Some of you may have received the formal notice about the change in ITS webservices from a free to a paid model. (The complete message is copied below for your reference) We have received a few questions regarding this and want to take this opportunity to clarify.
First, although OASIS and ITS webservices collaborate closely, OASIS will continue to offer, at no cost, web.unc.edu site to all faculty, staff and students at UNC.
Second, if you do have web development needs that web.unc.edu cannot meet, we highly recommend you go to ITS webservices for a custom solution first before looking at an outside vendor. They can develop a custom wordpress theme that can work on web.unc.edu, or set up other website CMS systems.
As always, let us know if you have concerns, or issues we can help with.
Web.unc.edu Team
________________________________________
From: nobody@notify.unc.edu
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2011 9:01 PM
Subject: FORMAL NOTICE: ITS Web Services moves to fee-for-service model
Greetings;
In response to the continuing economic challenges facing the university, ITS must find new and innovative ways of providing needed services to the campus community. One of these ways is to reinvent how centralized web services are delivered.
Beginning August 15, 2011, the Information Technology Services team -Web Services – will operate on a fee-for-service model. By transitioning to this new structure, Web Services will be more aligned with other campus units providing Web development and support.
Web Services provides a range of web design, development, and content management services for ITS and the University community. For additional information about Web Services, please visit http://webservices.unc.edu.
In addition, there has been considerable and serious discussion about moving away from the Oracle Universal Content Management (UCM) platform, the centrally-supported enterprise-wide content management system for the University.
Although not yet confirmed, a transition to an open source platform is likely with an initial target date of July 1, 2012. Web Services will continue to support sites in the existing Oracle UCM solution and will manage the migration to the new platform at no cost to users.
Furthermore, rest assured that any projects currently underway will be completed without charge.
Moving to a new content management platform will provide several key benefits, including:
* Significant cost savings for the University
* A greatly improved user experience for content editors and authors
* Enhanced features and functionality
* A modern technical framework which facilitates adaptation to the fast-changing environment of the web
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the impact of both the new service model and the transition to a new platform, feel free to contact me at Ramon_padilla_jr@unc.edu.
Ramon Padilla, Jr.
Associate Vice Chancellor and Deputy CIO
Information Technology Services
This email is sponsored by: Information Technology Services