August 2006 IT News

Wireless Network Changes

uconnect.utah.edu is a new authenticated, encrypted wireless network available for campus users. It is a critical component in realizing the ITC wireless vision providing campus-wide wireless coverage and it is expected to be available in all campus buildings and frequently-traveled outside areas of campus within the next two years. uconnect has been enabled in all OIT-supported Wireless Access Points (WAPs) throughout campus, and it can and should be turned up now in as many department-maintained locations as possible.

Uconnect will replace the existing secure.utah.edu wireless network by the end of the year. To help campus users make the transition to the uconnect network, the following communications efforts are being used.

Current campus wireless users are now seeing information on changing their wireless client configuration when they log onto the secure.utah.edu campus wireless network on any OIT-supported WAP. The notification page directs them to uconnect instructions and an automatic installer (for Win XP users) on the OIT website - see www.it.utah.edu/wireless/uconnect.
Uconnect fliers and posters are available for departments running their own network to educate their users. Contact Mindy Tueller at 1-3423 if you are interested.
Another SSID/network is being broadcast on OIT-maintained WAPs called How_to_connect_to_uconnect. If a campus user connects to this wireless network, they see information on uconnect and are redirected to the uconnect webpage on the OIT website.
Finally, an email to all campus wireless users was sent out on August 24th with information on using the uconnect network.

If you have questions on how to bring up the uconnect.utah.edu network on your departmentally-maintained wireless network, please contact the Campus Help Desk at 581-4000, option 1. You will be connected to a NOC representative.

UMail update

Campus departments are starting to reap the benefits of the new campus UMail system. 23 departments/organizations have now migrated from their email systems to UMail, with over 14,000 unique users now actively using the system. Departments that have moved or will be moving to the campus UMail system are listed on the UMail Department Migration webpage. Post-migration follow up indicates users are very happy with the system features, especially the busy searches. Users can see the times when other UMail users are free or busy - meeting scheduling that once took days can now be done with one email.

If you are interested in moving to the new UMail system, or want more information, please see our technical UMail webpage or contact Earl Lewis, UMail Project Manager, at 1-3635.

MobileSphere prepaid Personal Long Distance

The Office of Information Technology is offering a new service to all campus members: prepaid domestic and international long distance for personal use. OIT has partnered with MobileSphere to provide their low-cost, prepaid domestic and international long distance Utalk service to U of U students, staff and faculty from any phone, such as a cellular, campus housing, desk or home phone.

The Utalk rates are highly competitive for residential long distance and international calling. Domestic calls and calls to many countries are only 5 cents/minute.

The CellularLD™ feature allows seamless international calling from any cell phone at significantly reduced rates without the hassle of prepaid calling cards. Wireless users can place calls from an existing cell phone, using a current plan, for a fraction of the cost.

The Utalk service has no surcharges, connection or maintenance fees, and no expiration of prepaid minutes.

Learn more and sign up for the prepaid long distance service via the OIT Utalk webpage at www.it.utah.edu/utalk/.