[huzaifa47]

The SRA Operations committee and myself in particular is looking at the possibility of Google Apps Educational Suite and Cloud Computing in General as possible solutions to the myriad of issues with our outdated IT Infrastructure at McMaster University. This and especially the Google apps idea was one that I was vaguely aware of in my multifaceted research into the issues with IT infrastructure at McMaster, but it wasn't something I admittedly was specifically concentrating on or had as my first priority . However incidentally I was involved in a Presidential campaign team where the candidate had Google Apps and Cloud Computing as major platform points. This led to myself investigating these issues in more depth and hence this project became more then an attempt to update/create a MSU lobbying policy for the IT Infrastructure at McMaster.

I have had a meeting with the Chief Information Officer of McMaster in Late January who seems very open to ideas like Google Apps and is willing to work with the MSU in order to obtain them.

However in order to obtain Google apps or even look into the possibility of it replacing MUSS we will have to hire systyems integration specialists and professional researches who will determine whether our infrastructure is capable of handling Google Apps Suite and more knowhow about the privacy concerns and how to deal with Canadian Laws.

I am optimistic though that we can get Google Apps Suite over the next year. It is a free service in the long run with minute maintenance costs, it is used in a number of major universities in USA and Lakehead and Alberta in Canada.

I will be meeting with him again after reading week for a more formal discussion and hopefully a proposal of some sorts.

In the mean time I will personally be researching this topic. However as I mentioned in my platform I intend to keep all my projects public/Wiki style and open to contributions by people who are not on the SRA because it is my belief that they can contribute as much as and maybe even more then myself in any project.

If at this point you are wondering what Google Apps is? Here: http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/index.html & http://www.schoolinfo.ca/connectingeducation/googleApps.htm (Its "apparent" relation to cloud computing)

Why do we need it? McMaster's IT infrastructure is a creaking prehistoric mass from the 90's. It desperately needs upgrades, however the catch is that we cannot concentrate solely on a particular aspect or make any cosmetic upgrades whatsoever. A estimated ballpark figure of $20-25 Million is stated by various sources for upgrading our entire IT infrastructure from ground up. Google Apps is an innovative and free of charge solution that is used in major universities in USA And two in Canada(Lakehead & Alberta)
I am currently very busy with 3 midterms in the next few days. Hence I will further update this page during reading week. In the mean time I have left a random assortment of links(On the document itself) for you guys to go through.I will also put up stuff about Cloud Computing for MUGSI/SOLAR in future.

You will also find that alot of these articles contradict each other or have distinctly pessimistic or optimistic tone. However the researchers IF employed by UTS will obviously have access to much better information/data and knowledge and will be better able to ascertain feasibility.

The Google Docs Page is here : http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Ad...J kYmRt&hl=en

I will open it up for Edits on Friday. In the mean time send me a your email via MacInsiders message or better yet an email(Gmail) to my [email protected] om so I can add you to the collaborators list.

[Matt Wright]

http://www.accessandprivacy. gov.on...act/index.html

I am very doubtful that the University will chance something like Google... They want to keep all private information in house for risk of breaching FIPPA.

[huzaifa47]

Originally Posted by Matt Wright

http://www.accessandprivacy. gov.on...act/index.html

I am very doubtful that the University will chance something like Google... They want to keep all private information in house for risk of breaching FIPPA.

As I said at the SRA meeting last Sunday, I am fully aware of the FIPPA act and that other universities in Canada(Lakehead, Alberta) have managed to find a solution for it. Similarly a large Australian University which also has a similar privacy act has managed to agree a deal with Google EU to bypass any jurisdiction of Patriot Act. (All of this info is on the Google Doc links)

Here is another link from the government that I have in that document: http://www.priv.gc.ca/cf-dc/2008/394_20080807_e.cfm

This is directly pertinent to Information stored in USA; whereas Mac might look for alternative arrangements, including exchange server companies based in Canada that ensure you can bypass Patriot Act. FIPPA is also relevant to stakeholders other then a University in Canada and there is an increasing number of public and private sector businesses that are switching to Google Apps.

However irregardless of what you and I have to say with our various levels of research on this topic the Chief Information Officer who is the highest authority on technology on campus(Even above the Individual you met and are quoting) is willing to investigate further with experienced and qualified researchers. At the end of the day he "knows" what he can and cannot do for McMaster more then anyone else.

I will concede though that it is still an uncertain solution, but as far as I see it is the only solution for the current generation of McMaster Students. The other option obviously being large scale($20 million+) investment into the overall infrastructure, which is simply not happening under the current financial scenario.

p.s: Please send your google emails to [email protected] om to gain access to the document.

[MD-L]

Hey so just to give everyone a heads up, at the next SRA meeting February 28th I have invited a representative (who has accepted) from Sheepdog Inc, a developer and partner of Google, to provide a presentation/information about Gmail and Google Apps. I invite everyone to come and learn about not only the state of our own e-mail system but the options available out there for our university. The meeting is at 630 pm so I encourage everyone interested to come on by and get the discussion started on what we need as students from an e-mail/communication system.

- Matthew D-L

[Marlowe]

I'll try to be there!

[killza]

Originally Posted by MD-L

Hey so just to give everyone a heads up, at the next SRA meeting February 28th I have invited a representative (who has accepted) from Sheepdog Inc, a developer and partner of Google, to provide a presentation/information about Gmail and Google Apps. I invite everyone to come and learn about not only the state of our own e-mail system but the options available out there for our university. The meeting is at 630 pm so I encourage everyone interested to come on by and get the discussion started on what we need as students from an e-mail/communication system.

- Matthew D-L

Where are the SRA meetings?

[huzaifa47]

Originally Posted by killza

Where are the SRA meetings?

Hey Killza!

They are in Council Chambers in Gilmour Hall 111

To get there you have to take the stairs behind Tim Hortons into Gilmour Hall upto the upper floor and it is the first big room on your left.

Secondly we have partly switched over the wiki/contribution invitation to Google Wave since that offers more functionality then Google Docs.

If anyone has Google Wave here is the link https://wave.google.com/wave/?#restored:wave:googl ewave.com!w%252Bd1ul1 MgtA

Or add me as a contact @ [email protected] ave.com so I can add you to the wave. Alternatively private message me your email so I can send you a google wave invite if you don't already have one!

[MD-L]

I hope that this presentation can work as a step in the right direction within the sra, I am personally attempting to become project oriented and I think one thing students hate is our e-mail system?

But what do you think? Are you currently okay with your muss e-mail and its 15 mb inbox? Do you already forward it to another e-mail system? Do you want to see it change or would you rather have me work on something else?

Here is an overview of what Google offers:
http://static.googleusercont ent.co...atasheet.pd f


And here is a link to some testimonials from universities

http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/customers.html

- Matthew Dillon-Leitch

[creen]

Originally Posted by huzaifa47

This is directly pertinent to Information stored in USA; whereas Mac might look for alternative arrangements, including exchange server companies based in Canada

Google does have at least one data center in Canada, though who knows where they would store the data, asking them about that might be a good place to start before you worry about patriot acts and privacy issues.

[huzaifa47]

Originally Posted by creen

Google does have at least one data center in Canada, though who knows where they would store the data, asking them about that might be a good place to start before you worry about patriot acts and privacy issues.

There is no clear indication as to whether the data center can handle an entire apps suite set of data yet. That center is still under construction, Google EU though is more then capable of handling and storing the data. With its more conservative privacy laws some universities(eg: Macquaire) made a deal with Google that ensures that the data stays in EU. It is upto the CIO whether he can negotiate such a deal for us or not!