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IT-NSS keeps UD communications humming
Located at 192 South Chapel St., IT-NSS manages the cable TV distribution system, campus data networking, campuswide card-reader system, central computer operations and telecommunications, as well as telephone and voice-mail services for the UD community. “Our main mission is to design, install and maintain the communications infrastructure for the University,” Evans Coursey, associate director of IT-NSS, said. “This involves everything from how the various communication rooms on campus are laid out, to what type of wire is used.” Currently, design engineers at IT-NSS are working on projects associated with major new additions to the UD campus, including the Center for the Arts, the Laird Campus residence hall complex project and the Elbert and Ann Carvel Research Center in Georgetown. “We work hand-in-hand with Facilities and act as a design consultant to them,” Rich Quickle, a manager in IT-NSS, said. “We provide a complete design package for every building and do this on a statewide basis.” Quickle, who, during his 21 years at UD, has seen campus technology evolve from typewriters to high-speed, fiber-optic networks and OZone wireless communication areas for laptop computer users, said that IT-NSS staffers constantly upgrade their training to maintain certification and to keep up with advances in computer and networking technology. “You have to keep on the cutting edge, learning about new procedures and new equipment to maintain an interactive system for the campus community,” Quickle said. “There is never a dull moment.”
“We design for the electronic connections that must be completed after a new building gets wired,” Loller said. “Once the wiring is installed, our team comes in to install and activate a wide variety of communications equipment and access devices.” The equipment and connecting devices include ID card operating hardware and software, gated lot and building access and point-of-sale systems in the Trabant University Center and the Perkins Student Center, some vending machines, laundry machines in residence halls and Flex systems in dining halls, Loller said. “We have to work closely with many departments and make sure that everything gets installed,” Loller said. “I like the diversity of the challenge and the size of the projects, as well as the opportunity to wear many hats, from designer to project manager.” For Dennis Flockerzi, a technical manager of infrastructure and design in IT-NSS making sure that everything works and that everybody is connected has its rewards and its challenges. “It’s not your typical 8-4:30 kind of job,” Flockerzi said. “I like the challenge and the opportunity to be creative. I also like seeing things completed and planning for the future.” Ed Pochomis, manager of network installation and maintenance for IT-NSS, coordinates the technicians who install and maintain campus communication equipment, ranging from cable TV and telephone hookups to wireless access systems.
Darryl Cofield, a data communications technician III in IT-NSS, is one of seven technicians who answer the many customer service calls that come in through the Help Center line at (302) 831-6000. “We maintain a system of leased communication lines that run throughout the state,” Cofield said. “Wherever there is a phone, including the blue emergency phones, we are the ones who fix the problems.” Cofield said that despite being on call 24/7 to service problems that could involve a single phone or a network, the work is interesting and provides a chance to see the many individuals and departments that comprise campus life at UD. “I like the diversity of the job, because you never see the same problem twice in a row,” Cofield said. “It’s also nice, because the customers that call us are always glad when we show up because they know we are the ones who are going to fix the problem.” Article by Jerry Rhodes To learn how to subscribe to UDaily, click here. |
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