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The Daily Tar Heel

A good hook up

N.C. State, UNC collaborating on information technology

While UNC and N.C. State University might remain athletic rivals, the collaboration between the two universities on information technology is a welcome change.

The choice to combine N.C. State’s human capital with UNC’s financial resources for implementing a new software system could save an impressive sum, perhaps $1 million.

Larry Conrad and Marc Hoit, vice chancellors for information technology at UNC and N.C. State respectively, have revived a collaboration that they first created when working at other universities.

The final deal allows both campuses to capitalize on the other’s strengths. It is a cost-effective measure that is always welcome but sorely needed now as the UNC-system must capitalize on every opportunity for increased efficiency.

UNC is in the middle of phasing in a new technology initiative known as ConnectCarolina. The initiative uses PeopleSoft software to overhaul the information technology systems of the University.

Implementation has already begun for this initiative. But it will continue to be implemented in phases through 2013, with the human resource, payroll and financial components to be phased in next.

While UNC is just beginning its move to PeopleSoft software for student services, N.C. State has 12 valuable years of experience with previous iterations of the software.

In return for this human capital, UNC will invest more of the money it has reserved for ConnectCarolina to assist in N.C. State’s upgrade to the latest PeopleSoft version.

Both men collaborated previously as vice chancellors of information technology at Florida universities. And they have dealt with PeopleSoft, the new software that UNC is currently implementing.

While N.C. State has 12 schools and colleges, UNC has 17. Undertaking an overhaul of information technology is a daunting task but one made much easier by building off of the wealth of experience that N.C. State has to offer.

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