Upgrades for University-Owned Computers Start June 1

Computer RefreshAs the new fiscal year begins on June 1, 2023, approximately 700 computers will become eligible for replacement under the University Technology Fund. During the week of April 10, individuals with an eligible computer will receive an email with instructions for placing their orders. To support the increase in orders that typically accompany the start of the new fiscal year, we will onboard additional temporary staff to ensure we can deploy the computer as quickly as possible this summer.

There are several key dates regarding new orders and financial processing as we close out FY23 and begin the new year. Continue reading Upgrades for University-Owned Computers Start June 1

Annual IT Computer Verification

computer check iconDuring the month of February, faculty and staff with an SMU computer will receive an email requesting verification of their assigned devices.  The email will contain a personalized link to a Qualtrics survey.  Do not forward that email to anyone else!  When you take the survey, you’ll see a list of all devices that are assigned to you.  We ask that you take a moment to either indicate that our records are correct or that you provide the information that is missing. Continue reading Annual IT Computer Verification

New Ordering Site for Tech Purchases Coming Soon

shopping cartEach year, several hundred computer orders are processed across campus.  This process involves coordination between the Purchasing department and OIT.  In reviewing the ordering experience as well as the time delays for some orders, we decided to make some major improvements.

Early next month, we will launch a new technology ordering site.  This site will allow you to order computers, tablets, monitors and a few accessories for departmental purchases.  Below are some of the key improvements to the ordering/installation process: Continue reading New Ordering Site for Tech Purchases Coming Soon

OIT Ramps Up for Large Computer Refresh in 2017

Computer Refresh Last summer, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) successfully replaced over 800 computers in a few months as part of our annual computer refresh. The OIT Install Team is ramping up for another large-scale installation project targeting approximately 1500 computers! We’re making a few changes to the process to ensure the upgrades go more smoothly this year. Continue reading OIT Ramps Up for Large Computer Refresh in 2017

Technology Fund Allocation and the Computer Refreshment Process

Over the past six weeks, the embedded desktop team has been working diligently to verify the computer inventory.  As we complete that verification process, reports will be generated for each school outlining the machines that are eligible for replacement under the University technology fund.  These will be provided to each school or department along with the revised plan for the upgrade schedule.

There are a few improvements we’d like to make with the installation process in order to complete these upgrades in a more efficient and effective manner.  For example, one of the biggest challenges is scheduling the upgrades of each system.  In many cases, the computer is prepped and ready for the installation but our technicians spend weeks trying to schedule the final deployment due to scheduling conflicts.  We will transition to a process where we specify the date and time for the installation.  If that date and time is not feasible, you can certainly let us know and we’ll reschedule. Hopefully, this will allow us to move more quickly through the batch of upgrades.  Another improvement we’d like to make is to schedule as many of the upgrades during the summer as possible. This will avoid the impact to faculty during the semester.

More details will be provided in addition to the eligibility reports later this month.