III. Software Standards

 

Time and effort is expended in the technical work of installing a software package. The users of that software must also expend time and effort in learning how to use it effectively. For each new package, this effort must be repeated. Because of differing file structures and protocols new software can also require the development of conversion techniques for data sharing.

To use our limited resources as efficiently as possible we should minimize the time expended in software installation and familiarization, by minimizing the amount of software installed and supported. University standards should be set for software within major functional categories. Bulk purchase discounts should be sought for standard packages. Workstation, server and network structures should be designed to support these packages, and IT personnel should direct their efforts toward support of standard packages. ARCC and IT division resources should not be used to purchase or support non-standard packages. Non-standard software should be acquired only outside the major categories, or where a special need can be explicitly demonstrated.

Standard software categories and packages are listed below:
Windows Macintosh
Word Processor: Corel Word Perfect* Corel Word Perfect*
Spreadsheet: Corel Quattro Pro* Excel
Database Corel Paradox*
Presentation Corel Presentations*
Page Layout Pagemaker Pagemaker
Draw, Paint Illustrator
Image Processing Photoshop
Statistics Minitab, SAS* Minitab*
Graphing Axum
Mathematics Mathematica Mathematica
Web browser Netscape Netscape

Compilers
Basic
C++
FORTRAN
COBOL
Java
Pascal
Visual Basic

* ARCC committees are presently considering standards for Office support software, word processor, spreadsheet, presentation and database; and statistics packages.

The ARCC in consultation with major users should review these standards yearly and revise them appropriately.