Until recently the common perception on campus has been that IT’s main responsibility is the maintenance and support of computers on campus. The people you call when your frustration levels have reached new heights and you have the urge to throw your pc out the window. Fortunately things are changing.

Previously two of IT’s departments, IT Technical Services (ITTS) and IT User Services (ITUS) functioned as two separate entities. However, to ensure that Information Technology stays at the forefront of technology and operates in line with the University’s key aims, the need arose to merge the two departments.

ITTS and ITUS will henceforth function as one department – IT Infrastructure and User Support. The main focus will primarily be Research and Development, Network Infrastructure and Telephone Systems and Hardware and Software Services and Support.

The responsibility of managing the successful integration of services and continuous support on campus rests on the shoulders of Zenobia Davidse and her team of 26.

With the restructuring the range of focus will also be broadened and moved away from the traditional IT functions. Thanks to technology we can now look at differently at datastorage on clouds in stead of conventional storage on harddrives. More attention will be given to testing of new hardware and software, analysis of users’ technological needs, consultations and selfhelp guides for staff.

IT Infrastructure and User support will become your one stop for any enquiries on e-waste, phone issues, the installation of WAP’s, purchasing and much more.

To improve communication with the rest of campus, faculty representatives will be nominated to speed up problem solving within departments. The additional functions and specialist areas of the various members of the IT staff will also be introduced in Bits & Bytes from now on.

Tot onlangs was die afdeling Informasietegnologie se gesig op kampus hoofsaaklik slegs die van `n diensverskaffer. Die mense wat jy bel as jou rekenaar gekalf het en gemoedere hoog loop van frustrasie. Min mense weet egter presies wie of wat IT is en dat hulle meer doen as om te sorg dat jou rekenaar elke dag werk en jy jou email en internet kan kry.

Voorheen het twee van IT se afdelings, IT Tegniese Dienste (ITTD)en IT Gebruikersdienste (ITG), gefunksioneer as twee aparte eenhede. Om egter te verseker dat Informasietegnologie  in lyn met US-doelwitte en aan die voorpunt van nuwe tegnologie bly, is besluit op die integrasie van die twee afdelings.

Die vorige afdelings word een integrale afdeling wat bekend sal staan as  IT Infrastruktuur en Gebruikersondersteuning met die fokus op drie verskillende areas – Navorsing en Ontwikkeling, Netwerkinfrastruktuur en Telefoonstelsels en Apparatuur- en Programmatuurdienste en ondersteuning.

Die groot verantwoordelikheid om die suksesvolle integrasie van dienste en voortdurende ondersteuning aan kampus te bestuur, rus op die skouers van Zenobia Davidse en haar span van 26 personeellede.

Met die herstrukturering sal wyer gefokus word op nuwe tegnologie en wegbeweeg word vir meer tradisionele IT-funksies. Daar sal, onder andere, anders gekyk moet word na datarugsteuning op kampus deur gebruik te maak van “cloud”-berging in plaas van rugsteuning op hardeskywe, toetsing van nuwe apparatuur en programmatuur,  analise en konsultasies van gebruikers se behoeftes ten opsigte van tegnologie, sowel as selfhelp-gidse vir personeel.

IT Infrastruktuur en Gebruikersondersteuning word dus die een-stop-plek vir e-waste, enige telefoonnavrae, installasies van WAP’s, aankope, bystanddienste en vele meer. 

In `n poging om kommunikasie met kampus te verbeter sal daar binnekort fakulteitsverteenwoordigers aangewys word wat probleemoplossing binne departemente sal bespoedig. Addisionele funksies en spesialisareas van die onderskeie personeellede word ook voortaan in Bits en Bytes bekendgestel.