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. |
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Moving around
on the College Network |
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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:
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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.)
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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.
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Where's my Stuff? |
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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*
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Carry with you |
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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 |
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Internet Explorer |
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Favorites
Internet Options |
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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 |
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Programs |
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Microsoft Office
Settings
Datatel Favorites |
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**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.
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Working from Home
or outside the Network |
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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. |
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Guide for Laptop
Users |
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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
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Gadgets to Keep
You in Touch |
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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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