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Connectivity

What is Microsoft Office 365?

Monday, June 5th, 2017

What is the cloud?

Cloud services is a broad description for IT services provided over the internet. Your services aren’t hosted on your system at work or home, but it’s located and managed remotely. Many services today use the Cloud, for example some e-mail services (e.g. Gmail), data storage (e.g. Dropbox) or photo storage (e.g. Flickr) Because it is is located online or ‘in the cloud’, you can access it from virtually anywhere on any device as long as you have an Internet connection. More articles on the cloud.

What is Microsoft Office 365?

Office 365 is an online, cloud-based application of the Microsoft Office products, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher and Access (Publisher and Access are available on PC only) available to staff and students with an active role.

What do I get?

Five downloadable versions of Office365 for personal devices, for example, laptops, tablets and smartphones. This does NOT include asset number devices.
IMPORTANT: For the versions to stay active you must be an active staff member or student of the university. Licenses of the downloadable versions have to be refreshed on a monthly basis, otherwise it will stop working.
Mail: 50 GB mailbox in the cloud
Access to Microsoft Office365 online apps from any computer connected to the internet.
Calendar: online calendar
Word: online to access from any computer
Excel: online to access from any computer
PowerPoint: online to access from any computer
People: online contacts
Planner: organise tasks and teamwork
OneDrive: 5TB online storage
Teams: collaboration
OneNote: digital notebook
Class Notebook: OneNote for classrooms
Sway: Create and share interactive reports, presentations, personal stories, and more.
Forms: build survey forms and easily share them with students, parents, and colleagues.
Tasks: schedule tasks
Video: scalable, easy-to-use portal for uploading and sharing your corporate videos.
SharePoint: online storage and sharing of files
Yammer: collaboration tool that helps you and your teams stay on top of it all. Start conversations, work together on files, and organise around projects.

What is the difference between the cloud and your PC?

After moving to the cloud you will have both data locally on your PC, on the network (G and H: drives), but you will also have data on the cloud. The same goes for your applications. You will be able to have some applications locally on your PC, while others will be cloud-based. Data on the cloud will be the primary source, while the copies on your PC and network drives are synced versions.

The same applies to your Office365 applications. For this reason, it’s important that you keep track of where you save your data.

IMPORTANT: SU copyright agreements do not extend to storing and sharing of documents protected under the copyright law on OneDrive for business, SharePoint online or any other public store spaces.

What are the advantages of cloud services?

More storage space available, up to 5TB on OneDrive and 50GB on Outlook.
Your data is available from anywhere, anytime, on any device. You’ll always have access to your data if you have an internet connection.
Your information is also safely stored, even if you lose one of your devices.

What are the disadvantages of cloud services?

Familiarise yourself with copyright regulations. Make sure you know what you are allowed to store and share online. SU copyright agreements do not extend to storing of documents protected under the copyright law on OneDrive for business or any other public store space.
You are entirely responsible for your own information. Be careful who you give rights and access to, as it will compromise your information if it’s visible to other people.
You are responsible for synchronisation between online and local data. Synchronisation between online and local information needs to be set up correctly and done on a regular basis.
Keep in mind that access to cloud services when on campus will not incur any costs, but if you work from home your own data will be utilised.
It is very important that you keep your private usernames, passwords and information separate from your official work, to prevent your data from getting mixed up.
Having access to the cloud from any computer makes your digital identification vulnerable, do not use computers you do not trust to access your cloud services.

What if I have been using OneDrive personal, Dropbox and other cloud storage options?

You can keep on using them, but it is very important that you only use these storage options for your personal data.

OneDrive for business and SharePoint online is available under of the US MS Licence agreement for storage and sharing of institutional data. The storage and sharing of institutional data are not allowed on Dropbox, OneDrive personal or any other cloud storage. IMPORTANT: SU copyright agreements do not extend to storing and sharing of documents protected under the copyright law on OneDrive for business, SharePoint online or any other public store spaces.

What is the difference between the storage options?

	ONEDRIVE	ONEDRIVE FOR BUSINESS	SHAREPOINT ONLINE	DROPBOX	GOOGLE DRIVE
PURPOSE	Personal	Business	Business	Personal	Personal

MANAGED BY	You (private)	You (business)	Teamsite owner, moderator (business)	You (private)	You (private)
WHAT DATA SHOULD I STORE HERE?	Personal files (photos of your pet, last holiday, etc.)	Work files (e.g. Word or Excel docs, PDF’s, etc.)	Your teams’ collabrative files, big data files, etc.	Personal files (photos of your pet, last holiday etc.)	Personal files (photos of your pet, last holiday etc.)
HOW MUCH STORAGE SPACE?	5GB (more if you created an account before Feb’16)	5TB	Limited by your imagination or work needs.	First 5GB free, then pay as you need.	First 15GB free, then pay as you need.

FILE SHARING?	Yes, similar to Google Drive or DropBox.	Yes. You manage the share (security) of file/folder. Simple versioning.	Yes, team collab space; managed by moderators. Most granular and secure.	Yes, very simple.	Yes, very simple.

Do I still have to back up my data if it’s stored in the cloud?

Yes, it’s always beneficial to have more than one backup of your data, preferably in different locations.

Tags: Office 365
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Wherever you roam, eduroam

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017

eduroam (education roaming) is the secure, world-wide roaming access service developed for the international research and education community.

Users can move between campuses and visit other participating institutions at home or abroad and get instant, secure network access, without having to arrange and use guest accounts or extra passwords. The visiting user is authenticated using the same credentials (username and password) they use at their home institution, the institution or organisation they are affiliated with.

Visiting dignitaries who subscribe to eduroam will be able to connect to all wireless access points across campus.

More information on how to use and activate the eduroam service can be found in our service catalogue. Also consult the eduroam websites at www. eduroam.org and http://eduroam.ac.za.

Tags: eduroam
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Is screen time safe for your children?

Friday, July 22nd, 2016

When you Google “children and screen time”, you will instantly be confronted with a wide range of strong opinions on the subject. As with most controversial issues, it’s best to consider all the facts and draw your own conclusions.

Screen time is defined by the National Library of Medicine (www.nlm.nih.gov) as “a term used for activities done in front of a screen such as watching TV, working on a computer or playing games.”

child-screen Technology undoubtedly has its advantages. With the arrival of tablets, education became more accessible and affordable. A seemingly endless range of educational games and apps for children are available for parents to choose from. (See our article on best games for children)

According to a survey conducted on behalf of kids clothing retailer Vertbaudet.co.uk, four in five parents in the UK believe technology and gadgets are beneficial to their children.

Clearly, many parents believe that technology is crucial to their child’s development and that it teaches coordination, concentration, communication skills and, of course, makes them tech-savvy. All of which is true.

Technology can be utilised for homework and in some schools, tablets are considered a necessity. Access to the internet and information has never been easier. But there’s always a “but”.

When technology purely becomes a means of entertainment to occupy a child with, it becomes a concern – on a psychological, as well as a medical level. The UK survey, mentioned above, indicated that children, on average, are exposed to screens 17 hours per week. Time spent outside adds up to 8.8 hours – almost half of the time spent interacting with a screen. In the United States, children spend, on average, 5 to 7 hours per day in front of a screen.

The UK survey, mentioned above, indicated that children, on average, are exposed to screens 17 hours per week. Time spent outside adds up to 8.8 hours – almost half of the time spent interacting with a screen. In the United States, children spend, on average, 5 to 7 hours per day in front of a screen.

Watching a screen is a sedentary activity and utilises little energy. Minimal physical activity, combined with unhealthy eating habits, (because we eat more when we do screen watching) leads to obesity.

Blue light emitted by digital devices interfere with the sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin. A lack of melatonin causes a change in sleep behaviour and difficulty sleeping.

Constant exposure to an abundance of information and screens for long periods of time will lead to difficulty in concentration and an attention deficit disorder. This behaviour is beneficial for developing multi-tasking skills, but the ability to focus on one task at a time will not be learnt.

Anxiety, depression and screen addiction are all serious side-effects and may continue later in life. Just as with any other addiction, watching a screen alters brain chemistry. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter found in sugar and cocaine addictions, is also prevalent in screen addiction.

According to Psychology Today, studies indicate that extended exposure to electronic media might cause delayed cognitive development. During the early years of growth the brain’s frontal lobe, responsible for decoding and comprehending social interactions, is at a critical phase. If during this time, a child isn’t exposed to the necessary human interaction, the frontal lobe will not develop normally. This, in turn, will lead to the inability to learn to read social cues, facial expressions or empathise with people.

By no means do we suggest you immediately ban all electronic devices from your home. As with most things in life, moderation is key. With a few simple guidelines and rules, your children can still reap the benefits of technology.

Research suggests no screen time should be allowed for children under two years, as they are in a crucial developmental stage. One to two hours is recommended for children over two.

Instead of spending time in front of a screen, suggest hobbies, activities and playing outside, which will benefit physical development.

Other suggestions by the National Library of Medicine include:

Remove televisions and other electronic devices from the bedroom.
No screen time during meals or homework.
No television as background noise. Rather switch on the radio.
No eating while watching television or using a tablet.
Keep track of time spent in front of screens.
Be a good parental role model by limiting your own screen time.
Challenge the family to spend one week without using their screens.

[SOURCES: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk, https://medlineplus.gov, https://www.psychologytoday.com, http://screenfreeproject.co.nz/news/]

Tags: children, education, screen time
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Video conferencing made easy

Thursday, June 9th, 2016

Vidyo-2 How often have your attempts to set up a video conference been marred by locked conference rooms, double bookings, faulty equipment, incompatible systems and limited support? Even when it’s up and running, both video and audio quality are so poor, it’s practically useless.

TENET, the Tertiary Education Research Network of South Africa, has introduced a new video conferencing service, aimed at fulfilling the conferencing needs of the South African Higher Education and Research communities. Their chosen delivery platform for this service is Vidyo.

Vidyo is a video conferencing platform developed to address the problems of traditional video conferencing by integrating with existing video conferencing systems. This means that no upgrades for existing room systems are required, i.e. no expensive video conferencing hardware is needed.

Desktops and laptops can be used as video conferencing tools, as well as any tablet or smartphone. You can display conference participants and shared content simultaneously on a laptop or desktop screen. Vidyo automatically adapts to the hardware to deliver the best possible experience.

The Vidyo client software is Windows, Mac OS and Linux compatible and VidyoMobile™ supports both Android and iOS devices. This means that you can participate in a conference from your smartphone or tablet on-the-go. Access is possible from anywhere, anytime – all you need is a webcam and internet enabled device.

Vidyo was used at the recently held National Telecommunication User Group (NTUG) Conference in Bloemfontein, allowing delegates from all over the country, who were unable to attend in person, the opportunity to participate online.

While Vidyo works well in normal and high bandwidth environments, it is also designed to operate when very little bandwidth is available. This makes it ideal if you’re on a slow connection. No more unintelligible conversations and blurry images.

Telephone bridging allows others to join your conference by phone and a recording and replay appliance allows recording of meetings. A large number of participants can be hosted, even if they use different brands of video conferencing equipment.

When it comes to video conferencing, the buzzword on everyone’s lips is collaboration. You can use this service to meet and consult instantly, share documents and images, exchange ideas and mentor and teach students.

The Vidyo service is available free of charge to all eligible academic and research institutions. We have created 46 Vidyo accounts of which 10 are used with existing video conferencing equipment on campus.

To use Vidyo, send an e-mail to telecom@sun.ac.za requesting a Vidyo account.

You will receive an e-mail containing a link to the Vidyo client, as well as a username and password to access the service.
Download and install the Vidyo client.
Log in with the following details:
VidyoPortal: http://sun-vc.tenet.ac.za
Username: as specified by IT
Password: as specified by IT

Useful links

TENET Vidyo Blog
Vidyo Knowledge Center (Videos)
Getting Started with Vidyo

[ARTICLE BY ANDRé ELMS]

Vidyo-2

Posted in Communication, Connectivity | Comments Off on Video conferencing made easy

Network installations: status and procedures

Friday, February 5th, 2016

Due to a great demand for networkpoints in 2015, as well as the start of the ICT Network Improvement Project, a backlog in providing networkpoints developed.

Consequently Information Technology and Facilities Management were compelled to review the process. To create a larger capacity, we will also use external consultants and contractors to facilitate network installations.

KKW procedures for network points
At the end of 2015, KKWs not processed, could have been cancelled. Therefore, it might be necessary to submit another KKW if you still need a network installation. To establish if a KKW request is active or has been cancelled, send the KKW number to netinfra@sun.ac.za and we will answer your query as soon as possible.

On the basis of the KKW, Facilities management will generate a work order for IT requesting the networkpoint installation. IT will then appoint a consultant to investigate and coordinate the installation.

Issues with existing networkpoints still have to be logged at the IT Service Desk. More information on network installation procedure.

We are confident that this new process will lead to a more satisfactory service.

Tags: kkw, network, network point
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Connectivity

What is Microsoft Office 365?

What is the cloud?

What is Microsoft Office 365?

Wherever you roam, eduroam

Is screen time safe for your children?

Video conferencing made easy

Network installations: status and procedures