Desktop Support and Evergreening

Our Service Delivery

IST’s service delivery model is centered around remote delivery of services and access to self service resources. Support requests will be responded to through remote access tools that allow support requests to be responded to from anywhere and more expeditiously. 

Visit the Staff Service Centre to access IT support and services.

We will visit onsite only for those requests that cannot be resolved remotely.

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Desktop Support

Standard Desktop Support and Troubleshooting: We arrange for onsite vendor support for broken hardware, negotiate and manage service agreements, and implement warranties.

Standard Suite of Applications Troubleshooting: We provide regular patching of standard applications and troubleshoot operating system related issues with the applications. We troubleshoot standard applications and software, and applications that are not opening, saving, updating or are crashing.

OS Support and Troubleshooting: We install, configure, update, and troubleshoot the standard operating systems.

Encryption Support: We provide troubleshooting expertise of workstation encryption, as well as storage and use of computer recovery keys.

Peripheral Hardware Support and Troubleshooting: We support the connectivity of displays, keyboards, and mice that are used with IST workstations and will set up replacements for this equipment if broken. We install drivers and vendor software, and work with vendor support for negotiated specialty devices.

What is not included?
Non-standard workstations, applications and peripherals are not supported by IST. Users with support issues on these devices will be directed to the appropriate vendor.

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Workstation Deployment and Disposal

For equipment not in the Evergreen Program

Hardware Delivery and Setup: We gather client requirements for hardware, arrange appointments for setup, confirm the office infrastructure supports the hardware (e.g. has network port and power supply), and set up and install the equipment. We do not provide equipment set up in home offices. This service component is provided for standard workstation configurations only.

Standard Environment Setup: We will connect your computer to the domain for inventory tracking, maintenance, and support. This allows us to make broad changes to all standard machines at once, helping keep everyone’s machines secure and up-to-date. We assist you with procurement and work with SMS on the delivery of the requested computing devices and IT resources, making sure they are ready and configured. Domain rules are applied to the computer. Standard desktop operating systems are installed and configured on the computer. Applications from the standard suite are installed as required. Device encryption is provided to protect data on devices and the recovery key is retained by IST for use as required. An anti-malware tool is applied to help keep the system secure. You can also receive access to network drives as part of the domain service.

Peripheral Hardware: We provision standard keyboards, mice, monitors and some specialty devices (by prior agreement between IST and the client).

Moves and Transfers: We assist with moving of physical hardware to a new office. This service includes assistance with disconnecting and reconnecting the workstation and supported peripherals for minor office moves. This service does not include relocation to / from home offices.

Hardware Surplus and Disposal: Workstations will be removed from the domain and prepared for surplus or e-waste when they are no longer useful. We will facilitate data backup through the provision of shared drives and providing instructions. Computers are retained for 2 weeks before processing. If workstations are assigned for waste, it will trigger a transaction in the Hardware Lifecycle and Evergreening service to properly e-waste the machine and update the inventory records.

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Workstation Offerings

IST manages the standards for end-user hardware on behalf of the University. These devices include desktops, laptops, tablets, cell phones, etc.

We conduct regular reviews of university needs, marketplace offerings, industry innovation, and support costs. IST actively seeks out and incorporates feedback from the university community on how well the standards meet community requirements. The standards aim to satisfy a significant portion of the University community’s needs. If broadly adopted, these standards will enable the university to reach cost-effective agreements with our suppliers due to volume discounts.

While we encourage and strongly recommend using standard devices, we recognize that the University community is diverse and has unique needs. However, the implications of adopting non-standard equipment can include longer response times for solutions to problems and longer delivery times when ordering new equipment. There is also the possibility of incompatibility with standard University software and classroom presentation capabilities. In all cases, non-standard platforms must be capable of running University-standard cybersecurity software, including disk encryption, VPN, anti-malware, multifactor authentication, endpoint protection, etc.

In the case of devices for research, IST’s Advanced Research Computing group is available for consultation on configuration and purchasing options. They are also available to advise on the technology sections of grant applications (e.g., JELF, Innovation Fund) and the annual Digital Research Alliance of Canada national resource allocation competition for high-performance computing, storage and cloud computing for research.

Devices should be purchased from the standard list unless there is a compelling business need for a different configuration. For staff purchases, supervisors must ensure exceptions are justified: the purchase of non-standard equipment increases the overall cost of IT support and decreases the overall quality of support. In this context, “staff” means anyone who is not a faculty member, a postdoctoral fellow, or a graduate student.

View List of Workstation Equipment

What is not included?
Non-Standard Computers are defined as those:

• Outside of the 5 year lifecycle (Out of Warranty)
• Any computers that do not follow IST’s standard configuration, with negotiated exceptions.
• Personal computers and devices (Bring Your Own Devices) are not supported.

Workstation Standardization will not include customizations to the standard hardware model. If hardware is not supplied by the preferred vendor, it will not be accepted or supported.

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Fleet Lifecycle Management

Workstation Procurement: We manage the procurement of new workstations, including purchasing (using client dept speed codes), receiving, and tagging the machines.

Inventory Management: We provide complete fleet lifecycle management from procurement to disposal.

Hardware Disposal: We will manage the inventory of machines that are both under warranty and those that are to be surplussed. We will record all the purchases, moves, transfers, deployments, and eWaste transactions in our Inventory Management System. We will manage the disposal of your end-of-life devices. We will pull out storage drives if possible, and facilitate secure data erasure. We will follow e-waste process (SMS will shred the hard drives to ensure data security and then they will be properly disposed of).

What is not included?
Monitors, keyboard, mice and other peripherals are not included as part of the inventory and lifecycle service.

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Commonly Asked Questions