Indiana U Taps Desktop Virtualization for IUAnyWare
Indiana University is launching an initiative called "IUAnyWare," which will provide cloud-based services to faculty and students across mobile and desktop platforms.
As part of the initiative, Indiana U named Citrix a preferred provider. Citrix's XenDesktop will be used to deliver software and storage to students, faculty, and staff--the same software they have access to in campus computing labs, according to Citrix. Indiana U operates almost 100 computing labs. Also as part of the initiative, Microsoft will provide technology for localized cloud storage.
The service will support traditional operating systems like Mac OS X and Windows, as well as tablets and smart phones.
Sue Workman, associate vice president of support at Indiana U, said the solution is helping to take the edge off support and allowing IT to rededicate resources in other areas.
"Citrix XenDesktop is helping us transform the way we deliver and support personal computing devices and applications," Workman said in a statement released Tuesday, "The IU IT staff is spending an large percentage of support hours just maintaining, patching and upgrading hardware and software at these multiple locations. Staff can be utilized for higher-level activities in IT, and in teaching, learning and research. Virtualization allows us to more effectively use IT to support the university's educational mission by allowing our users to get access to resources wherever they are and from whatever device they choose."
The multi-phase initiative will eventually support more than 100,000 users.
"This project is part of a major initiative to rethink the way we are delivering IT services to all of our users, and to be able to reduce desktop support needs and deploy those resources to more strategic initiatives."
In the first phase of the rollout, according to information released by Citrix, Indiana University will deliver "virtual applications to a brand new Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence facility in Columbus, IN, where joint ventures are underway with other local universities in support of certification and degree programs and workforce training. Once lab environments are up and running, IU will continue incorporating additional users with the aim of delivering upwards of 200 applications to university-, employee- and student-owned devices."
Indiana University serves 99,000 students and employs 18,500 faculty and staff across eight campuses.