Many faculty and staff use devices known as “smart phones” to access their email and calendar when off campus.  These devices are very convenient, and can be a real plus when traveling.  However, not all smart phones are created equal.  Blackberry phones require that the University provide an additional server that will support full functionality on the phones.  This represents a substantial cost for the University.  At this time, DSU does not have a Blackberry server and plans do not include acquiring one in the near future.

At present, if you choose to purchase a Blackberry, regardless of model, you will not be able to automatically synchronize your calendar and contacts in Microsoft Outlook.  What does that mean?  If you want to have your calendar updated, you will have to manually connect your telephone to your computer and perform what is known as a manual sync.  Just imagine being on the road for a week and not being able to see updates to your calendar!

Windows mobile devices and Treo phones work well with the existing University Active Directory and Exchange email and calendar system, and they are able to synchronize your calendar and contacts automatically.  There is no need to manually connect your phone to your computer for updates!

 OIT Projects/ News

Post Office Renovations

OIT has finalized network and telephone connections for the new post office and copy center located in the Union.  Word is the new post office will be open to the public in the near future!

Web Templates Available

The new web templates are available for use on your departmental website.  For information about the templates, or how to change the appearance of your website, contact Kimberly Cooley.

Meet our newest staff member

Rogel Campbell has recently joined the OIT team in the role of Technical Support Specialist and will be working closely with the College of Education in support of the TaskStream assessment application.  We welcome Rogel to the team!

This article is a repeat, but we have been asked to run it again  - thank you!

When computers were originally installed in campus offices, the McAfee Antivirus system scan was set to run at 12:00 noon.  This time was chosen as the default as most offices close at lunch.  When this service is running, it ties up resources on your computer and you will experience a significant performance decrease during the scanning process. 

OIT recognizes that individuals need to be able to customize the antivirus scan times on their local desktop.  Changing the setting to another time that works well for you is easy and you can change to suit your needs.  To customize your settings, please see McAfee Customization Page on the DSU Website.

 Flickr Me This! 

The OIT-ELN as started a new community project—both to generate some fabulous DSU-related photography as well as to demonstrate how social networking sites might be leveraged in electronically mediated instruction. We're using the popular online photo management and sharing application, Flickr, to assemble an on-going, ever-growing slideshow, which you can see (and add to) as a Flickr user and DSUflickr Group member: http://eln.deltastate.edu/flickr/. Please, send us some photos. To find out more about other OIT-ELN community projects, visit: http://eln.deltastate.edu/community.htm.

ASK OIT? Your Questions Answered by OIT Staff askoit@deltastate.edu

Can students check out AV equipment?
No.  Only authorized members of the DSU campus are allowed to check out AV equipment.  However, student organizations needing equipment are able to do so by having a faculty/staff member request the equipment on the organization's behalf.  The faculty/staff member must agree to be responsible for the safety and security of the equipment prior to providing resources to the students.  For more information on the AV Media process, please see http://www.deltastate.edu/pages/2129.asp