Exploring the Cloud: LTC's Baldwin Leads Efforts on Campus File-Sharing Solution May 31, 2012

More and more, today’s workplace is a collaborative one. We work with others to revise a document, critique a video, or develop a Web site. Systems that allow a variety of files to be shared and worked on by a group, whether in the same office, across campus, or scattered around the country, are in ever increasing demand.

Ryan Baldwin, the Learning Technology Center’s Technical and Network Services coordinator, is leading the efforts to find a good file sharing solution that is secure enough for business and research here at The University of Texas at Austin. Ryan has been involved in a number of campus-wide technology initiatives and committees over the last several years. “Here in the College of Education, we have led the way on several technology issues in the last few years, such as developing an easy to use online system to conduct the annual data risk assessment. Serving on campus committees allows UT’s technical personnel to share ideas and benefit from each others’ experiences to tackle issues and solve problems we have in common,” he says.

Ryan is currently chair of the Architecture and Infrastructure Committee (AIC), one of the University’s IT governance committees, which deals with campus technical issues, such as data networks, storage, and security. The AIC recently set up a task force to study whether there is a need for a file-sharing system on campus and what options might be appropriate. In particular, the task force focused on the possibilities offered by Cloud file sharing.

Sharing files “in the Cloud” would seem a natural solution. Cloud computing, basically application services or data storage available via the Internet, has really grown in the last few years. With just a Cloud file-sharing application and a Web browser, no additional infrastructure is needed to make the latest versions of files easily available to all group members on all their computing devices.

But security issues abound with Cloud file sharing. Could data be accessed by others without authorization? Does data become the property of the company providing the service? These are questions of particular concern to the University, where sensitive information, such as student records and research data, must be protected.

The AIC task force surveyed 500 UT faculty, students, and staff and found that each group said they needed file sharing, especially administrators, researchers, and athletics recruiters. The task force also tested a Cloud file-sharing program called Box.net, part of the Net+ set of Cloud services developed by the Internet 2 consortium of leading higher education institutions. They found that Box is very secure and does not take ownership of data, or even look at it. The intuitive interface makes it easy to share files and to collaborate or comment on them. Users are sent messages when another user updates a file, and files can be shared to those outside the sharing group via links. Files are easily viewed and updated in the software they were created in.

The file sharing task force is continuing its study of Box.net. It hopes to work out a few remaining authentication and accessibility issues so that the service can rollout on a small scale this fall. Meanwhile, Ryan and the AIC have formed another task force to look into other cloud computing applications and how they might improve work at the University of Texas. Says Ryan, “Cloud computing could potentially have great benefit for the University, but we must be sure it is implemented appropriately and protects our sensitive data.”

—Laurie Caldwell, LTC Communications Coordinator