In support of University and HCI efforts around COVID-19, CATG has outlined HCI remote work solutions to support ongoing efforts to allow colleagues to collaborate both internally and with external colleagues as we see travel curtailment here and at peer institutions, and in the event larger-scale remote work is implemented at the U of U. Currently, we can provide a number of options for job functions that can be completed offsite, and we are currently looking to adopt others. You can look for updates, documentation, and a FAQ on the CATG CompInfo SharePoint site here.
Managers will need to determine if an employee is eligible to work remotely. They will also need to establish rules and expectations for remote/telecommuting workers. For example, encourage any remote staff members to create a workspace at home that is conducive to working without interruption or distraction and agree on how communication will work for your group.
We anticipate many of you will submit service tickets to begin the process to ready your staff – please do so but understand we will be addressing those tickets the best we can while still providing support to current efforts.
Security:
Security will continue to be an important aspect of any computer work we conduct.
· Duo authentication is required for remote access – please ensure your users have setup UofU Duo Authentication.
· It is very possible there are entities looking to take advantage of this situation – we'll keep an eye out for news/notifications regarding risks and adjust as needed.
· It is critical to minimize security risks involved in doing remote work – we cannot sacrifice security for convenience.
Remote access:
We currently have a number of options to enable remote work and we are quickly exploring others, as well.
· We are encouraging the use of Remote Desktop technology – this means remotely accessing/controlling a workstation here at HCI. We anticipate this will work for 80-90% of potential remote work staff.
· For some individuals, they may not have a dedicated desktop to connect to – we will likely have them use a virtual desktop system, HCI-Remote, but will evaluate that on a case by case basis.
· In general, we are discouraging the use of VPN – it creates security risks if the remote computer is not carefully managed and protected. In general, VPN will only be allowed on HCI owned and managed systems and only in certain situations.
· Currently, we are unable to provide remote access to a Mac OS X workstation. We are aware of a number of technologies that can accomplish this - we are moving quickly to test and validate a solution. We will provide updates on this effort.
Computers/Hardware:
Currently, we do not have enough laptops or computers to provide systems for remote staff. Right now, we are encouraging staff to use personal computers, where appropriate. We are investigating options to address this situation.
If remote workers are experiencing issues with their personal machine, they will need to resolve that on their own. If the department intends to buy them a computer, we can help with that acquisition and provide initial setup. However – many organizations are doing exactly the same thing, creating a severe supply/demand issue. As a result, we anticipate computer orders will be delayed. Note: any computer purchased must meet our organizational standards if the computer is to be recycled back into the HCI office environment. Do not purchase systems without consulting us first.
Phones:
There are multiple options to extend a staff member's work phone offsite
We can provide the ability to extend a staff member's work phone number to a mobile phone or computer. This is done through an application - Cisco Jabber. This free app is available for iPhone (iOS), Android, Windows, and Mac OS X. If the device has a camera, it can initiate and receive internal video calls (one to one), as well.
If a PC or Mac is used, a microphone will need to be purchased if not built in to the workstation or laptop.
Single Number Reach is another feature in which the system dial another number (usually your cell phone) if you don't answer your desk phone.
Desk phones can simply be forwarded to another phone (mobile or landline). This can be accomplished by each phone user but must be done physically at the phone. Alternatively, submit a ticket and we can setup/remove the forward remotely.
Conference Calling and Collaboration:
Multiple options for conference calls/virtual meetings are available:
ConferenceNow: An internal audio-only conference calling system. The documentation for using the system is found here. Note: See the ConferenceNow page for important informtion regarding limits.
WebEx: A fully featured video/voice conference system. Access to the system is found here: https://huntsmancancer.webex.com.
Campus Skype for Business: Skype for Business provides an instant messaging and conference calling solution for University of Utah personnel. Access to the system is found here: https://skype.utah.edu/
Microsoft Teams: A collaboration tool available through CATG and the University of Utah – it combines features from Skype, SharePoint and other tools. It has chat, meetings, workflow, and document sharing – and runs on PC, Mac, Android, and iOS. We are just starting to develop deployment around Teams, but are happy to work with you. More information about Teams can be found here:
Documentation:
In addition to the links provided on the CompInfo page, we will continue to develop and publish a list of documents relevant to this effort.
