Simmons Technology has centralized all in-person support in the Technology Support Center, located in L331 on the third floor of Lefavour Hall. Our technicians are available Monday-Friday from 8am-6pm to answer your questions and check out equipment.
If you need technology assistance while in the library, please come upstairs to the Technology Support Center, or contact the Service Desk at 617-521-2222.
Simmons Technology is expanding the availability of conferencing services for faculty and staff by enabling OpenVoice, an improved conference calling service. OpenVoice will provide continuously available toll-free audio conferencing numbers that you can use to host meetings of up to 125 participants. Meetings can be scheduled in advance or as needed, and sessions can be recorded for later use. The service is available 24/7 via your office phone, personal phone, and through the mobile app.
Please note that this is an additional service, and you can still use GoToMeeting when you want to incorporate technology (such as screen sharing and webcam use) into your meetings. OpenVoice provides a separate, on-the-go conferencing service that’s available just by picking up your phone.
In the next week, you will receive details via email, including your personal conference room number and PIN, as well as call-in numbers and links to download the app. There is no need to set up an account or password, and you can begin using the service as soon as you receive the email notification.
Within Technology, we’re always looking for ways to improve workflows so we can reduce the time it takes to resolve support requests. In an effort to streamline the purchasing of hardware, software, and related technology, we have implemented an online request form for all technology procurements.
The online form is to be used for all requests, regardless of dollar amount or type of procurement (product, service, contract, etc.). Completing the form will initiate the request in our system and allow us to track and complete the purchase in an organized and timely manner.
When submitting your request, please include as much information about the purchase as possible in order to avoid delays. Please note that all requests for a contracted service or subscription will require approval from the Office of General Counsel during the purchasing process.
To submit a technology purchase request, please visitservicedesk.simmons.edu/getsupport/techpurchase. For more information about the technology procurement process, click here. If you have additional questions, please contact the Service Desk at 617-521-2222.
As we prepare for the fall semester, Simmons Technology would like to remind everyone of how you can access technology support from on or off-campus.
ONLINE:
The Service Desk website is always available and it features answers to common questions and links to popular services. You can also submit support requests directly from the site.
SERVICE DESK:
Open for phone support Monday–Friday from 7:30am–6:00pm, with additional classroom/event support hours from 6:00pm–9:00pm.
TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT CENTER:
Located in LEF-331 and open for walk-ins Monday–Friday from 8:00am–6:00pm.
TECHNOLOGY DESK:
Located on the first floor of Lefavour Hall in Beatley Library and openMonday–Thursday from 8:00am–6:00pm, and on Fridays from 8:00am–5:30pm.
Earlier this month, Simmons Technology upgraded the College’s Internet connection in order to improve your experience on both the wired and wireless networks.
This upgrade insulates the College from the types of recent outages caused by off-campus service interruptions and provides greater flexibility at a lower cost.
More importantly for you, the upgrade also doubled our bandwidth, which means that you should see faster connection speeds and improved performance when streaming video or using collaborative tools like Google Hangouts and Skype.
Simmons College has recently joined Eduroam, a network of more than 175 colleges across the country that provide access to their WiFi networks for guests from participating schools.
Whether you’re on another school’s campus in Boston (including Wentworth, MassArt, MCPHS, BU, and more) or traveling across the country for a conference, you’ll have WiFi access at partner schools. To use this service, choose eduroam from the list of available networks, then log in with your Simmons email address ([email protected]) and your Simmons password.
You can find out more on the Eduroam website, and get support from theService Desk.
During the Spring 2014 semester, Simmons College was among 40 schools participating in the Measuring Information Service Outcomes (MISO) survey, an anonymous poll that assesses student, faculty, and staff perceptions of library and technology services and support.
We’re pleased to report that our customers have a positive overall view of the many services and support avenues Simmons Technology provides. In fact, more than 90% of students and staff expressed satisfaction with overall technology services at Simmons. In addition, more than 85% of all respondents said that the Service Desk and our support of personal computing equipment and classroom technology met their needs. Many of our web-based initiatives also received high marks, including Moodle, AARC, the Service Desk website, and Google Apps. This is especially encouraging because of the significant transformation and expansion of services and support that has occurred over the last three years.
Of course, the MISO responses also identified some areas where we need to continue working to more appropriately allocate resources and to improve how we communicate and deliver services and support. We take this feedback seriously and we will be proactive in addressing it. In fact, we recently improved the speed of our WiFI network—a concern voiced by student respondents to MISO—by implementing a large-scale upgrade that increases the bandwidth available on campus. Through projects like these, we will continue working to provide an optimal environment for teaching and learning with technology.
Congratulations! Spring semester is over and you can (maybe? hopefully?) relax a bit and enjoy the beautiful weather Boston has to offer this time of year.
Whether you’re on campus, off campus, or halfway around the world this summer, you can access many technology services from wherever you are.
Phone, Online, and In-Person Support
Service Desk: open for phone support Monday-Friday from 7:30am – 5:30pm.
Technology Support Center: located in LEF-331 and open for walk-ins Monday-Friday from 8:00am – 6:00pm.
Technology Desk: located on the first floor of Lefavour Hall in Beatley Library and open Monday-Thursday from 8:00am – 6:00pm, and on Fridays from 8:00am – 5:30pm.
If you need help during the evening or on the weekend, or if you’d rather not pick up the phone, then take a look at the revamped Service Desk websitewhere you can find answers to many common questions, access technology services, and submit a support request online.
Web-based Technology Services
Remember, you can access your email, calendar, Google docs, Moodle, AARC, and more from anywhere you have an Internet connection.
VPN
If you need to access technology services that are only available from the on-campus network, you can tap into them remotely by using VPN. To access VPN, go to vpn.simmons.edu. For more information on how to use VPN,click here.
In an effort to improve the overall performance of computers in Beatley Library, Technology will be replacing 20 Windows computers on the first floor of the library with virtualized computers this summer.
Virtualization is a process that shifts the behind-the-scenes tasks a stand-alone computer performs to a powerful, centralized computer called a server. The shift in resources reduces the traditional issues that slow down stand-alone computers and improves login times.
When you use these computers, you’ll notice only small changes. The login screen will look slightly different, but you will still use your Simmons username and password to access the computer. Once you’re logged in, the desktop should look the same as it does now, and you’ll have access to the software you currently use, as well as your storage space on the Y drive.
If you have any questions about these computers, you can ask the technicians at the nearby Technology Desk, or contact the Service Desk at 617-521-2222.
When using our computers, tablets, and phones, we all want them—to quote an old Apple slogan—to just work. And usually, they do. Between built-in monitoring tools, antivirus software, and other security checks, devices hum along without our having to give them much thought. But what happens when that’s not the case? What do you do when you think your data, or the device itself, might be compromised?
Signs of a Problem
There are a few telltale signs that your device has been compromised, including:
Fixing the Problem
If you suspect your device has been compromised, take action as soon as possible.
Remember, if you’re in doubt about any of these steps, you can contact the Service Desk to speak with a technician.