History of ISS

The University Computing Laboratory was established in 1957 as part of what was then King's College, Durham University. King's College became Newcastle University in 1963.

The Computing Laboratory continued as a major player in British University computing until 1990, when it was split into its component parts, the School of Computing Science and the University Computing Service (UCS).

ISS was formed in 2003 by amalgamating the University Computing Service with several IT-related departments, including Management Information Development Services (who provide SAP), Telecommunications, Lecture Room Services and Television Services.

ISS provides services for the University in support of teaching, learning, research and management. The active users are all staff and all students – currently around 24,000 in total. A few of the core services are (in order of infrastructure upwards):

  • networks (and network services) to the University, and also the regional hub for academic networking in the North East of England (the NorMAN network);
  • telephones and telecommunications;
  • the University's administrative computing service, including the SAP infrastructure;
  • systems support for Windows, Unix, and Macintosh, web infrastructure services, data services, etc.;
  • computing and IT facilities for students and staff across campus, in the form of the University Campus Managed Desktop, which manifests as well over a thousand cluster PCs for student usage and many thousands of staff PCs.