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At the end of another busy year, it is time to reflect on some of the major IT events, trends and achievements.

It is alarming to report that cybersecurity threats and attacks increased to record levels during the past year. Stellenbosch University, like most institutions around the world, is increasingly being targeted by criminal elements, and these attacks are consuming an increasing amount of our resources, that could have been applied to more constructive projects. Is this a mere reflection of society?

On the positive side, the IT Division has made steady progress with major renewal strategies, like the Systems Renewal Programme, the Campus Infrastructure Upgrade program, and implementation of various other new services. Many of the improvements were made possible by innovative reallocation of resources, and improving our functional capabilities in a variety of ways.

Many of our users have expressed concern about the availability of wifi across our campuses. It remains one of our key investments and will continue at a steady pace, with more academic and administrative buildings, and especially student residences, being connected and equipped with wifi. Unfortunately, this is a tedious process, since wifi infrastructure often depends on the renovation of the building infrastructure itself.

As we move into the digital era, it is important to notice and utilise technological opportunities to increase cost-effective service improvements. Two major examples are cloud computing (including SaaS – Software as a Service application platforms), and the boom in personal computing devices and social media. These trends provide opportunities for the innovative restructuring of IT services, and better utilisation of resources. For example, the successful migration of many of our Microsoft applications (Outlook, Exchange, Office) to O365 on the Microsoft Azure platform, is already realising a range of benefits.

We are delighted to report that Stellenbosch University reported the highest internet speeds of all universities in SA for at least two months during 2017. Internet connectivity is a key enabler for most applications and communication, and speed and reliability remain key performance factors. We are also glad to report increasing bandwidth availability in our national and international connections. The Higher Education sector now has redundant (dual connections) to Europe via the Seacom and WACS cables, between 40 and 100 gigabits per second!

Lastly, I must congratulate the IT staff on all the achievements of the past year. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication.

We wish all our clients and users a happy and relaxing festive holiday period, and we look forward to a new year of opportunities and challenges.

Attie Juyn
Senior Director: Information Technology

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Aan die einde van nog ʼn besige jaar is dit tyd om terug te dink aan enkele van die belangrikste IT-gebeure, tendense en prestasies.  

Wat kubersekuriteit betref, is dit kommerwekkend om te berig dat kuberaanvalle en -bedreigings dié jaar rekordgetalle bereik het. Universiteit Stellenbosch, soos die meeste instellings regoor die wêreld, word toenemend geteiken deur kuberkriminele. Hierdie aanvalle verkwis ons hulpbronne, hulpbronne wat aangewend kon word vir meer opbouende projekte. Is dit bloot ʼn weerspieëling van ons samelewing?

Op ʼn meer positiewe noot het ons voortdurende vordering gemaak met belangrike vernuwingstrategieë soos die Stelselvernuwingsprogram, die Kampusinfrastruktuur Opgraderingsprogram en die implementering van verskeie nuwe dienste. Talle van die verbeterings is moontlik gemaak deur die innoverende hertoekenning van hulpbronne en die verbetering van ons werkverrigting op verskeie wyses.  

Heelwat van ons gebruikers het hul bekommernis uitgespreek oor die beskikbaarheid van wifi op ons kampusse. Wifi bly een van ons grootste beleggings en sal voortgesit word teen ʼn reëlmatige tempo namate soos meer akademiese en administratiewe geboue, en veral koshuise, toegerus en verbind word aan wifi. Ongelukkig is dit ook ʼn moeisame proses aangesien wifi-infrastruktuur grotendeels afhanklik is van die vernuwing van die geboue se infrastruktuur.  

Namate ons die digitale era betree, is dit belangrik om tegnologiese geleenthede raak te sien en te benut sodat koste-effektiewe verbeterings aan dienste gemaak kan word. Twee belangrike voorbeelde hiervan is die benutting van sg. wolkdienste (insluitende SaaS – Sagteware-as-diens-toepassingsplatforms) en die oplewing in persoonlike rekenaartoestelle en sosiale media. Hierdie tendense bied geleenthede vir die innoverende herstrukturering van IT-dienste en beter benutting van hulpbronne. Die suksesvolle migrasie van talle van ons Microsoft-toepassings (Outlook, Exchange, Office) na die Microsoft Azure platform het opsigself ʼn reeks voordele moontlik gemaak.

Dis met groot genoeë dat ons kan aankondig dat Universiteit Stellenbosch vir ten minste twee maande van 2017 die hoogste internetspoed van alle universiteite in Suid-Afrika aangeteken het. Internetkonnektiwiteit is die sleutelbemagtiger vir die meeste toepassings en kommunikasie. Spoed en betroubaarheid bly noodsaaklik vir prestasie. Ander goeie nuus is dat die beskikbaarheid van bandwydte nasionaal en internasionaal toegeneem het. Die Hoër Onderwys sektor het nou meer betroubare, wedersyds aanvullende verbindings na Europa via die Seacom en WACS-kabels van tussen 40 en 100 gigagrepe per sekonde!

Om af te sluit moet ek die IT-personeel gelukwens met die afgelope jaar se prestasies. Dankie vir al julle harde werk en toewyding.

Ons wens al ons kliënte en gebruikers ʼn gelukkige, rustige, feestelike vakansietyd toe en sien uit na ʼn nuwe jaar vol geleenthede en uitdagings. 

Attie Juyn
Senior Direkteur: Informasietegnologie

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