The University of Wisconsin recently chose not to privatize its digital networks, prompting the state to back out of upgrading its computer, video and voice networks.
The planned upgrade would have cost the state $100 million, and the Department of Administration, along with Gov. Jim Doyle, canceled Wisconsin’s plans.
Wisconsin administrators were considering signing on with private telecommunications companies to compose one giant network for the UW System, which would also include a phone service.
The state currently offers two system networks to UW campuses. They include WiscNet, a computer network used by state-level education and government, and BadgerNet, a system offering video conferencing used in K-12 classrooms, UW schools and technical colleges to foster streamlined distance learning for students.
Matt Miszewski, the state’s chief information officer, told The Capital Times a small group of government parties interested in UW networks met to discuss possibilities in a meeting last week.
Ed Meachen, associate vice president for learning and information technology for the UW System, said a privatized network would not work at UW.
“We have lots of different uses for the network that research and development uses require us to change it when we need to,” he said. “We can’t have a privatized network, as far as Internet.”
Meachen said the state stopped the upgrade because UW and Wisconsin were headed towards two parallel educational networks.
Meachen also said cost was not a factor in the decision against upgrading and privatization.
“It’s about changing from a technology that is no longer supported, to another technology,” he said. “We could no longer use it, given the technology in place.”
The primary users of the networks are not higher education institutions, but K-12 schools, and Madison doesn’t use them at all, Meachen said.
UW students will not see any changes in the services they receive, because it was an infrastructure issue, Meachen said.
“Students are not affected more than anyone else is. But we will all benefit by having one educational network.”
Annie Stunden, director and chief information officer at Division of Information Technology, said part of UW’s concern was that the state was interested in creating a converged network that would hinder the university’s research.
“[Such a decision] would be very hard to live with because [UW] has networking needs that are well beyond the needs state agencies have,” she said. “Our research networking needs are that we need to connect with advanced researching technologies. We need to be able to do that on the fly.”
Stunden said a problem with the state’s proposal is if one vendor did everything, it would be difficult for UW to conduct business as usual.
“A [UW] faculty member may need a 10 gigabyte line just for one thing one day, and the next, a faculty member needs a two gigabyte line going to Switzerland,” she said. “We’re very concerned in trying to control that.”
Stunden hopes a meeting at the Pyle Center today will clear up surrounding issues, and the eight officials Gov. Doyle appointed will reach an effective solution. State agencies, K-12 video and Internet network representatives, the Department of Administration and many other organizations are anticipated to attend the meeting.
“What I want is to be sure to protect UW-Madison’s capability to meet research network requirements, that’s number one, and to be sure [UW] has the capacity we need for a system wide management system,” Stunden said. “[UW] stopped something, and now we’re inventing something.”
