ITS MONTHLY TALKIN' TECH

Computing on the Go:

The Mobile Workforce                

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The work world has changed with technology.  And so has teaching or working at CCAC.

If you answered yes to any of these questions, this topic is for you.  Many of us do not have to be planted in an office or restricted to one classroom to effectively perform our jobs.  This Talkin' Tech provides tips and guidelines for the mobile or virtual worker.

 

Moving around on the College Network

  With an Employee Network Account (EmpID), you can easily log on to any College PC which is connected to the College network.  All classroom PC's are loaded with the same standard "academic image", while all office PC's are loaded with an "administrative image".  See our Software Standards webpage for more information.

Not familiar with the CCAC Desktop environment?  Do you know your C: drive from your F: drive?  See My CCAC Desktop environment webpage for a description of the PC and network drives at your disposal.

When you log into a CCAC PC that is away from your office, you can do the following to access your work, just like you were in your office:

  • Set up your Outlook profile: To access the Outlook program you need to set up your profile. Configuring Outlook requires you to know which email server is used for your mailbox.  (College Office and Allegheny co-e2; North, Boyce and South co-e3.) 

  • Add a Printer:  All College PC's have a nearby network printer installed.  If you wish to print to another printer anywhere on the network, it is a simple process to add a printer in Windows.

 

Where's my Stuff?
  It can get confusing to remember what data resides on our servers (accessible from any PC) and what data resides on each PC.  Review the items below to bone up on where to find data.

What gets stored on the network?  What gets stored on the desktop? What is mobile?

Program Resides on Network

Stored on the PC*

Carry with you

Outlook

Inbox and Folders you create under your Inbox or Mailbox

Calendar

Contacts

Tasks

Rules (except the ones that involve Personal Folders)

Archives**

Personal Folders (Outlook .pst Data Files you've created for organizing mail on your PC)

Signatures

 
Internet Explorer  

Favorites

Internet Options

 

Documents and Files

Files on F: Drive

Files on U: Drive

My Documents on C:

Shortcuts on the Desktop

Files on CD, DVD, jump drives, floppy disks

Programs

 

Microsoft Office Settings

Datatel Favorites

 

 

**A word about your Archives: remember that Archives are stored on your hard drive.  It is recommended that you archive on only ONE PC.  If you archive on more than one PC, individual messages will be stored in only one file; so you will end up with some emails on one PC, and others stored on another PC.  See our Talkin' Tech on Archiving.

 

* REMEMBER TO BACK UP ARCHIVES & DOCUMENTS ON YOUR HARD DRIVE.  If your hard drive would crash, you will lose all archives, pst files, documents, etc.  Check out our Talkin' Tech page on storage media for more information. 

 

Flash drives (mini-USB devices) have become very popular as a storage medium for files.  If you are a mobile worker, this is a must-have.  When purchasing a flash drive, look for the statement "no drivers required" on the package to assure that you will be able to plug into any College PC without having to call ITS to help you install.  Check out our Talkin' Tech page on storage media for more information.

 

NOTE: Your archive file may become too large for backup onto most devices.  If you have a large archive file, feel free to call the Helpdesk to request that your archives be burned to DVD.  We can also show you how to segment your Archives to multiple Outlook data files (.pst files) to keep your archives manageable.

 

  Working from Home or outside the Network
  The following services are available to CCAC employees outside the College network:

Need support?  You may feel free to call or email the Helpdesk from home (during our operating hours) to report any problems with the above web applications.  Remember that we cannot fully support technical problems on your home PC or with your Internet Service Provider. 

Work at all times of day or night?  We make every attempt to keep our web services available 24/7.  Please be aware that there are scheduled outages for critical maintenance activities, which are promoted via Outlook.  You can also view the scheduled outages on the ITS website

Traveling to a Conference?  You may access the internet from a hotel room or conference venue and log in to any of the above web applications.  Note: we cannot fully support problems you may encounter with another organizations' network or Internet Service Provider.

  Guide for Laptop Users
  College Laptops: some departments have purchased laptops for use by faculty.  These are configured with the same standard ITS image, including our Trend anti-virus software.  These laptops will be able to connect to the network as long as they have been registered with the ITS network and there is wireless connectivity in the classroom.  If your department has purchased a new laptop, remember to have it registered with ITS.

ITS Policies for Personal Laptops: you are welcome to use a personal laptop while on campus, as long as you have registered your laptop with the ITS department.  In order to register your laptop:

  • Call the Helpdesk to set up a consultation with a field technician.  Bring your laptop in when you meet for your consultation.
  • An ITS Field Tech will confirm that the laptop is running Windows 2000 Professional or Windows XP Professional, and current anti-virus software with automatic update.
  • ITS will not add non-CCAC-owned devices to the CCAC domain; you will be able to access the Internet while connected through a data port or wireless access; you will not be able to access your files on your F: or U: drives, Datatel, etc.  Only College-owned laptops can be added to the domain.

See our hardware standards webpage for suggested standards for purchasing a laptop. If your department is purchasing a laptop, choose one of these supported models to ensure connectivity within the CCAC network.

Helpful Links for Information on Laptops

Choosing a Laptop

How Laptops Work

Taking Care of your Laptop

Caring for your Laptop

All about Laptops

 

  Gadgets to Keep You in Touch
  PDA's (Personal Digital Assistants) or Handheld Devices: Palm Pilots or Pocket PC's have become popular, mobile tools to help us connect with technology.  See our peripherals webpage for suggested standards for purchasing.  If you wish to sync your handheld device with your Outlook calendar, the handheld manufacturer will provide software to manage the syncing process.   Keep in mind that Pocket PC's are more compatible with our Microsoft platform than are Palm products.  Also, syncing with Outlook on more than one PC is problematic; you should decide on only one PC you wish to use for the syncing process.  Note: Helpdesk analysts and Field technicians will make a "best effort" attempt to resolve problems you encounter with handheld devices; we cannot guarantee resolution of all problems.

Smart-phones: Cellular companies are heavily promoting Blackberries, Treos and other cell-phone/ email combination devices.  CCAC does not have capabilities to support Blackberry or smart-phone technology.

Helpful Links for Information on Handhelds

Choosing a PDA

How PDAs Work

All about PDAs

 

   

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