FIU | Information Technology

What FIU | Information Technology does

FIU Division of Information Technology is the central information technology function of Florida International University, a public research university established in 1965 and based in Miami. The division employs over 250 IT professionals and provides technology services, infrastructure, and applications to FIU's students, faculty, and staff across the university's campuses. Core offerings include the Canvas learning management system, the PantherSoft enterprise administrative suite, identity and access management, high-performance computing, cybersecurity operations, network and communications infrastructure, BI and analytics supporting student success, and the Panther TECH on-campus retail technology store.

The division operates as an internal cost center funded through the university's operating budget rather than as a commercial revenue business, with supplemental program funding from federal agencies (NSF, NIST, and the U.S. Department of Labor) totaling $13.55M between 2020 and 2025. It also houses the Center for Internet Augmented Research and Assessment (CIARA), which operates international research networks including AmLight-ExP and AtlanticWave-SDX, and manages external initiatives such as the Cyber-CAP registered apprenticeship program and a five-year NIST NICE cybersecurity education award. Robert Grillo has served as Chief Information Officer since June 2011. The division's customer base is, in practical terms, a single principal customer (FIU itself), with no commercial go-to-market, pricing model, or external sales motion.

Name

FIU | Information Technology

Legal name

Florida International University

Website

https://it.fiu.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FIU Division of Information Technology is the central IT function of Florida International University, employing over 250 professionals to deliver enterprise systems, networking, cybersecurity, HPC, and research infrastructure to the university's students, faculty, and staff as an internal cost center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education IT Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Computer Training (61142)

SIC

Communications Services, Nec (4899), Services-Telephone Interconnect Systems (7385)

akta.pro primary industry

Unified Communications & VoIP Telephony for Campuses (EDAEAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Unified Communications & Contact Center for Workplace (UCaaS/VoIP, Meeting Rooms) (BPAEAIAE), Technical Universities with Computing, Data & AI Focus (EDAHAEAK)

Keywords

• Higher education IT services
• Enterprise administrative systems
• Research computing infrastructure
• University cybersecurity services
• Instructional technology support

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. University IT Services: Internal technology services provided to Florida International University students, faculty, and staff as part of the university's operational budget

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FIU Division of Information Technology is the central IT service provider for Florida International University, delivering enterprise administrative systems (PantherSoft), learning management (Canvas), high-performance and research computing (HPC, CIARA), cybersecurity, networking, communications and collaboration tools, and on-campus technology retail to the university's students, faculty, and staff across multiple campuses in Miami.

Product overview

FIU Division of Information Technology is a central technology service provider for Florida International University, offering a comprehensive platform of IT services organized around multiple core products and modules. The primary enterprise system is PantherSoft, which manages university administrative operations including the MyFIU portal, FIU Mobile app, and Business Intelligence & Analytics. Additional key products include Canvas LMS for academic learning management, High Performance Computing for research, and FIU Panther TECH for on-campus technology retail. Remote work enablement is supported through VPN, VDI, and Two-Factor Authentication. Communication and collaboration tools include FIUmail/Office 365 for faculty, PantherMail/G Suite for students, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Mediasite. Media Technology Services and Enterprise Web Services support instructional and web needs. Security Services, Network Services, Computing Labs, Voice Services, and CIARA round out the portfolio. The portfolio functions as an integrated ecosystem with Single Sign-On authentication and cloud infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Panther TECH: On-campus technology store providing the University community with software and hardware purchases and repairs.
• PantherSoft
• CIARA
• AskIT
• Enterprise Web Services (EWS)
• FIU Mobile

Products and services

• PantherSoft Enterprise administrative system managing university administrative processes, including the MyFIU portal, FIU Mobile app, Business Intelligence, ImageNow, and EMS (Central Reservation System). Used by students, faculty, and staff across the institution.
• Canvas Learning Management System Learning Management System used to distribute course materials, assessments, communication tools, mobile apps, and analytics for monitoring usage. Available to instructors and students across FIU.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80,000+ users protected with Two-Factor Authentication deployment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

AI capability7 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Facilitated a $1.25 million award to FIU from NIST's National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) for five years to support cybersecurity education initiatives.
• Florida LambdaRail (FLR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Mr. Grillo served as Chair of the Florida LambdaRail (FLR) Board of Directors from 2020 to 2024. FLR is a high-performance research and education network in Florida supporting advanced networking initiatives.
• Department of LaborcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitated approximately $2 million award to FIU for the Cybersecurity Apprenticeship Program (Cyber-CAP) to train about 800 apprentices as part of the Department's Scaling Apprenticeship Through Sector-Based Strategies grant.
• National Science Foundation (NSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitated two awards totaling $10.3M from NSF: $6.5M for AtlanticWave-SDX (Distributed Intercontinental Experimental Software Defined Exchange) and $3.8M for AmLight Express and Protect (AmLight-ExP) project for international research network connectivity spanning three continents at 100+ Gigabit per second.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• EDUCAUSE: EDUCAUSE is the principal higher-education IT association and a peer ecosystem organization for university CIOs and IT divisions. It shapes the standards, peer-benchmarking, and policy environment FIU IT operates within.
• Florida LambdaRail (FLR): FLR is Florida's high-performance research and education network, chaired by FIU's CIO from 2020-2024. It is a direct ecosystem peer and infrastructure partner for FIU IT's networking and research-computing services.
• Internet2: Internet2 is the U.S. research and education networking consortium that operates the high-performance backbone FIU's CIARA connects to. It is a key infrastructure peer given FIU's role as a connector node for international research traffic.

Broad incumbents

• University of Michigan Information and Technology Services (ITS): U-M ITS supports one of the largest U.S. public research universities with enterprise IT, HPC, security, and research networking at greater scale. It illustrates how a top-tier university IT division is structured and benchmarked against peer institutions.

Direct peers

• Georgia Tech Office of Information Technology: Georgia Tech OIT serves a leading public research university with a strong computing and cybersecurity focus. Its HPC, security, and research-computing capabilities closely parallel FIU IT's portfolio.
• MIT Information Systems and Technology (IS&T): MIT IS&T is the central IT organization of a top research university, providing enterprise systems, HPC, security, and instructional technology at high maturity. It is a useful peer benchmark for service breadth and innovation in higher-ed IT.
• University of Florida Information Technology (UFIT): UFIT is the central IT division of another major Florida public research university, serving a comparable mix of students, faculty, and staff with enterprise systems, HPC, security, and research networking. It is the closest in-state peer given shared state-university context, scale, and service portfolio.
• Stanford University Information Technology (UIT): Stanford UIT provides centralized IT services across research, teaching, and administration for a leading research university. Its model of integrated services, HPC, and security is closely comparable in structure and ambition.
• Florida State University Information Technology Services: FSU ITS provides centralized IT services to another large Florida public university, with overlapping scope (LMS, enterprise apps, security, research computing) and the same Sunshine State operational and budgetary environment.
• University of Central Florida Information Technology: UCF IT is the central IT organization of Florida's largest public university by enrollment. The scale, service mix, and statewide-system context make it a closely comparable direct peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fiupanthertech
• Facebookfacebook.com/fiupanthertech
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fiutechnology
• Instagraminstagram.com/fiupanthertech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FIU | Information Technology