The Impact of the Pandemic on German Academic IT Facilities in 2020 and beyond. Results of the Annual ZKI Survey on Trends at Academic IT Centres

Abstract

Academic IT centres throughout Europe and beyond were affected heavily by the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. In particular, teaching services and video conferencing tools had to be significantly enhanced and scaled immediately, while the impact on research IT was moderate, in comparison. In addition, after the Schrems II ruling of the European Court of Justice in July 2020, the situation was further complicated by the fact that the EU-US Privacy Shield was declared invalid. Therefore, tools and services by IT companies based in the US can hardly be used at state-funded universities in the EU without substantial negotiations with the vendors.A survey across 94 academic institutions in Germany shows which aspects stand out and what priorities many of the German IT centres have set for this sudden, inevitable surge in digitalisation in 2020. The working group on “Strategy and Organisation” of the ZKI Association for German academic IT centres conducts an annual survey on the most important topics and focal points of member institutions. The survey takes up and documents the most relevant or trending issues of IT facilities from universities and research institutions. It is completed by CIOs, heads of data centres, IT directors and persons in comparable roles. The 2021 survey, carried out in December 2020 and January 2021, had an additional focus on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on IT institutions in 2020. The results might also shed light on the effects of the pandemic on academic IT facilities in other EU countries – or serve as a basis for differentiation.