Ohio University is dropping a technology firm in hopes it will pick up some extra cash.
Officials have stopped using the Gartner IT consulting firm software in its technology infrastructure planning. Dropping Gartner has saved the university $58,000 annually, but it is seeking a replacement.
Gartner, headquartered in Samford, CT., is one of the largest consulting and advisory firms, catering to tens of thousands of client organizations across 80 countries, according to the firm’s website.
“The reason is pretty simple. It was expensive and we need to cut some budget,” said Sean O’Malley, OU’s IT communications manager.
While O’Malley said OU is in the process of looking for a replacement firm, he said finding one may not be easy.
“It’s quite challenging to find something like Gartner that’s reasonably priced,” O’Malley said.
It has offered consulting to OU since 2007 and has played a role in planning OU’s long-term strategic technology improvement plans, O’Malley said.
Sean Ostermann, the former director of the school of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, said this would likely not affect his computer science students, as he never found use for the program.
“When they sent out an e-mail about the program a few years back, but we never went back and used it.” Ostermann said.
Ostermann, who is now the Assoc Dean For Research, Grad Studies & Planning in the Russ College, said he did not know of anyone who used the program, and it would not likely affect its students.
“I never had a good reason to use any of the info again,” Ostermann said.
-Tristan Navera
