User Desktop Support

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Service Description

Digital Services provides a User Desktop Support Service to Staff on the Supported Staff Environment.

The Supported Staff Environment is a 'common user desktop' built upon a standardised operating system, with a set of core applications and further access to University Corporate Applications (HR, Finance, Student Records, etc) as required. This standardised approach is referred to within the University as the Supported Staff Environment Service (SSE).

In addition to SSE-configured workstations, there are faculty-based desktop systems which do not currently connect to the Active Directory service which the SSE is based on but operate using the same standard Microsoft operating systems and set of core applications.

A software image compliant with the University Desktop Standards Architecture developed by ICT Customer Services is made available to Departments and Faculties for deployment to systems that are not part of the SSE programme.

Desktop support also encompasses peripheral devices such as Printers, Scanners, USB Drives, etc.

Business Process

Central department staff are directly supported by Digital Services for all issues and enquiries, via the IT Service Desk.

Faculty academic and administrative staff are provided direct support from their Faculty Technical staff and all issues should be initially directed to them. An exception is issues involving Corporate Applications (such as Finance and Student systems) and where the other core components of the User Desktop remain fully functional. In these cases, the issue may be initially reported to the Digital Services IT Service Desk.

Faculty Technical staff requiring Digital Services assistance to progress requests or resolve issues may contact the Service Desk on the user's behalf, to articulate the issue and actions already taken and seek further advice.

Supporting Materials

While Digital Services would not encourage staff to attempt 'self fixing' beyond what they feel comfortable and are safe in doing, there are 'pre-checks' which may either directly resolve the issue or help to streamline the communication with the Service Desk.

Hardware

If your problem seems to be hardware related, such as power or keyboard issues, have you checked all your cable connections?

This allows the Service Desk to quickly eliminate the possibility of loose connections, and focus on a potential hardware failure

Network Connectivity

If you have lost network connectivity, are other users similarly affected?

System Fault

If you have a fault with a particular system, are other users experiencing the same issue?

This allows the Service Desk to quickly establish if the fault may lie with your specific desktop, or if a more general system or network issue may be the real cause.