To close out the 2021 fall semester, the University of Arkansas announced that the mainframe that powered Business and Administrative Strategic Information System (BASIS) was powered off after 25 years. Decommissioning the mainframe will save the university approximately $1 million per year in service and licensing fees while ensuring the integrity of institutional data.
In a press release, the school said this marked the second phase of decommissioning BASIS, which was replaced by Workday in July 2020. The school also noted that the hardware will be removed from the data center during the spring semester and a formal ceremony celebrating the BASIS team will also be held.
According to the University of Arkansas, development of BASIS began in 1991 to address human resource needs. In 1994, modules for leave reporting and general journal were completed. Following the release of the initial modules, the second iteration of BASIS began to address the financial needs of the university. The first budget cycle in BASIS was completed in 1997 and BASIS payroll was implemented in 1999.
Harkening back to the once widespread Y2K fears, the school touted that BASIS used four-digit year codes and was immune from the Y2K ‘feature’ that impacted so many systems around the globe when the year rolled over from 1999 to 2000.
“BASIS was a remarkable system that was able to serve the University of Arkansas for nearly 30 years,” said Steve Krogull, University of Arkansas chief information officer. “For a system to be able to evolve with an institution is a testament to the devotion of the BASIS team who deserve a heartfelt thank you.”
