Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie and Ivy Tech Community College President Thomas J. Snyder on April 26 formalized an agreement allowing Ivy Tech to move a major portion of its enterprise applications equipment to IU's Data Center located at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. The agreement, signed during a ceremony at the Indiana Statehouse, is being hailed by leaders at both schools as an outstanding example of collaboration among higher education institutions in Indiana that will maximize efficiency by sharing facilities and capabilities. Full Story

Internet2, Indiana University and the Clean Slate Program at Stanford University on April 20 announced the Network Development and Deployment Initiative (NDDI), a partnership to create a new network platform and complementary software, which together will support global scientific research in a revolutionary new way. Through substantial investments by each of the partners, the NDDI will yield a new Internet2 service called the Open Science, Scholarship and Services Exchange (OS3E). OS3E and NDDI capabilities will be developed and interconnected with links to Europe, Canada, South America and Asia through coordinating international partners like CANARIE in Canada, GÉANT in Europe, JGNX in Japan and RNP in Brazil with additional service partners to be identified. Full Story

Indiana University Bloomington's School of Informatics and Computing (SOIC) website, designed by IU's Office of Public Affairs and Government Relations, has been nominated to receive a Webby Award from the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. The Webby Awards is the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet in a variety of formats, including websites, online film and video, mobile, and interactive advertising. IU won the 2007 Webby in the School/University category for its "10 Ways IU is Red Hot" website. Full Story

Youth in need of mentoring, an environment challenged by human impacts, victims of domestic violence and families working to enrich the lives of their developmentally disabled loved ones: Four Bloomington non-profits serving these impacted groups each received a boost over technology hurdles they faced thanks to a new IT clinic at IU Bloomington's School of Informatics and Computing (SOIC). Both student volunteers from SOIC's new Serve IT program and representatives from the four nonprofits -- Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington, Sycamore Land Trust, Middle Way House and Christole Inc. -- gathered April 13 to socialize, review accomplishments from their pilot semester together, and do some visioning for the future. Full Story

A massive data breach following the hacking of Sony's PlayStation network is affecting an estimated 77 million people, crippling the popular gaming pipeline and leaving victims at serious risk for identity theft and other frauds. Fred H. Cate, director of Indiana University's Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research, said that the attack presents a "massive security threat," with the potential to affect millions of people, including children. Full Story

The April 4, 2011, edition of IT Matters @ IU included announcement that an IU cybersecurity researcher had joined in the legal proceedings on whether the Department of Justice should have access to Twitter account records of several individuals associated with WikiLeaks. Also in the edition, Internet security researchers announced they had exploited software flaws in leading online stores that use third-party payment services PayPal, Amazon Payments and Google Checkout; IU President Michael McRobbie announced implementation of a new, comprehensive grant administration system to better assist faculty researchers at every stage of the grant-making process; and it was reported that the Midwest's premier cybersecurity experts would convene in Indianapolis on April 11 for the IU Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research seventh annual Higher Education Cybersecurity Summit. Full Story