Smart Zones, teleconference meeting spaces improved

Several Smart Zones in the Carolina Union are undergoing a transition this summer. Smart Zones, introduced in 2007 at the request of the Student Technology Advisory Board, are informal meeting spaces which allow students a place to interact and perform group work.

Three existing Smart Zones will be relocated from large spaces to more intimate work spaces; they will be equipped with a wall-mounted plasma screen for which students can use either their own laptop or an in-house PC. Four existing (and larger) Smart Zone spaces will see new projectors to offer users a larger projection image space. All Zones are outfitted with comfortable seating areas and work tables.
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Classroom Hotline proves it is easy being green

Summer is heating up at Carolina and like many departments across campus, ITS Teaching and Learning has shifted into high-gear, preparing computer labs for fall semester. The Classroom Hotline group will be life-cycling 200 computers in student labs, upgrading each system to the Carolina Computing Initiative’s (CCI) new eco-friendly model, the Lenovo m57eco tower.
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ITS mainframe life-cycle win-win for all

Recently, the ITS mainframe computer that runs the University’s legacy business applications got a new lease on life – life-cycling, that is.

With some components more than eight years old, the ITS mainframe and its associated disk drives were ready to be life-cycled. Life-cycling is the replacement of equipment because its lifespan has come to an end. Due to the age of the computer, its response times were slow and it could not serve the needs of the University business community as efficiently as wanted.
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ITS support continues during the summer

A vacation from school or work doesn’t mean a vacation from tech support. Whether you’re here in Chapel Hill or traveling abroad, follow the tips below for IT support if computer problems threaten your peace of mind.
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Affiliate Management System streamlines HR processes

How long would you like to go without e-mail or building access when you start a new job?

When contract employees, research associates, visiting scholars, and others categorized as “affiliates” join the campus network, they receive key identifiers such as a PID, One Card and Campus Directory listing. These are the things that make it possible to get going on campus - for example, to log into key systems and to receive e-mail. Thanks to ITS, the time it takes to obtain these services has gone from a few days to a few hours.
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