Introduction
CICT, which stands for Centre for Information & Communication technology is a support unit that offers and delivers ICT services for the university (staffs and students) especially in ICT infrastructure, system development and academic/administrative activities. CICT has their own building coded D07, a 4 story building located in front of N24 inside the UTM campus. Their vision is to become a frontier digital university spearheading academia centric service delivery.
On Monday, 15 October 2018 we were given a tour on CICT and a talk regarding CICT and their services. This report is written based on the details of the visit, detailed description of CICT, and our reflection regarding the visit and is written in order to complete Technology and Information System assignment, given by Dr Nor Azizah Sa’adon.
Details of The Visit
The writers went to CICT on Monday, 15 October 2018 at 4 pm. We gathered 15 minutes before at N24, in front of CICT. After that we went to CICT to attend a talk before going to the gallerium.
Details of The Visit
CICT (Centre for Information and Technology) is a support unit that offers and delivers ICT services for the university (staffs and students) especially in ICT infrastructure, system development and academic/administrative activities. These services can be divided into 4 categories:
- Infrastructure and Security
- ID account & access
ACID (Academic Computing ID) is a unique ID assigned to the user through the authentication server to use to log into the university systems. It is used to gain access to academic computing systems and other application systems. All students have their own user ID after registering the program through their respective faculties. Meanwhile, the staff must have a mail account official UTM first before applying ACID account.
User:
- UTM staffs
- UTM students
- UTMSPACE
- Post Doctorate UTM
- Allowed guests
Official UTM Email given to students and staffs. Starting from 28th June 2015, UTM is officially migrated from Desknow Gmail in order to enhance our email service to all UTM community, especially our staff.
- UTM Hosting
CICT offer hosting services such as web hosting, server hosting and colocation server hosting to UTM community and external customer for conference, association or club activities, special events, etc. with affordable price.
CICT provides a dedicated server to enable customer to make maximum customization and configuration of servers and applications.
- UTM-Ads
UTM-Ads is a platform to promote and advertise product brands to the eyes of campus citizens. UTM Ads platform will injecting digital advertiser banner direct into a user browsing session via campus Hotspot Wi-Fi network (UTMJB and UTMKL) and promoting the product brands and contents. As long as the user is using campus Wi-Fi network, the banner impression will continuously be repeated during the browsing session even they change the website page.
- ICT Security
Provide and manage ICT security using Next Generation Firewall with reducing complexity and lowering the total cost of ownership. CICT implement High Availability concept with active-avtice balancing to optimize the functionality and efficiency.
Key features:
- Firewall Policy
- URL Filtering
- Application Control
- Intruder Prevention System
- High Performance Computing
In the computing field, HPC means High Performance Computing. It is a computation done on High Performance Computers. High Performance Computers are computers with great processing capabilities terms of CPU speed, large memories and disk space. These are needed for large complex computation and large data sets.
- Video Conferencing & Streaming
Video Conferencing (VC) is the conduct of a videoconference (also known as a video conference or videoteleconference) by a set of telecommunication technologies which allow two or more locations to communicate by simultaneous two-way video and audio transmissions. CICT provide video conferencing and live streaming services for UTM JB to UTMKL and UTMJB/UTMKL to other location.
- WiFi
CICT UTM provide WiFi connection that cover all area around UTM, in order to connect to UTM WiFi we have to use our ACID account or guest account also available upon request.
- Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Virtual private network, also known as a VPN, is a private network that extends across a public network or internet. It enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network.
VPNs can provide functionality, security and/or network management benefits to the user. But they can also lead to new issues, and some VPN services, especially “free” ones, can actually violate their users’ privacy by logging their usage and making it available without their consent, or make money by selling the user’s bandwidth to other users.
- Application Development
- System Development
CICT build and manage Administrative, Support, Multimedia, Teaching and Learning Applications to improve the university’s service delivery efficiency and quality. CICT also develop new application (web base and mobile) and maintain the current UTM application base on request by PTJ in term of data requirement.
- Mobile Apps
A mobile app is a software application designed to run on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. Most such devices are sold with several apps bundled as pre-installed software, such as a web browser, email client, calendar, mapping program, and an app for buying music or other media or more apps. Some pre-installed apps can be removed by an ordinary uninstall process, thus leaving more storage space for desired ones. Where the software does not allow this, some devices can be rooted to eliminate the undesired apps.
- Multimedia Development
CICT provide multimedia development such as montage, corporate video, promo video and quality video editing. CICT also provide graphics design for logo, presentation slide, web, bunting and banner.
- Web Development
Scope for website development includes building domain name or URL, theme or template design, content architecture and organization, website development and implementation.
- Intranet Portal
CICT UTM provide the internet portal for UTM community. The web provide ICT services, news, event schedules, etc.
- Crowd Funding
UTM Crowd Fund helps community, departments and other creators find the resources and support they need to make their ideas a reality. To date, tens of thousands of creative projects big and small have come to life with the support of the Crowd Fund community.
- Software
CICT UTM provides many software to support student activity. Student need to contact CICT UTM in order to claim the software. There are few software that CICT UTM provides:
- Antivirus
- Software License by UTM
- Microsoft Product
- Microsoft Office
- Research Software
- Facilities
- CICT Gallerium
- Training Lab