NIH Information Technology Consolidation Project—Working Together to Achieve Greater Efficiency

Responding to DHHS Secretary Tommy Thompson’s "One Department" vision, NIH is undertaking a major consolidation of its information technology (IT) services. By October 1, 2003, all e-mail and help-desk call center functions across NIH will become centralized within CIT, as will wireless networking and IT security policy responsibilities. Two additional consolidation initiatives will be implemented: unifying enterprise architecture across NIH, and establishing the NIH Login—a "single-sign-on" protocol that allows for secure access to enterprise applications. Efforts are underway to develop regular channels of communication to keep everyone apprised of these upcoming changes. You can now find detailed, up-to-date information about these consolidation efforts at the new IT consolidation Web site.

Many of our readers have raised questions about how the consolidation effort might affect them. Below we have tried to answer some of your questions. Additional FAQs are addressed on the new Web site.

Why Are We Consolidating These Services?

• Perhaps the most important reason for consolidating IT infrastructure services now is that HHS has mandated this change.

• Centrally managed e-mail, help desk, and wireless networking will create economies of scale.

• All ICs will enjoy a consistent, high-quality level of service.

• Centrally managed infrastructure services will be more easily monitored for quality than disparate systems.

• Best practices show that IT security is most effective when managed centrally.

Will I Have to Do Anything Differently to Send and Receive E-Mails?

It depends.

• Some people won’t have to change anything.

• Some may have their e-mail addresses changed to an address ending with @mail.nih.gov.

• Some will have to switch from one desktop interface to another.

• Some may find that their "in-box" has a new size limit.

Your IC's CIO will have more details regarding any changes and how you will be affected.

How Will the New Help Desk Arrangement Work?

The NIH Help Desk will provide a single point of contact for phone calls, e-mail, and Web-based requests for technical assistance.

How to contact the NIH Help Desk:

Telephone	(301) 496-4357
local	6-HELP
toll free	(866) 319-4357
TDD	(301) 496-8294
E-mail	helpdesk@nih.gov
Web	http://support.nih.gov
In person	10401 Fernwood Road, Suite 300, Bethesda, MD 20817

If your IC has an established central help desk, that phone number may be forwarded to the NIH Help Desk. Once the NIH Help Desk receives your request for help, they will determine if it is something they can resolve from their location. If it’s something they can’t solve on the help desk, they will contact your IC’s desktop support staff and let them know about your problem.

Bob Is Our Computer Fix-It Guy and Has Been Helping Me for Years.
Now, Who Will Come and Help Me When I Have a Problem?

Your IC’s support staff will continue to serve you whenever you have a problem that can’t be resolved remotely. The only change is that problems will be tracked via the NIH Help Desk through an e-mail, phone call, or Web site form.

When Will These Changes Take Place?

The changes are just beginning now and will be completed by October 1 of this year. We will continue to improve the systems and processes even after that, but the services will be consolidated by October.

Where Can I Find Out More About the IT Consolidation?

The best source for information is your IC’s CIO. Your CIO is working with the consolidation teams to plan the changes. Some plans haven’t been finalized yet, but when they are, your CIO will know how it affects you. In addition, you can access a new NIH-wide Web site—http://ITconsolidation.nih.gov—that provides up-to-date general IT consolidation information.