The Changing Role of University Computing Centers: Toward Variety of Networking, Computing and Educational Services

Abstract

What are the roles of computing centers within academic and research community today, has their time passed away and they are just dinosaurs belonging to history or their time is just coming again with new tasks, challenges and high expectations? In this article we analyzed the needs of academic and research community in the field of information and communication technology and came to the conclusion that in the next period we should expect only further significant growth (in terms of quantity as well as variety) of those needs. Considering that fact, we foresee and discuss the range of potential roles of computing centers in an academic and research community in the near future. Our arguments are verified through the case of University Computing Centre (SRCE) University of Zagreb, which is celebrating thirty years of successful leading in implementation of latest information and communication technologies and serving the needs of academic and research community in Croatia.