Planning for future user services

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to explore the changes that will occur within User Services as the nature of computing changes and affects changes in institutions. In the past, most institutions have had one major computer center which supplied the bulk of the computer power and all related services and activities. Currently we are seeing a shift away from this concept. We are seeing computers springing up all over. So how is this affecting the computer centers? Should the computer center continue to compete with these other centers or should it offer something else? A possible scenario is that the services and programming, including user services, will split off from the computer center and become a central unit within the institution, offering technical support for the central computer center and the satellites on an institution-wide basis. This paper will look at the various ingredients affecting computing and will try to predict what the future might look like for User Service organizations.