectiveness and sustainability.
The University of Glasgow have chosen to focus on this project because of its visionary aims and objectives and the desire to become a sector exemplar in the use of big data to manage the operations of the facilities directorate.
Services & Solutions
Complex stage-by-stage migration for the development of a smart control room
As part of the University's wider investment programme, a purpose-built smart control room will be created.
It aims to be one of the best-resourced in the UK higher education sector, benefitting from a unified operating platform and comprehensive systems integration to:
- give the security department unprecedented domain awareness & control
- provide valuable insights from previously siloed systems
- bring together other departments including estates & IT
- share a unified daily operations facility that will also act as a silver command centre during any major incidents
With academic and research activity continuing at the University year-round, on campus, in the field, and overseas, the migration will need to be planned to ensure uninterrupted operation of security and safety systems. This will ensure duty of care obligations are met.
Collaboration for Project Success
Phased management & interim facility for testing & step-by-step systems' integration
The upgrade is being managed in phases, with Nu Xform supporting development of an interim facility that will be used to test network connectivity and step-by-step integration of systems. This stage one solution will be sustainable, so that investments can be carried forward as much as possible.
It will look to take advantage of the University's planned network infrastructure upgrade and create new value by stripping out inefficient, siloed systems.
Nu Xform will support collaboration between multiple stakeholders and testing of interoperability between diverse systems; security, safety, fire and building management. Also consulting on each technology individually.
Failover and redundancy will be designed-in for all systems and facilities, ensuring uninterrupted operations during major incidents and network outages.
Above all, the new control room will ensure that staff can work more effectively. Both as individual teams and in collaboration with each other, to maximise the value of the systems and technology investment.