Macquarie University has flagged plans to deliver faculty-specific virtual labs by semester two this year following the take-up of its virtualized computer labs.

Macquarie University has flagged plans to virtualize many of its student computer labs from the second semester of this year, as part of a ploy to better utilise licensed software both on-premise at the university and remotely.

Marc Bailey wants to kill the spreadsheet. At least, that’s what the research fellows at Macquarie University asked for when he first stepped on board as CIO in late 2009.

The plethora of tablet PCs expected to flood the Australian market next year will see Macquarie University take a ‘wait and see’ approach on whether to standardise on Apple’s iPad for its staff and students.

If asked to determine which is of greater importance — the bar opening on time or keeping IT up and running — many university students would likely argue the former, but according to Macquarie University’s CIO, Marc Bailey, there are two occasions a year when the student response is universally IT: Exam results night.

It is 8pm midweek and three senior executives at Altium are working on a document they need first thing the next day — a presentation to staff about behavioural change. The program manager is editing text; the company president is asking questions about the program; and CIO, Alan Perkins, is answering his president’s questions.

Macquarie University is to introduce an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) in a bid to meet its hardcopy book and periodical storage needs through to 2050.

Macquarie University is to create a CIO role to oversee the creation and execution of an information strategy at the education institution.