Antonio Snchez Aguilar

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The case of computing/internet as a utility
service
Antonio Sánchez Aguilar Vicepresident for
Academic Support Universidad de las
Americas-Puebla
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What is the current urgency of the Internet ?

• What is Internet ? .... Pass?
• How to use it? .... Pass?
• Learn to use it? .... Pass?
• When to use it in the classroom ? .... Pass?
• How many classes to use Internet ? .... Pass?
• How to provide access to the internet
  computing needs everywhere at any moment?
  Today this is critical !

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The ChallengeThe digital divide

• Dos linajes solos hay en el mundo, como decía una
  agüela mía, que son el tener y el no tener
• Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra
  (1547-1616) Don Quijote, Parte II, Cap.
  20, 161
• There are only two families in the world,
  the Haves and the Have-Nots.

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Exponential Growth
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As an example in our neck of the woods
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... and the consequences of staying behind
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... but the income does not help
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... Then How I do it?

• "More than anything else I cherish the analogies,
  my most trustworthy masters."
• Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)

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The Analogies

• Public transportation Public
  buses ( servers ) rather than private
  cars ( pc's )
• Public telephone Connectivity
  in any corner ( thin clients )
• Public telegram
  Printing is done by the reciever

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Approach

• A campus-wide program designed to provide public
  Internet/Intranet connectivity for the community
  of Universidad de las Americas-Puebla
• Extensive connectivity for all information
  services through SUN Ray technology and
  Java-based browser
  applications

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The setting

• Located in Cholula, Mexico
• A Private university with 8,300 students
  recognised for its education and its research
  programs
• First web site in Mexico in July 1993
• First Intranet in Mexico in 1995

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Our View

• To be proactively responsive to fast
  and complex changes in information access
  and its technology
• We require to keep pace with the advances in
  information, knowledge exchange and
  interconnectivity

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The Idea

• High cost of a student-owned state-of-the-art
  portable computer connected to the Internet
• Create an aggressive alternative project, placing
  public computers with fast Internet connection in
  as many places as possible
• Effectively reducing the need for individual
  personal computers

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The implementation

• Public machines are continuously being deployed
  in places such as the library, the cafeteria, the
  classroom labs and the dorms to boost the
  existence of a digital assistant everywhere

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Flexibility

• Nevertheless it would be limited if users are not
  able to access software that runs on a different
  OS

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Three-Tier Network

• The DB Tier where all files and databases are
  stored in a Unix/NFS storage system with an
  extensive use of ORACLE
  
• The DP Tier with multiple operating systems
  support UNIX,VMS, NT, Linux
• The DC Tier provides access to any system,
  mapping the stored files in the DB to be used by
  the required application at the selected SUNRay
  or through an Applet in Netscape

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Point in case

• As an example of the deployed three-tier network,
  students are able to store their AutoCAD files in
  the Unix/NFS machine
• Run the application in a NT machine
• Manage all that through Netscape anyplace in the
  world
• Students can also store their session to run the
  application in his/her dorm at anytime

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Software across platforms

• AutoCAD is running on NT
• The files are stored on Unix/NFS
• Interface is done through a SUNRay or a Netscape
  session

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Intranet

• An extensive Intranet developed at UDLA provides
  academic and administrative information to the
  community
• The information includes such data as student
  records, budget planning and account management
  

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Intranet 2
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Commitments

• Good centralized service
  
• Learn new office software
• Provide a reliable network

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Limitations

• Old Paradigms die hard
  
• Lack of time
• Limited number of people

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Benefits

• Reduction in maintenance
• Reduction in response time
• Reduction on investment
• Controlled obsolescence
• Concurrent software licenses
  

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Benefits measured

• For 9,800 users ( 8,300 1,500 )
• The university is moving from 2,300 stations (
  pc's tc's ) to 3,000
• With just 40 of thin clients deployed so far,
  25 reduction in people per station
• 20 reduction in TCO estimate for 2001
• Less than 1,000 students own a state-of the-art
  personal pc, the rest use our integrated network
  

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Thank You for your attention