HEIDS

Higher Education Information Directors in Scotland

Minutes of HEIDS Meeting 
Held on Tuesday 27 June 2000

Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama

Present:-

Chair		Tom Mortimer		Queen Margaret University College		TM
Secretary	Paul Dean		Napier University				PD
Angus Annan		University of Stirling				AA
David Beards		SHEFC					DB
Stuart Brough		University of Strathclyde			SB
Stewart Gardner	University of Abertay				SG
Brian Gilmore		University of Edinburgh			BG
Gordon Hunt		RSAMD					GH
Peter Kemp		University of Stirling				PK 
Linda McCormick	University of Glasgow			LM
John McKay		Glasgow School of Art			JM
Richard Murphy	University of Dundee				RM
David Rundell 	Heriot-Watt University			DR
Tony Shaw		University of Paisley 				TS
Ian White		Glasgow Caledonian University		IW

1.	‘JCACP Computer Commodity Group’

Presentation by David Fildes 
(Convenor of JCACP Computer Commodity Group)

DF explained the workings of this sub group of the JCACP.  

One concern raised was that the membership of group is currently biased towards purchasing staff rather than IT staff hence members were asked to encouraged their staff to become involved in the workings of the group. 

Some interesting statistics were that the spend on IT in Scottish HE is:-
	All IT		£46M		853 suppliers
	PCs 		£16M		  90 supplier
	Software	£8.8M		150 suppliers
	Servers		£4.6M		  18 suppliers		
Macs		£2.4M		  14 suppliers

A number of the current deals were discussed and it was felt that they could be better focussed and perhaps UCISA could take a more active role in liasing with JCACP in this area.

DF then outlined his view of the working of the GCAT scheme.  It was noted that the scheme is liked by the National Audit Office.

There is no cost to joining the scheme or any commitment to use it once signed up.  It does avoid the requirement to go to European Tender for larger purchases but it was felt that it was still not competitive with the alternative of institutions tendering direct to manufacturers. 

2.	Apologies

Malcolm Bain		University of St Andrews			MB
	Patrick Dark 		University of the Highlands Initiative		PDk
Graham Prior 		University of Aberdeen			GP

3. 	Minutes of Previous Meeting
No issues.

4.	Matters Arising
All matters covered in agenda.

5.	Digital Scotland - Update
The report is now available for comment.

The re-procurement of the MANS is now mentioned but it was felt that references to HE are still minimal although it was pointed out that the profile is now higher than previously due to the work of Bill Harvey of SHEFC.

A discussion took place as to whether the meeting had a view on a wider public network perhaps based on the UKERNA model. It was pointed out that there is very little mention of support for running costs hence this was a major concern.  At present HE is the only organisation with a broadband public sector network that covers Scotland hence perhaps we should re-procure the MANs in such a way that there could be a ‘SuperJANET 4’ style major mid life upgrade to include other sectors. 

It was also felt we should try and comment on more strategic issues other than the just networking.

Responses to the consultation were due in by 30 June (3 days after this meeting).  PK was preparing the response for SCURL. It was agreed that TM should prepare a HEIDS response and consult as best he could in the time available and take note of the SCURL response. 
Action:-  TM
(Consult and prepare submission)
6.	JISC  FE  Regional Support Centres
The bidders for these 2 contracts had made presentation a week before the meeting.  Both the Glasgow and Stirling led consortia had been notified that the JISC was minded to award them the contracts subject to changes.  The Dundee Consortium had been informed they were unsuccessful and no one was present from the Aberdeen consortium.

7.	Business of Related Groups
a) SHEFC 
DB opened discussion on the re procurement of the MANs.  Firstly there is no doubt that in order to get support the exercise must include FE (Incidentally much of FE already has better than the 2Mbps currently being offered via UKERNA and had been cynical about the JISC/UKERNA plan at a meeting the previous week).  

RM pointed out that the JISC had allocated money for MAN upgrades some of which should be spent before 2002, is this a complication for Scotland?  There is a number of other unknowns at present including supporting FE outside MAN areas, what the JISC actually mean by ‘connecting to each site of every institution’, and then what contribution will be required from the individual institutions in year 2001/2 (20% of the cost for a large institution could be £250k).

It was decided that a meeting would be held in the afternoon after the next HEIDS meeting on 12 September 2000 at Napier.  In addition to all HEIDS members representatives from the FE sector will be invited including GTN and the UHI; COSHEP will also be invited.  A sub group was set up to co-ordinate this event convened by LM and also including PK, BG, and TM. 
 Action:- LM
(Co-ordinate set up of meeting)
b) COSHEP 
No report.

c) JISC 
PK reported that Derek Law of the University of Strathclyde is chairing the JISC strategy review group which is now setting up sub groups and expects to publish documentation in the autumn.  Concern was raised over apparent lack of consultation with the general HE community.  The JISC are proposing ‘think tanks’ but it was not felt these are the best mode of consultation. 

d) SNIJUG
The Scotland and Northern Ireland Janet User Group has been dormant for over a year and hence the question was raised as to whether it was still relevant, i.e. should it be resurrected or disbanded?  The general view was that users do not require this sort of representation now that networking is so pervasive but just expect the university computing service to deliver.  Hence it was agreed that representation would be better through HEIDS and perhaps UKERNA should be invited to attend occasional HEIDS meetings.  It was pointed out that the national group (JNUG) had a seat on the ACN hence it should no be disbanded until alternate representation could be agreed. It was agreed that TM would contact George Farquhar at the University of Strathclyde who is still the secretary of SNIJUG and ask him it would be appropriate for TM to attend the next meeting of JNUG as the SNIJUG representative. 
Action:- TM
(Contact GF/Attend JNUG)
8. 	SMCG/MAN Reports
No specific reports from MANs, and SMCG has not met since the last meeting of HEIDS.

9.	Any Other Competent Business

Angus Annan, who was the secretary of HEIDS for several years, will shortly leave Stirling to take up the post of Director of Information Services at Thames Valley University.  The meeting wished him luck with his new post. 

12. 	Dates and Locations of Next Meetings 

Dates an locations of the next 2 meetings are:-

	Tuesday	12 September		Napier, Edinburgh
	Wednesday	29 November		Aberdeen area
(Anyone in Aberdeen willing to host it ?) or QMUC