DEFINITION:
Aligning with KFU strategic objective “Providing a stimulating academic environment in keeping with technology”, the Deanship of Information Technology in king Faisal University has implemented the project “Setting up, Accreditation, migration, and launching KFU Data Center”. The Deanship of IT designed the new Data Center, by using the best practices and standards in this field of IT Project Management and Governance.
The Data Center Achieved the Accreditation from Uptime Institute and it got “Tier-3 Certification of Design Documents” and "Tier-3 Certification of Constructed Facility".
A modern robust Network design has been implemented, including IP-Telephony, Fiber and Wireless connectivity, and fast WAN techniques has been used for connecting the remote sites related to KFU.

OBJECTIVES:
With the contemporary network security, Infrastructure and monitoring tool, and M8 Oracle database storage Super cluster as the first university using it in Saudi Arabia, the Data Center is hosting our key academic and administrative applications and store and manipulate with huge databases of students and faculty members information, it also hosts the web portal, e-mail, workflow engine, ERP, EPM, e-learning and distance education services, and many other applications and services that serve the public community, and citizens.
Consequently, sustainable development in AL-AHSSA achieved because of this project which participate in investment in IT Infrastructure in King Faisal University, as it accepted more students in admission phases, hire more staff and faculty members, and the number of qualified alumni increased as per the labor market needs.

TARGET AUDIENCE:
All university staff as well as most groups of the society.

https://uptimeinstitute.com/tier-certification/tier-certification-list

• Saudi Arabia

• Youth
• Older persons
• Women
• Indigenous and nomadic peoples
• People with disabilities
• The unemployed
• Remote and rural communities
• All the government & its society members.

In order to establishing the business continuity procedures in King Faisal University, a disaster recovery site including a disaster recovery center is required to be constructed and replicable exactly the same as KFU Data Center including all its technical equipment and facilities, the KFU Disaster Recovery Center is going to be implemented at King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology “KACST”.

This project provides strong back-end network connections including high internet speed (3Gbps). It also provides Wireless connection and fiber connectivity in all KFU buildings.
This also supported to establish a strong and secure web based services and mobile applications provided to all types of beneficiary groups, this led us to align with the national digital transformation trends, and enhanced the reputation of KFU among the universities and government sector by taking KFU the ideal and best practice in e-government transformation and achieving the first ranking over more than 150 government sectors in e-government transformation assessments based on UN criteria in that field. Not only that, but KFU also achieved two times respectively the “INJAZ” Achievement award provided by e-government transactions program YESSER from the ministry of communications and information technology KSA.
Based on the above, Deanship of Information Technology in KFU is establishing a technical consultancy unit and digital transformation unit in light of Kingdom Vision 2030 to attract and hire creative, ambitious, and inspired national staff to enable us in investing in the knowledge economy.

Investment in IT infrastructure and innovation are crucial drivers of economic growth and development. This project is considered as an enabler in building the Information Society, Providing the access to ICT infrastructure and services is one of our main objective of all stakeholders involved in building it. In addition, the KFU Data Center is hosting a business intelligence system, in order to boost a data-driven culture with powerful, visually stunning analytics. And empower the decision makers to make faster, more informed business decisions. This Project inspired the staff with creativity, innovation, and new ideas that led KFU to start providing the high mature digital transformation services. GLOBAL: The project aims to support and implement the Kingdom's vision for 2030 with a global character and applicability, taking into account various national realities, levels of development and respect for national policies and priorities. This requires a combined partnership to support educational and other decision-making in the country. INNOVATION: By supporting and encouraging constructive feedback and creative ideas and accelerating technological innovations at the university and the community around it.