Abstract
Faced with staffing and operating budget reductions, increasing demand for hardware, software, and network support, and a burgeoning population of unofficial, untrained departmental computer "experts," the University of Connecticut has adopted two standard desktop computer configurations which include prompt delivery, installation, and onsite maintenance in the purchase price. This paper describes the computing environment which produced the need for the standard, the genesis of the original proposal, and the processes by which the configurations were specified and the vendors selected. The project was conceived with the goals of minimizing costs, increasing computing power, and eliminating low level support issues. The degree to which these objectives were achieved during the first six months of the program are described, along with an explanation of the secondary benefits and problems encountered. The paper addresses the full range of issues faced in formulating and implementing the process including community participation in decision making, funding restrictions, development of a maintenance strategy, and incorporation into the University Network.