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Surfaces for IT Operation Centres

This is an ongoing project.

IT Operation Centres play an important role in the networked world. Even 50 years ago they were used to manage mainframes providing services at distant terminals; now they are the management centres of cloud computing. While much is automated, there is still a need for people to address problems, monitor system activity, and respond to problems. This work is done by teams of people, sometimes fixed and sometimes formed dynamically, and typically featuring a diverse set of skills, sometimes working together over distance, but often with a co-located core. These environments still resemble those of 50 years ago: rows of people at personal screens, with a large display at the front of the room. We are studying these environments and the activities within them, looking to understand the issues of attention and collaboration, and especially the opportunities for surface technology for innovation.

Partner: CA Technologies

Model of activities and attention in IT Operations Centres:

 

Protoype Eye-Gaze Driven Alter-Monitoring System for Operations Centres (Hack):