Influencing the Progress of Advanced Core Technologies Pablo G. Molina Associate VP of IT & CIO  Georgetown University  June 1, 2011 Southeast Regional Conference Tweet this session: #SERC11_DISC02

ACTI: Advanced Core Technologies Initiative www.educause.edu/acti Formed in fall 2010 Re-envisioning of former NET@EDU Members-based initiative within EDUCAUSE Currently 57 members Goal: To bring together IT professionals to collaborate on advanced core technologies and help prepare for the imminent future.

What are “advance core techologies”? Core technologies underlie the processing and flow of information within and across applications that support higher education. E.g., storage, processing, and networking middleware layer issues of identification, authentication, security, and database architecture “Advanced" refers to technologies whose emergence or evolution is already apparent and that might already be in production in the more advanced corners of higher education.

What exactly does ACTI do? Help transfer knowledge from early or experimental adopters to the broader community Provide technology leaders with a place to lead the adoption and development of core technologies Develop best practices, recommendations, surveys, and other useful outcomes for the broader educational IT community

ACTI Structure Priorities Committee Working Groups Oversees/supports ongoing work Determines how ACTI resources are allocated to projects Provides direction for the initiative Working Groups Ad hoc or short-term, project-based groups Annual members/potential members meeting July 7-8, 2011 – Boston, MA (hotel deadline: June 15) www.educause.edu/acti11 Priorities committee is chaired by EDUCAUSE Vice President Greg Jackson and includes chairs of active working groups as well as a few additional ACTI members. Registration is open now for the ACTI meeting, and a preliminary agenda is available on the event site. Registration is free of charge to members.

ACTI Working Groups: Campus Cyberinfrastructure (CCI) Chair: Guy Almes, Texas A&M Visualization Survey led by Jill Gemmill (Clemson) Data Lifecycle Management See related upcoming meeting, July 18-20 at Princeton Call for papers, registration deadline: June 20 http://rcs.columbia.edu/rdlm CI Challenges & Sustainability Subgroup Led by Dave Lifka (Cornell). Some topics being considered are: Data Archival Technologies Financial Value Proposition for Research Data Collections NSF ACCI Task Forces Reports Currently being reviewed by this group for potential next steps Working groups are open to ACTI member representatives only. Meets biweekly via conference call.

ACTI Working Groups: Communication, Collaboration, and Mobility (CCM) Co-chairs: Jim Jokl (UVa) and Mark Katsouros (Penn State) Topics currently under discussion include: Voice planning Survey being developed; building on CSG survey from earlier this year Mobility for Safety/Security Communication as a Service Working groups are open to ACTI member representatives only. ] Meets biweekly via conference call. CSG=Common Solutions Group

ACTI Working Groups: Potential Future Groups Data management Mobility and enterprise processes Many-to-many conferencing Teaching & learning core technologies These are topics for potential future groups. They may become their own stand-alone working group, may be a subgroup to an existing working group, or ad hoc group. These will be hammered out and finalized at the July 2011 ACTI in-person meeting. People interested in joining one of these should send a note to Karen Wetzel, ACTI Program Manager (reminder: group membership is limited to ACTI members). The last one in particular is one that we would need to consider in light of how this topic is currently addressed in other areas in EDUCAUSE, and how that work might be coordinated.

Next Steps… July 2011 ACTI Meeting Priorities Committee ACTI Members Focus ACTI directions Establish new working groups Establish 2011-12 outcomes Priorities Committee Support ACTI working groups Consider strategic directions/areas for future engagement 2012 ACTI Member meeting planning ACTI Members Continue to grow membership Establish member-specific communications Continue to grow/highlight member benefits

THANK YOU Pablo Molina: molina@georgetown THANK YOU Pablo Molina: molina@georgetown.edu Karen Wetzel, ACTI Program Manager: kwetzel@educause.edu