Current Projects

Fall/Winter 2004

Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners Preservation Survey

Completion Date: Anticipated October 2004
Contact: Rodney Obien, Library, robien@wpi.edu

The Archives received a $2500 grant from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners to conduct a preservation survey of three special collections: Charles Dickens-Robert Fellman Collection, Woodbury & Co. Collection, and the Diaries of Theo Brown. The Archives selected Babette and Daniel Gehnrich to conduct the preservation survey of the archives' special collections. Babette is the Chief Conservator at the American Antiquarian Society. Daniel is a noted book and paper conservator, formerly with the Pierpont-Morgan Library in New York City. The Gehnrichs began the survey in February of 2004. They are due to submit their final report in October 2004. The Archivist will use their report to establish priorities for conserving and preserving the collections covered in the survey.

Web Analytics Software Implementation

Completion Date: Anticipated November 2004
Contact: Alex Brelsfoard, Gordon Library, alexb@wpi.edu

WPI has outgrown its current Web analytics tool, which was used to analyze the Web server logs and provide statistics about visitors to various areas of the WPI site, and is in search of a more enterprise-wide solution. A cross-functional group from throughout campus has been evaluating packages, and Urchin seems to be the best choice for WPI at this time. The Web Development Office will work with the Computing & Communications Center's UNIX group on the installation and implementation of this tool.

Plant Services Workorder Systems Upgrade

Completion Date: Anticipated November 2004
Contact: Andrew M. Stone, Computing & Communications Center, astone@wpi.edu

Upgrading the current software and hardware for the Workorders system's server to improve reliability. The Database will changing from SQL Server to Oracle in an effort to lower SQL Server licensing needs.

Academic Department Web Site Redesigns

Completion Date: Anticipated December 2004
Contact: Amy Marr, Gordon Library, trek@wpi.edu

The Web Development Office is currently working on complete site redesigns of the following academic departments: Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Social Science & Policy Studies, Mathematical Sciences and the Mass Academy. These sites, which will feature improved navigation and will all be completed and launching individually by the end of the calendar year.

Winter/Spring 2005

myWPI Redundancy

Completion Date: Anticipated January 2005
Contact: Joseph A. Kalinowski, Academic Technology Center, jkal@wpi.edu

Due to the mission critical nature of myWPI, WPI's Learning and Information Portal, redundant hardware will be provided. This will allow for a high level of data safety as information will be simultaneous, and in real-time, be stored on and off site of WPI's Worcester Campus. In the event of primary site failures, this will also decrease the amount of time that myWPI may be inaccessible. This is one piece of the WPI IT Disaster Recovery program.

Testing and Deploying Wake-On-LAN Software for Labs

Completion Date: Anticipated January 2005
Contact: Andrew M. Stone, Computing & Communications Center, astone@wpi.edu

A power management solution is being explored that will give us the benefit of reduced power costs and still allow patches, virus definition updates, and software packages to be rolled out 24x7.

Best Access Electronic Lock System Integration (Phase 2)

Completion Date: Anticipated January 2005
Contact: Andrew M. Stone, Computing & Communications Center, astone@wpi.edu

A Web interface has been built to allow members of the community to grant access to any card reader they control. Field testing with several community members will occur this semester.

Collaborative Software Implementation

Completion Date: Anticipated January 2005
Contact: Jon Bartelson, Computing & Communications Center, jonb@wpi.edu

The Windows group is testing Microsoft Sharepoint portal technologies to facilitate collaborative work for the WPI community. Sharepoint provides template portals that can be highly customized for use in different project environments. More information on Sharepoint technologies can be found on Microsoft's Sharepoint Web site.

Web Self Service Account Maintenance

Completion Date: Anticipated January 2005
Contact: Jon Bartelson, Computing & Communications Center, jonb@wpi.edu

Students may perform maintenance on their Windows accounts using their ID number and PIN assigned by the Registrar. This process was updated over the summer, and feature enhancements (as well as a self service application for administrative users) are planned for the fall.

Infrastructure Upgrade to Windows Server 2003

Completion Date: Anticipated January 2005
Contact: Jon Bartelson, Computing & Communications Center, jonb@wpi.edu

The Windows group is continuing the upgrade of campus Windows servers to Windows Server 2003 and its related technologies.

Evaluating Terminal Services Server for Student Remote Access to Academic Applications

Completion Date: Anticipated January 2005
Contact: Howie Rappaport, Computing & Communications Center, howie@wpi.edu

In order to provide a ubiquitous computing environment for both on campus and off campus students, CCC is testing the using of Windows Terminal Services. Windows Terminal Services allows users to login to a remote server; much like Remote Desktop with Windows XP Professional to use a pre-configured computing environment with pre-installed resources.

Directory of Available Projects Rewrite

Completion Date: Anticipated January 2005
Contact: Alex Brelsfoard, Gordon Library, alexb@wpi.edu

This system, used by faculty and students to advertise and locate project opportunities throughout the university, is outdated and inefficient. The new system will store project information in a database, allowing for faster retrieval of information for students and easier editing of that information from year to year by faculty.

Web Conferencing System Implementation

Completion Date: Anticipated March 2005
Contact: Joseph A. Kalinowski, Academic Technology Center, jkal@wpi.edu

The ATC has purchased new web conferencing technology that will allow WPI students, faculty and staff to meet and collaborate online. With this product - ECP Connect from Interwise - users will be able to incorporate video, slides, chat, and voice into online meetings, collaboration sessions and webinars all over the Internet from anywhere in the world. A host of interactive tools will make each session a dynamic experience for the participants. A general release of the service is scheduled for the Fall of 2004.

Windows XP Service Pack 2 Application Testing and Rollout

Completion Date: Anticipated May 2005
Contact: Tom Collins, Computing and Communications Center, tcollins@wpi.edu

The CCC's Windows Administration Group is actively testing the Windows XP Service Pack 2. Please submit application test requests to the helpdesk. Testing is planned to be finished by January 2005 and deployment is intended for May 2005. More information will be announced to the campus before a Rollout is done. Further information is available in this IT News item: CCC's Position on Windows XP Service Pack 2.

Summer 2005

Satellite Downlink Upgrade

Completion Date: Anticipated June 2005
Contact: Justin Brooks, ATC, jbrooks@wpi.edu

In order to continue to provide educational programming on WPI's cable TV network, we will upgrade our satellite downlink capability. Currently WPI can only receive analog C or Ku band broadcasts. After the upgrade we will continue to be able receive analog programming in addition to the new digital broadcasts. We will be bale to receive MPEG and DigiCipher digital programming from C and Ku band satellites. This will allow us to continue to receive NASA television as well as increase the amount of programming we can provide to the community.

Information Security Compliance Program

Completion Date: Anticipated June 2005
Contact: Vicki Lynn, Office of Information Technology, vlynn@wpi.edu

University-wide due diligence with regard to Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), USA Patriot's Act, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA),TEACH Act, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.

New Search Engine Implementation

Completion Date: Anticipated June 2005
Contact: Alex Brelsfoard, Gordon Library, alexb@wpi.edu

Thanks to a generous gift from a WPI alumnus, the Web Development Office is implementing a new search and "guided navigation" tool, Endeca ProFind. The new search engine, which will index the entire university site, as well as individual departments and areas for searching on those sites, will greatly improve the searchability of the WPI Web site for members of the community and outside visitors to the site. For more information on the new software, visit Endeca's Web site.

Equipment and Event Management System

Completion Date: Anticipated June 2005
Contact: Justin Brooks, Academic Technology Center, jbrooks@wpi.edu

Currently the ATC uses a custom designed application to manage it's equipment inventory. It was designed and implemented in conjunction with an MQP group in 1998. This system manages all the equipment reservations as well as any AV related event information for the ATC. The system is currently meeting it's intended need, but the ATC is looking to expand the use of the system to include deployed equipment management as well as equipment maintenance records. At the same time, the ATC would like to eliminate the current paper forms that users are required to sign and implement an electronic signature system. Currently we are exploring different software packages and hope to have a package chosen by the end of this project, and implemented shortly after.

Electronic Projects Pilot

Completion Date: Anticipated June 2005
Contact: Helen Shuster, Library, hshuster@wpi.edu

This pilot program is evaluating electronic submission and archiving of all IQPs and MQPs on a web server and determining how they can be successfully searched and retrieved online. The pilot group, managed by the Library Director, is composed of Library, Web Development, CCC, and Registrar's Office staff who worked with faculty and students this past summer. A small number of IQPs were successfully submitted. Visit the E-projects Web site...

Woodbury & Co. Digitization Project

Completion Date: Anticipated Summer 2005
Contact: Rodney Obien, Library, robien@wpi.edu

The Archives began its effort to digitize the Woodbury & Co. Collection in 2002, soon after it was received. The Woodbury & Co. Collection consists of the graphic archives of Woodbury & Co., one of the premier commercial stationery manufacturers in the United States. The library selected approximately 1000 items to be captured digitally, including a series of large bird's-eye view drawings, photographs, letterhead stationery, and the company newsletter. Each of the 1000 items was individually scanned and downloaded onto the library ENCompass server. Metadata descriptions for each item have been created in ENCompass and are almost complete. The Web Development Office is currently designing a web portal for the collection that allows users to search the metadata, retrieve specific information as well as view the digital images. Plans are for the web portal to be finalized in the 2004-2005 academic year. Check out the test site.

Fall 2005

Large Format Scanning

Completion Date: Anticipated September 2005
Contact: Adam Jacobi, ATC, ajacobi@wpi.edu

The ATC will introduce a new service that will allow for scanning of paper that is up to 42" wide. The new large format scanner can also act as a copier providing the community with the ability to copy large prints. This service will be in addition to the current poster printing service the ATC provides.

myWPI Authentication

Completion Date: Anticipated September 2005
Contact: Joseph A. Kalinowski, Academic Technology Center, jkal@wpi.edu

In order to facility easier access for end users, the ATC is looking to remove the myWPI password from the list of passwords that users are required to remember. To facilitate this, we are involved in developing a custom authentication module to Blackboard (the software behind myWPI) to allow end users to authenticate to myWPI using either their UNIX or Windows password.

Data Protection and System Recovery - Version 3

Completion Date: December 2005
Contact: Vicki Lynn, Office of Information Technology, vlynn@wpi.edu

This project is an expansion and update to the Protection and System Recovery - Version 2 manual, which was published in October 2004. New materials include an expanded staff backup section. For more information, see Version 1 of this project.

MPEG Playback for CATV

Completion Date: Anticipated December 2005
Joseph Kalinowski, ATC, jkal@wpi.edu

In order to support more customized playback of content on WPI's cable TV channels, the ATC will be installing an MPEG playback device. This device, in conjunction with our existing automation system, will provide the ability to playback content seamlessly into WPI's cable channels. This programming could include public service announcements during the premium movie service, or informational videos during new student orientations.

Winter/Spring 2006

FY06 Classroom and Meeting Space Upgrades

Completion Date: Anticipated May 2006
Joseph Kalinowski, ATC, jkal@wpi.edu

The ATC will continue to provide the latest technology available to the WPI community in electronic classrooms this year. We will be upgrading the technology in the following locations: HL114, KH202, KH207, OH107, SH308, Anderson Training Lab A & B. We will be adding equipment to OH223. Each room will have a dedicated 3000+ lumen projector with a 3GHz+ workstation (with USB and Firewire ports available), VHS VCR, and DVD player connected to it. The rooms will also support laptop connections with all required cables resident in the room, and also support connections to any composite or S-Video device.

Data Security Project - Phase I

Completion Date: December 2006
Contact: Ben Thompson, CCC, brt@wpi.edu

The objectives are (1) to keep ahead of threats, appropriately balancing risks against the cost to mitigate risks, and (2) determine and implement common best practices for managing data security across the university, including standards for management of computer systems storing WPI confidential information, standards for the handling of data by personnel, standards for the transportation and backup of information, and university incident response teams, policies, and procedures.

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Last modified: Oct 26, 2005, 11:46 EDT