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TOP STORIES FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2006 College IT Spending Expected to Rise Online Identity Project Pairs Industry, Academe U.K. Universities Contract for Backup Services U.S. Levels Out in Internet Access in the Home Cost Inhibits Rural Broadband Internet Access COLLEGE IT SPENDING EXPECTED TO RISE A study by Market Data Retrieval predicts a 35 percent increase in spending on information technology by colleges and universities this academic year. The study report estimates spending of more than $3 billion on hardware and $1.6 billion each on software and outside services. The report did not include salaries. The average institutional IT budget is $1.4 million, with the smallest colleges averaging $600,000 and the largest $11.5 million. The report did not indicate whether spending would be to start new projects, replace outdated equipment, or meet increased vendor costs. Chronicle of Higher Education, 27 February 2006 (sub. req'd) http://chronicle.com/daily/2006/02/2006022701t.htm ONLINE IDENTITY PROJECT PAIRS INDUSTRY, ACADEME IBM, Novell, and Parity Communications announced support for the Higgins Project. Sponsored by the Eclipse Open Software Foundation and Harvard Law School's Berman Center for Internet and Society, Higgins aims to give consumers direct control over their online identities. Higgins divides an identity into Web services, letting people control who can access parts of that information. The three companies are contributing code to the software. Microsoft is working on similar technology with its InfoCard identity metasystem. Internet News, 27 February 2006 http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3587701 U.K. UNIVERSITIES CONTRACT FOR BACKUP SERVICES The U.K. Education and Research Networking Association (UKERNA), which manages the JANET network connecting higher and further education institutions, has contracted for automated backup, archiving, hosting, and Web file services. According to Tim Kidd, UKERNA production services director, the move is in response to changes in the ways academics and institutions use the network, particularly the massively increased exchanges of data. A survey in 2005 indicated a strong demand among users for off-site backup services. Silicon.com, 27 February 2006 http://www.silicon.com/publicsector/0,3800010403,39156799,00.htm U.S. LEVELS OUT IN INTERNET ACCESS IN THE HOME Parks Associates, a market research firm, reports that most of the U.S. homes that do not have Internet access do not intend to sign up for it. A survey of 1,000 U.S. households found that of the 36 percent not online, only 2 percent planned to sign up for an Internet service this year. Of those households not connected, cost was a factor for 4 percent; 31 percent said they had access at work and didn't need it at home; 18 percent weren't interested in the Web; 8 percent weren't sure how to use the Web; and 39 percent chose the category "other reason." The company predicts only a 1 percent inrease in Internet access this year, to 64 percent of U.S. homes. InformationWeek, 24 February 2006 http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=180207781 COST INHIBITS RURAL BROADBAND INTERNET ACCESS A study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that although 24 percent of rural Americans had broadband Internet service at home by the end of 2005--compared to 9 percent in 2003--the rate of adoption continues to lag behind cities and suburbs (39 percent in 2005). The cost of supplying broadband Internet to rural areas has inhibited some phone and cable companies from investing in the wiring and equipment needed, according to the report. The number of rural residents who bought satellite Internet access grew from 1 percent to 5 percent between 2003 and 2005. San Jose Mercury News, 27 February 2006 http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/13973796.htm ***************************************************** EDUPAGE INFORMATION To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your settings, or access the Edupage archive, visit http://www.educause.edu/Edupage/639 Or, you can subscribe or unsubscribe by sending e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE Edupage YourFirstName YourLastName To UNSUBSCRIBE, in the body of the message type: SIGNOFF Edupage If you have subscription problems, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***************************************************** OTHER EDUCAUSE RESOURCES The EDUCAUSE Resource Center is a repository for information concerning use and management of IT in higher education. 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