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Services FAQ
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- Can you support groups outside of the Department of Medicine?
The DOM IT Services group's primary responsibility is to the Department of Medicine. However, we occasionally work on projects for other groups. If you would like to talk to us about your project, please drop us a line. back to top
- Do you support electronic mailing lists?
To request a new mailing list go to the OAAIS
electronic mailing list request page. DOM IT Services can also
request and maintain mailing lists for you as a project. Please contact us for more information. back to top
- Why do you charge for Medical Center Application support?
We support users in clinical operations, research labs, administrative offices, education programs, and many other areas. Most of our users ask us to support the same set of core applications (Microsoft Office, for example), but every group has one or more applications which only they use. This makes it difficult for us to provide the same level of expertise with our small staff. Since the DOM IT Services group receives no subsidies from the Department, we have to make some trade-offs when it comes to supporting specific applications. In the past we have worked on "non-standard" applications as a project, but we recognize that some applications are vital to the Department's mission. That is why we changed our policy regarding MedCenter Application support, and now provide a monthly support agreement at a reduced rate. back to top
- Can you support my home computer?
We can support non-UCSF computers only as a project, and only on campus (i.e., we can't come to your house to help you with your computer or home network). For more information, please see the conditions of our device support agreements. back to top
- Why do you require 3-year warranties? Aren't extended warranties a waste of money?
Yes, most extended warranties for retail purchases are useless, but since we are making a minimum of a 3-year investment and, more importantly, investing in employees who cost a lot more than the warranty when they sit idle, the Department believes the expense is warranted.
Another reason for this policy is to bring warranties for Apple computers in line with those of Dells, which automatically come with a 3 years of Next Business Day service. Without an AppleCare extended warranty, Apple's warranties are 1 year for parts and labor, and 90 days of phone support. Since Apple won't send a technician for on-site repairs with the standard warranty, this means that all hardware service has to be handled by the UCSF Technology Store, which outsources repairs to Eaton Associates. Eaton Associates picks up every Tuesday and Thursday, so any Apple hardware repair is guaranteed to take a week, which is not an acceptable amount of downtime for our users, and it requires more effort from the DOM IT Services group to arrange alternate computing options for that week. By purchasing AppleCare you are actually making sure that both your Mac and PC users have the same level of warranty service, and minimizing downtime. back to top
- Can you support my computer if it is out of warranty?
Computers with a device support agreement must have at least a 3 year warranty. In the 4th year we will continue to provide software support, but hardware support is limited. Beyond the 4th year we can provide support as a project only. For more information, please see the conditions of our device support agreements. back to top
- I'm leaving UCSF. Can I keep my email account? Will you still support my email?
In order to have a UCSF email account you must have a UCSF Employee ID Number (EIN). If you will be maintaining your relationship with UCSF in some way (e.g., switching to a "without salary" faculty appointment), then your EIN will still be valid, and you can keep your account. As long as your division is maintaining at least an email-only support agreement, we can continue to provide email support. back to top
- I like to deal with the same DOM IT Services group member for all of my issues. Can I call them directly instead of calling the DOM Helpdesk?
You can contact any DOM IT Services group member for your support needs, but you will always get better, faster service if you call the DOM Helpdesk. When you call the DOM Helpdesk you will get an immediate response, and we can usually resolve your issue over the phone. If we can't help you on the first call we will thoroughly document your issue in our helpdesk system, then contact the best person to resolve your particular technical problem. Sometimes this is the group member closest to your office, but often it is the person in the group most knowledgeable that area. Also, in an emergency the DOM Helpdesk can get a message directly to any group member, even if they're out of the office. The DOM Helpdesk will also know when our group members are out sick or on vacation. If you call the same group member every time you have to wait for them to get back to you, and even then might not be able to resolve your issue on their own. back to top
- Can I use my federal grant funds to pay for DOM IT Services?
Yes, you can use federal grant funds to pay for IT services, with restrictions. Please see the Policy Higlights article from our Fall 2008 newsletter. back to top
- Why do you prioritize work on server and support contracts over that on projects?
The salaries of the DOM IT Services staff are funded primarily by recharge fees and Department subsidies. We try to estimate how many project hours we will bill in a year, but this number fluctuates wildly from year to year. The month-to-month service contracts for servers, desktops, email and MedCenter application support provide us with the only steady income we can count on, and are used to help us plan our staffing levels. We place an emphasis on work done to support these contracts because without them our group would not be able to function.
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