Computers
Scope
- Desktops
- Laptops and notebooks
- Hybrid computers
- Workstations
Request & procure
Consultation and installation services are available for the purchase of a computer. The service includes analysis of user needs, providing information about the current options, purchasing assistance and installation.
Visit the Purchasing Computers page for detailed steps to purchase standard and non-standard computers.
To acquire a non-standard computer, a justification (waiver) must be produced by the requester and approved by IITS. See purchasing computer page for the form.
Computer purchasing should be done through a Purchase Request (PR) and delivered to an IT Service Centre.
Receive
All new computers are delivered to your closest supporting IT Service Centre to have their operating systems configured to be centrally managed.
All computer orders will be validated to avoid discrepancies and tested to identify any potential malfunctions/DOAs before asset tagging and engraving them.
Deploy
IT Support has the responsibility of receiving and deploying the asset securely according to the standard processes and procedures.
After being received and delivered to your closest IT Service Centre, computers are:
- Asset Tagged
- Engraved
- Added to inventory
- Secured with encryption (laptops)
- Secured with user access
If administrator access is required, request for exceptions must be submitted through the following webform and approved by the Chief Information Officer or delegate.
The following applications are installed
- SentinelOne
- Microsoft EndPoint Manager (Intune), System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) or Jamf
- Microsoft Office
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Google Chrome
Once the computer is ready for delivery, a technician will communicate with the end-user to coordinate the deployment/pick-up via an automated e-mail support ticket.
If any special software, data transfer, or custom configuration for the new computer(s) is needed, it should be communicated at this point via the e-mail support ticket so the technician can accommodate the additional needs.
No unapproved, outdated, or unsupported software should be installed on any University IT Asset.
Maintain
It is prohibited to uninstall, disable, or change the University’s management and security software including:
- SentinelOne
- System Centre Configuration Manager (SCCM)
- Microsoft EndPoint Manager
- Jamf
Default University computer security configurations such as disk encryption, screen inactivity lockouts, bios passwords, etc. must not be removed during the time computers are in-use at the University.
Requests for hardware maintenance, user and location transfers or changes must be directed to the appropriate IT Support which will update the central repository for all University IT Asset data and track in a service request ticket.
Where an employee is ending their employment relationship with the university, or a student is no longer undertaking any University activities or have completed their academic activities, it is their responsibility to return all University IT Assets to their immediate supervisor or academic coordinator, as applicable, to be re-purposed or decommissioned.
Decommission
Evergreen Programs
IITS manages the refresh of computers for employees, classrooms, teaching labs and meeting rooms. These annual projects replace computers on a 4 or 5 year lifecycle and are led by IITS in conjunction with faculty and departmental administrators.
Evergreen program questions can be directed to your departments IT Asset administrator or to the IT Asset Management Team.
As part of the University’s commitment to sustainability, all university IT assets and other technical components are evaluated and distributed for internal reuse, donation or external recycling.
Some IT Assets (e.g. computers, audio-visual equipment, and their components) contain toxic materials which can leach into soil and water when discarded in landfills. Reuse and recycling of these assets also reduces the need for unnecessary environmentally harmful mining operations.
Components are never to be discarded in trash bins. Before a University IT Asset is decommissioned, it is the end user’s responsibility to identify any data that needs to be retrieved and to take the appropriate measures to safeguard it.
IT Support shall erase the hard disk(s) and any other storage components to ensure that no information can be recovered, using a standardized sanitizing secure method.
Visit the Computer & AV equipment decommissioning page for more detailed information.
Audit
Government mandates that the University conduct regular ongoing asset inventory and security audits in conjunction with departments. It is the responsibility of all employees to ensure that irregularities identified in IT Asset Management audits are corrected in a timely manner.