Computer hardware

We provide and support the University's standard computer hardware.

Operating system and workstation image

We support an IDG (Information and Digital Group) Managed Windows 10 Desktop The initial configuration of the operating system and software installed on a Windows computer is referred to as the computer ‘image’.

Remote support solution

The IDG Help Desk and Deskside Services can connect remotely to a customer's desktop to provide assistance with their IDG Managed Windows 10 Desktop computer in response to calls that have been submitted.

End of life

We aim to provide a stable environment that you can rely on to remain consistent for a reasonable length of time. However, the IT environment constantly changes making it impossible to support hardware and software indefinitely. Therefore, we have a policy of clearly stating when items will reach their ‘end of life’ and will no longer be supported by IDG. We announce life cycles as far in advance as is practical to give you sufficient time to plan for future changes.

In general, we support standard computer hardware for up to four years after purchase. We will aim to give a year's notice on withdrawal of support for old operating system versions.

Application Delivery

There are several different ways we can deliver applications to customers. An appropriate method will be agreed depending upon the requirements.

We provide the ability for computer users to access a range of software applications supported by the Information and Digital Group (IDG).

There's a balance to be maintained around the variety of systems which we support. On the one hand we want to offer a wide choice of computers so each person can chose a system that is suited to the tasks they perform. However, there's a need to restrict the variety of different systems so that we can make new applications available quickly and support staff can build up a detailed knowledge of the supported environment.

In general, software licensing is not the responsibility of this service. We ensure software licensing mechanisms are operating correctly for each application and can host licenses in most cases, although this isn't guaranteed. The responsibility for ensuring users are legally entitled to use the application lies with the customer who requests that an application is made available to them.