Global Office
Built on top of MS 365 services, the Global Office is a collection of tools, systems, and services available to participating institutes. This initiative aims to provide standardized, best-in-class tools to UNU personnel while also creating a global homogenous environment across the organization. Via this initiative, C3 provides shared services to the whole UNU.
Key components of this strategy are:
- Standardized communications platforms (Exchange online and MS Teams)
- Standardized, cloud-based collaboration platforms (MS Teams and SharePoint Online)
- Identity management (Azure AD)
- Centralized helpdesk supporting these tools
- Cloud-based advanced threat defense
- Cloud-based device management
- Cloud-based endpoint protection
The Global Office strategy allows institutes to focus on their priorities, building on shared services to reduce service duplication and organizational silos. The standardization of applications in turn facilitates the harmonization of business processes across the organization, ultimately reducing inefficiencies and facilitating integration.
Infrastructure
C3 manages and supports ICT infrastructure across the full breadth of the UNU. Originally focusing on infrastructure at the HQ locations in Tokyo and Malaysia, this scope has widened to cover institutes which have support agreements with C3.
C3 provides standardized infrastructure services based upon the local needs of institutes, while also considering global requirements which can benefit the UNU as a whole.
Key infrastructure components are:
- Security infrastructure
- Endpoint management platform
- Intranet ecosystem
- Communication and collaboration environment based on MS 365 (Exchange Online, Teams)
- Cloud-managed network infrastructure (DNS, firewalls, switches, routers, etc.)
- On-premises and cloud-based hosting environments
- Cloud-based document and data storage (SharePoint Online)
- Wi-Fi
- VoIP
- Printing and scanning
As many of these components are critical to the day-to-day operations of the UNU, they are secure by design and configured for high availability with multiple layers of redundancy to the extent necessary.
Leadership
As well as being the UNU’s primary ICT service provider, C3 provides strategic vision and leadership for implementing ICT initiatives, ensuring they are aligned with the UNU’s mission. In this role, C3 acts as a conduit between the Management Group and ICT units or focal points across the UNU.
Specifically, C3’s role involves:
- Setting ICT policies and standards for UNU in line with the University’s strategic priorities and monitoring their implementation.
- Proposing and providing innovative, user-focused, and cost-effective shared technology solutions that meet user needs across UNU.
- Overseeing, securing, maintaining, and advancing UNU’s technology infrastructure and services.
- Consulting institutes, notably through the ICT units, on new UNU-wide initiatives.
- Soliciting new ideas and best practices from ICT units and disseminating these to the ICT user community.
- Issuing ICT guidance to benefit all personnel.
Software development
Addressing internal needs for bespoke software solutions when off-the-shelf solutions are unavailable or not viable while also sticking to the core tenant of innovation, C3 provides software development services to internal departments and institutes. With a scope that ranges from the development and maintenance of core services (e.g., Intranet, workflow automation) to custom web development (e.g., addressing ERP gaps, data-driven initiatives), the software development arm of C3 is an agile group capable of delivering innovation and efficiency.
Enterprise Resources Management (ERP)
UNU has outsourced helpdesk support for the ERP and entrusted C3 with managing user accounts and SSO, developing applications to address functional gaps, including reporting and analytics requirements, and ultimately facilitating the unlocking of the value of the ERP data to improve decision-making.