Key Projects and Initiatives
NYU ServiceLink Transformation
The NYU ServiceLink Transformation project, known as "zBoot," is transitioning from our legacy ServiceLink service to a new ServiceNow environment, which will consist of three major improvements. First, the new NYU Services Support Center (support.nyu.edu) offers streamlined views of services, updated knowledge articles, and the ability to submit and track your support tickets easily. Second, we are improving the user experience for the service representatives in the major service areas across all three campuses. Lastly, we are leveraging out-of-the-box ServiceNow functionality, which reduces system complexity and enables us to adopt new functionality quickly. We are collaborating with the various support areas to transition to the new environment.
Project page: NYU ServiceLink Transformation
Project Lead: Jeff Pasch, Institutional Solutions Group
IAM Phase III: Integrate Remaining Downstream Systems & Decommission Registry
This project will decommission NYU Registry, a custom-built, legacy identity and access management platform that was recently replaced by SailPoint, a modern, vendor-supported system that allows us to leverage out-of-the-box and industry-standard functions to:
- Simplify and standardize core functions and integrations with other vendor products
- Strengthen cybersecurity protections
- Improve compliance with security policies and guidelines
Project Lead: Lec Maj, Global Office of Information Security
Google Workspace for Education Service Redesign
In response to Google’s new storage model, this NYU PMO-managed project will assess the impact of the service change by Google; evaluate options for changes to services to accommodate these changes; recommend and select strategic response; and implement the solution identified.
Project page: Google Workspace Storage
Project Lead: Jeff Capuano, Global Infrastructure and Operations
Encrypted Storage System for Sensitive Data
The goal of the project is to improve the security posture of our RCC Vblock, which provides virtual servers for NYU IT as well as schools and units. To enhance our GLBA/NYDFS compliance, a smaller secondary storage system will be purchased and attached to the RCDC VXBlock. The tentative timeline for purchase, implementation, and migration is January - April 2024. We plan to move SIS, FO&T file server, Active Directory, and Legal Counsel to this new storage system.
Project Lead: Geby Varughese, Global Infrastructure and Operations
Brooklyn Fiber Ring
The goal of the Brooklyn Fiber Ring project is to replace leased fiber optic cables at the NYU Brooklyn Campus and Tandon School of Engineering with our own infrastructure, saving NYU $648,000 a year and providing new bandwidth to handle the growing demands of Tandon for the next ten to fifteen years. This will improve our connectivity between all of our Brooklyn locations and serve the demands of our students, faculty, and staff in Brooklyn. As this work can be disruptive to network traffic, the start times can vary between 7pm and Midnight.
Project Lead: Ken Barneys, Manager, Global Infrastructure and Operations (GIO)
Lifecycle Refresh
Each year, Global Infrastructure and Operations (GIO) invests in a technology refresh cycle designed to replace and/or upgrade aging technology to improve reliability, enhance the user experience, and strengthen device and network security throughout NYU’s locations, including global sites. This commitment reflects GIO’s dedication to staying at the forefront of technology and to providing a secure and seamless experience for the NYU community.
Project Lead: Ken Barneys, Global Infrastructure and Operations (GIO)
Security Incident and Event Management (SIEM) Implementation
This initiative will implement and operationalize a Security Incident and Event Management (SIEM) system and improve management of identification, response, and mitigation of security events impacting NYU’s academic, administrative, and research systems.
Project Lead: Chris Decker, Global Office of Information Security
Enhanced Risk-Based Network Segmentation
The goal of this project is to help ensure that NYU's most valuable information remains secure by designing and implementing risk-based secure enclave architecture models and environments tailored to meet the security compliance requirements of our multiple NYU schools and departments, including academic, administrative, and research functions. This initiative aims to enhance the overall security posture of NYU by implementing tailored solutions that address the specific challenges associated with handling sensitive data in diverse areas. A primary focus will be identifying systems that handle sensitive data and ensuring secure processing and storage.
Project Lead: Amad Sheikh, Global Office of Information Security
Privileged Access Management (PAM)
This project is a critical security control that enables NYU to simplify how we define, monitor, and manage privileged access across our complex global IT systems, applications, and infrastructure. This project will support security, compliance, and audit requirements, and increase the protection of systems and applications, by managing access to production environments and logging user activity.
Project Lead: Lec Maj, Global Office of Information Security
Third-Party Risk Management Program
This project will formalize the Third-Party Review Process and automate the third-party assessment life-cycle to streamline and standardize the risk-based assessment and monitoring of NYU’s IT vendors.
Project Lead: Christine Seepersaud, Global Office of Information Security
Develop & Implement Global Information Security Policy & Regulatory Compliance Framework
This initiative will set minimum university-wide cybersecurity policies and standards, and ensure that security practices are consistent across the University, underscoring our shared responsibilities in protecting sensitive data and our network, systems, and applications.
Project Lead: Rich Sparrow, Global Office of Information Security
User Support Optimization (USO) Program
Our current state of user support has our users engage in multiple, variable channels for support with work not consistently flowing through the appropriate tiers of support, resulting in inconsistent support, unnecessary complexity, and inefficient service delivery. The User Support Optimization (USO) program aims to drive improvements in this area across NYU. As we lean more heavily on managed services for our tier 1 support, our FTE staff will be re-deployed for service improvement and left shift efforts, partnering with service owners to use operational/ticket data to identify areas for incident reduction and deflection through improved self-service, automation, or service improvements. Over time, we will establish more consistent methods of interacting with all NYU IT services, and to ensure that all are flowing through a consistent pathway with as few touches as possible - mapping and improving our relationships with all IT service providers along the way. Throughout all of our efforts, we will drive towards an ideal NYU user experience - one that is simple, positive, and professional, delivered with empathy, efficiency, and empowerment.
Program Lead: Srinivasan Krishnamoorthy, Global Service Management and User Success
IT Service Management (ITSM) Maturity
GSM-US is in the process of establishing a strategic roadmap, and is working with stakeholders across our IT community to assess our maturity in ITIL and IT Service Management (ITSM) and lay the foundation for improvement across all of our teams. We are lucky to have within our field a framework of best practices for “how we work,” in the form of ITIL and ITSM, and fortunate to have a platform like ServiceLink (ServiceNow) that has brought all of the processes together into a tool where we can manage different elements of our work in one location. As part of the NYU ServiceLink Transformation project (see above), many of the ITSM capabilities will be reset to baseline or “vanilla.” This will enable GSM-US to align with industry best practices and take advantage of improved capabilities of the new ServiceNow platform. Along the way, this will allow us to improve how we approach service strategy, service design, and to continue to refine our processes around service operations and continual service improvement.
Program Lead: Kenneth Tai, Global Service Management and User Success
AV & Media (AVM) Services Service Improvements
We have made great progress in establishing our AVM standards for our classrooms and meeting rooms, and will be continuing to shift the inventory of rooms towards our updated zoom-based standards. Along the way we are working to improve the tooling we use to support the technology in our rooms, redeploying of our engineering and operational staff as we reduce the day-to-day break/fix work we have to do in our supported rooms. In addition to our physical improvements, we will be enhancing the capabilities offered through Zoom, starting with Zoom AI Companion and evaluating other options that allow for a more seamless hybrid and in-person experience.
Project Lead: Ben Vien, Global Service Management and User Success
High Performance Computing (HPC) Greene Refresh
The High Performance Computing (HPC) Greene will undergo a technology refresh to maintain the University leadership in HPC technology now and into the future. The refresh will help to create an environment for attracting the brightest minds in academia, increase research outputs and grants.
Project Lead: Stratos Efstathiadis, Research and Instructional Technology
Grow and Certify HPC Secure Research Cloud Services (on prem)
This project will implement a hybrid cloud at NYU with service tiers for both low-risk and moderate/high-risk datasets. In a second phase, the service will be updated to make sure that it meets the NIST SP 800-171 requirements and standards, and passes CMMC third-party certification.
Project Lead: Stratos Efstathiadis, Research and Instructional Technology
Support & Expand the High Speed Research Network (HSRN)
Expansion of the HSRN to Meyer Hall (and other locations in FY24 - TBD) will increase the number of grant proposals leveraging HSRN access.
Project Lead: Stratos Efstathiadis, Research and Instructional Technology
Research and Development Service for Research Technology (Year 2)
This project will continue to support research and development (R&D) activities to make research grant proposals more competitive.
Project Lead: Stratos Efstathiadis, Research and Instructional Technology
LaGuardia Studio Maturity: Point Of Sale (POS) System Refresh
This project will refresh the current LaGuardia Studio MySQL Point of Sale (POS) system.
Project Lead: Shelly Smith, Research and Instructional Technology
NYU Spatial Data Repository Upgrade
This upgrade will help researchers search, discover, preview, download, and use curated spatial data with varied levels of permissions, and foster research and scholarship to attract research dollars at NYU.
Project Lead: Him Mistry, Research and Instructional Technology
NYU Brightspace Enhancements
We will develop pilots for two key tools in Brightspace this year. The Learning Object Repository will initiate a centrally managed survey that can be distributed to faculty for course feedback. Learning Outcomes will work with key school and faculty stakeholders to identify and measure key rubrics for individual courses.
Project Lead: Jason Korenkowitz, Research and Instructional Technology
Governance Directed Tool Pilots
We will enhance NYU Brightspace with third-party tool integrations that are proposed, reviewed, and prioritized by the Teaching & Learning Committees to facilitate online, blended, and in-person teaching with technology. Prioritization for the spring semester will take place in October and fall prioritization will take place in April.
Project Lead: Jason Korenkiewicz, Research and Instructional Technology
Upgrading Web Publishing Service
We will upgrade to a more mature hosting and web publishing delivery platform that will improve all aspects of the service.
Project Lead: Rich Malenitza, Research and Instructional Technology
Continuing Education / Non-Credit (CENC)
This project will explore potential shared technology solutions and help clarify policies for supporting non-credit programs to provide schools with the ability to offer an improved experience for learners, faculty, and administrators.
Project Lead: Suzanne Ciprut, Research and Instructional Technology
Research and Outcomes Assessment (ROA) on Teaching and Learning with Technology
This project involves collaboration with faculty at NYU Rory Meyers School of Nursing, Silver School of Social Work, and NYU College of Dentistry to develop and research virtual reality (VR) simulations aimed to improve student learning. These research efforts aim to support the wider community by communicating results through journal publications.
Project Lead: Elizabeth McAlpin, Research and Instructional Technology
Check this page for more updates in the near future.
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