Distributed support of IT services is a growing trend among academic institutions. Such a support model is driven by the belief that each department engaged in research has its own, often unique, computing, data storage and analysis needs. The best possible solution to meet these needs would be provided by a "local" expert.
A network of "Local Support Providers (LSPs)" has been put in place, with a dedicated LSP serving the needs of a single floor in areas supported by Bioinformatics/Research Computing. The LSPs provide their constituents with both the hardware (e.g. Dell/Mac certification) and software support as needed. This includes support for Mac and PC platforms, an understanding of the bioinformatics applications and databases (e.g. Vector NTI, Celera's CDS, etc.), and other supported research applications. The LSPs will continue to receive technical education and training as required. Support for larger projects might require additional expertise drawn from the pool of programmers and database experts within the Hartwell Center's Bioinformatics group.
This approach provides users with a local expert to assist them with any hardware and software issues as well as providing support for research-specific applications.