Initiatives & Innovation: Managing Disruptive Technologies
Joint UCISA/UKOLN/CETIS Workshop 2006

Initiatives & Innovation: Managing Disruptive Technologies.

Computing, IT and Learning Technology Services within HE institutions must maintain reliable, stable, high availability services whilst undertaking development work on new systems, applications and technologies. All this is done within a framework of new opportunities, and occasionally new constraints, provided by national and regional managed initiatives and development projects.

Additionally, as technology is increasingly used in the direct support of teaching and learning, new ideas and technologies arise not from the Computing Service itself, but from academic staff who, understandably, want maximum flexibility in their ability to introduce and exploit new technologies.

This workshop will explore the issues involved in managing these potentially disruptive technologies and will work towards a framework that can be used to balance the demands for innovation and constant development with the need for stability and security.

The Free Online Dictionary defines disruptive technology as: "A new technology that has a serious impact on the status quo and changes the way people have been dealing with something, perhaps for decades. Music CDs all but wiped out the phonograph industry within a few years, and digital cameras are destined to eliminate the film industry. The most disruptive technologies in history have been the telephone, the computer (and all of its offshoots) and the Internet.

Another definition from Christian Brothers University defines disruptive technology as: "Technologies that enable the breaking of long-held business rules that inhibit organizations from making radical business changes.

At the end of the workshop delegates should:

• Have gained an understanding of JISC's E-Framework strategy and the role of SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) in JISC-funded development activities.
• Have had an opportunity to discuss the implications of the E-Framework for institutional IT Service departments.
• Have learnt about the potential to support teaching and learning and research of a variety of Internet technologies such as instant messaging, Blogs, Wikis, Skype, etc.
• Have discussed some of the potential difficulties in providing, maintaining and supporting such technologies.
• Have explored approaches to reconciling the tensions between the user community's desires to make use of such technologies and the difficulties in satisfying such requests.

This workshop will be held at Scarman House, University of Warwick on Friday 24^th February 2006.

The online booking form is now available. The workshop fee, which includes workshop materials, lunch and coffee and access to the WiFi network, is £105. Please note that the closing date for bookings is Friday 17^th February 2006.