IT Service Catalogue
Workplace Technologies
Accounts & Passwords
The purpose of the Guest Registration App is to provide guests with access to IT services. Upon successful registration, the guest will be assigned a NWU number and network password and have access to the internet, eFundi and NWUWIFI. Additional IT services are also available and can be selected during the registration process.
Upon successful registration a guest will be assigned a NWU number and network password. This first password has a specific format; the guest can navigate to http://efundi.nwu.ac.za and click on the “Reset Passwords” link in order to view the format of the network password as well as change/reset their password in future.
During the registration period at NWU a default password is created for each staff member and student. Your primary password is either your ID number or passport number followed by @Nwu, e.g., 12345667890123@Nwu
For international students (including students from Namibia) this password consist of passport number followed by @Nwu, e.g., 123456789@Nwu
ATT: Staff & Students - this primary password will expire within two weeks. Therefore please change your default password before then.
For password holders that have already registered
Your password will be the same for all CAS systems (e.g., eFundi, e-mail, MS Office 365 suite, NOT VSS PASSWORD.) If you password expires (after 90 days), you will have to reset your password by clicking on change password, or forgotten password.
Staff members are automatically registered on the NWU network and provided with a NWU number once their record has been processed by People & Culture .
The NWU number is automatically deactivated 30 days after the resignation date as captured by People & Culture.
When staff log into the NWU network for the first time, their password is their RSA ID number or passport number.
Students are automatically registered on the NWU network and provided with a NWU number when they register on the Student System .
When students log into the NWU network for the first time, their password is their RSA ID number or passport number.
Office Automation
This service provides access to the official NWU templates for:
- MS Word: Agendas, Exampapers, Faxpages, Letterheads, Memos, Minutes, Standard Documentation, etc.
- MS Excel: Multiple Choice, Lecturer Evaluation.
- MS PowerPoint: For different presentations.
This service provides an MS Word Postgraduate and Proposal template for creating a Dissertation/Mini Dissertation or Proposal.
The strategic goal of Citrix Desktop Virtualisation (click for a quick overview) is twofold: firstly to provide convenient, anywhere, anytime access on almost any device to NWU staff and students, and secondly to extend the life of physical PC labs by offloading demanding computing tasks to a central system that is more capable than the individual workstations
Citrix allows you to connect to a Virtual Desktop from almost any recent device with internet access. Students have access to an "All-purpose Lab Desktop" with mostly the same software as can be found in the physical PC labs, while Staff have access to a "Staff Desktop" which has access to network drives.
How to restrict access to recordings in Teams. The procedure will give you a step by step guide to secure your recordings.
Services supported by IT
The Microsoft Power platform was selected as the low code no code (LCNC) development platform for the NWU.
Every user has access and the ability to develop within the default environment linked to the NWU tenant, fostering collaborative Power Platform capabilities.
Please see the Power platform guidelines on best practices for storing your data.
The following development tools are allowed and do not depend on project type:
- Canvas apps
- Dataverse apps
- Power Automate
- Power Pages
- Artificial Intelligence services
- Power BI Dashboards
Due to potential cost implications, some types will only be allowed per request. Please see General guidelines point 1.6.
Power platform development applications are classified as:
- Personal Development and Training application projects
- Business Unit (Faculty/ Department) applications projects
- Enterprise application projects
Every classification has a different set of rules and regulations, please refer to the General guidelines for more information.
Workstation Hardware & Software
Microsoft's antivirus software provides protection of Windows workstations against virus attacks and malware intrusions. Microsoft Security Essentials is used for Windows 7 and Microsoft Defender is used for Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10.
This service provides Microsoft Office 365. Enjoy a full, installed Office experience across PCs, Macs, Windows tablets and iPad® and Android™ tablets, and most mobile devices. Each user can install Office on 5 PCs or Macs, 5 tablets/phones.
This service provides secure printing on the NWU network printers.
Staff and Guests use the printers situated in their departments.
Students have access to printers situated in computer rooms and libraries on their campus.
This is the standard NWU Remote connection program and can be loaded on any device regardless if private property or NWU owned.
This service provides laptop support for students who own laptops that was issued by the NWU during the Covid-19 lockdown.
IT Infrastructure
Data Storage & Recovery
NWU students are assigned the following storage options when registered as a student at the NWU: (Students)
|
Platform |
Description |
Size |
|
Google Workspace |
Cloud storage |
1 GB |
| MS Outlook | Active mailbox | 1 GB |
| MS Outlook | Online archive | 100 GB |
Storage is only available while a student is an active student of the NWU.
The following conditions apply when using the NWU cloud environment:
- It is the student's responsibility to back up the data stored in any NWU cloud environment.
- When a student graduates or leaves the University, it is the student's responsibility to backup data on personal storage and take it along.
NWU staff members are assigned the following storage options when registered as a user at the NWU: (Staff)
|
Platform |
Description |
Size |
|
MS 365 OneDrive |
Cloud storage |
30 GB |
| MS 365 Outlook | Active mailbox | 10 GB |
| MS 365 Outlook | Online archive | 100 GB |
|
NextCloud |
Private cloud storage (Research data) |
50 GB |
|
Google Workspace |
Cloud storage |
5 GB |
Storage is only available while a user is an active staff member of the NWU.
Please see storage guidelines on best practices for storing your data.
Electronic Services
All technologies found in academic facilities, including (but not limited to) computers, access control, lecture broadcast- and capturing, sound, projectors/large format monitors, cameras, switching-, control- and building automation equipment, patch points, microphones etc., used to further Teaching and Learning or Research/Innovation strategies. After installation, these are supported by campus IT's.
Design and supply of purpose made equipment for controlling experiments and measuring/recording results or monitoring standard equipment. This is usually done in cooperation with Instrumentmakers wherever specialized mechanical components are used.
Used for connectivity in meetings that need to be attended from remote locations. Infrastructure is provided by IT-ES, but support is done from campus IT.
Sound and/or visual systems in venues other than classrooms.
Used as security and/or management tool to view in real-time or to scrutinize recorded visual evidence of events. Users that wish to apply, need the signature of management (one level up if the applicant is a manager him/herself) and need to abide by the rules so as not to transgress the POPI act or place the university at any kind of risk. All applications need to be properly motivated and are screened by Protection Services and IT before being approved.
Access control systems use standard NWU cards to manage access to facilities (perimeter, buildings, parking lots etc) or to facilitate sales by student card.
Electronic Services cares for and supplies the infrastructure centrally, which is maintained by campus IT's. Access at any point is granted by lists kept up by Protection Services on your campus. Access lists belong to a list owner/administrator who takes responsibility towards managing the list of persons authorized.
Burglar alarms used to monitor and warn about unauthorized access to facilities or equipment. Users can apply for user codes here and need to understand that access to an alarm system bears the same risks as carrying keys to official facilities.
Building and system automation in general, sometimes limited to monitoring process variables and alarming on over/under range such as for cryogenic freezers, compressed air supply etc.
Mandatory in high-density buildings. Used to monitor building for signs of fire and to take appropriate action, such as alarming or automatically suppressing fire with chemicals. Note that all fire-alarm systems should be serviced 6-monthly and that OSH is responsible for these standard services. IT-ES will handle all electronic faults that are detected by these mandatory services or faults that are reported in-between.
Network & WiFi
"eduroam (education roaming) is the secure, world-wide roaming access service developed for the international research and education community.
eduroam allows the user from participating institutions to obtain Internet connectivity when visiting other participating institutions by signing on with their institutions credentials." source: www.eduroam.org
Watch this video that explains how eduroam works.
The Internet service enables the user to access the Internet from any network access point with a valid ip address on the default “web-based” network ports: 80 and 443.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is also allowed via the proxy.
This service provides network cables.
This service provides a network point connected to the NWU network.
This service allows a user to apply for an open port on the NWU Firewall.
Requests are approved or disapproved by the IT Director.
The NWU’s Firewall ensures that all internal network computers are protected by preventing any unnecessary and unauthorized network traffic to and from any internal computer connected to the NWU Network.
Central Firewall policies are maintained to grant access in exceptional cases.
The Internal Proxy Servers store or keep copies of the most requested or browsed pages or downloads and in doing so accelerates any consequential requests for the same information from the local storage.
This service enables students to access the NWU Network from the pre-installed network point in their residence rooms.
This service enables the user who is not on campus to work on the NWU network as if being on campus with access to all services (e.g. HPC).
This service provides mobile access to the NWU Network.
Communication & Collaboration
Collaboration & Web Services
The Intranet provides a space for staff collaboration.
Microsoft Teams is a powerful collaboration tool available via Microsoft’s Office 365 suite. As part of the NWU’s path to Dx (Digital transformation), MS Teams is the currently supported collaboration tool. The application allows teams and groups to create a virtual space where they can collaborate. Although the collaboration opportunities are endless, at NWU, Microsoft Teams may only be used for operational or academic purposes. MS Teams is available to all current NWU staff and students. It is easy to use and convenient in this era of hybrid working, allowing you to work with others even while off-campus. One can collaborate on documents, send instant messages, and even hold online meetings or video conferences.
Nextcloud is an open source, NWU hosted cloud storage solution with file share and communication capabilities. It enables you to access and sync your files, as well as communicate and collaborate.
Nextcloud is NOT available for undergraduate students.
Please note that this service is not for
databases.
This service provides online surveys, mobile data collection, advanced analysis and data visualization.
This service provides web publishing support for information to be placed on the NWU Internet and Intranet.
Email & Calendaring
Outlook is the official email service of the NWU.
This service enables the user to make use of the Outlook Email and Calendaring functionality.
Personalised:
- Email addresses are created as being NWUnumber@nwu.ac.za and can be personalised (follow infographic steps to learn more), to name.surname@nwu.ac.za Use these guides as a reference and if your last name has changed or has been spelled incorrectly. To achieve this: Click here to go to the website
- Kindly be mindful that signing out of Teams and then signing back in is necessary for the modification to become active. Refer to the infographic for step-by-step instructions.
Note: If you do this at home, a VPN connection is required.
This service enables the user to access the official NWU Email and Calendaring service through a mobile device.
Telephony & Messaging
Connect-Mobile is the new product that can be used for sending bulk sms's.
Skype for Business is the new telephony service adopted by the NWU. Skype for Business is a complete UC telephony service, which includes more than just telephony.
Skype for Business is an App-based UC telephony service that no longer requires a physical telephone instrument on your table. Instead, it is an App installed on your computer, from where you will be able to make and receive phone calls as if they were on an ordinary telephone.
Physical telephones will only be provided when it is the last resort and will be supplied at a cost.
Users are encouraged to use the App with their current headsets and communication devices. The provisioning of headsets is the responsibility of each Department.
The App is also available for Android and Apple iOS.
Academic Computing
Computer Rooms
This service provides automatically generated user ID’s for non-recurrent use by students when taking official examinations or tests.
Lecturers should take the responsibility to create and distribute the IDs, as well as to download the data post-exam if required.
This service provides support in terms of advice, licensing and implementation of software for the computer rooms.
Software is divided into two categories:
- Licensed by ITC
- Licensed by a specific department (other than ITC).
This service provides a means for students to book individual workstations in the computer rooms on campus.
Each student is able to book two one hour sessions per day seven days in advance. The two one hour sessions may be consecutive.
Research
This service provides the means to compute extensive parallelized mathematical computations on a large dataset.
A means to provide access to Turnitin via eFundi for comparing uploaded assignments to a database, determining the probability of plagiarism.
Teaching & Learning with Technology
This service is a web-based eLearning, collaboration and research management system. It is designed to help lecturers and researchers create many different courses and project sites with varying levels of complexity.
eFundi offers a broad spectrum of features, including tools for:
- administration,
- assessments & assignments,
- communication,
- voting for your favourite lecturer (twice per year),
- sharing resources and,
- collaborative learning.
The Tools can be individually selected, added, or removed based on each site's specific requirements or needs.
This web-based service has two functions. Each function has it's own login page and support. The two functions are:
HAT LM provides the front-end for lecturers to:
- connect themselves to the modules that they are responsible for;
- enter the number of students for the specific module.
HAT APP allows the lecturer to:
- fill in their time sheets.
This service provides network connected workstations in the lecturer’s podiums of lecture halls.
Millions of engineers and scientists worldwide use MATLAB® to analyze and design the systems and products transforming our world.
MATLAB® combines a desktop environment tuned for iterative analysis and design processes with a programming language that expresses matrix and array mathematics directly. It includes the Live Editor for creating scripts that combine code, output, and formatted text in an executable notebook.
This service provides a multiple choice card reader for the capturing of assessment or evaluation results that were done on multiple choice cards.
NB: The user is responsible to read in the cards themself.
Services supported by IT
Services supported by IT
This system is used for the Institutional Advancement of the NWU. The functionality include:
- Alumni Relations
- Fund Raising
- Community Engagement
- Marketing
This service includes the following:
• Facilities service and Maintenance
requests
• Space and IT Asset Reservations
• Move Requests
• Space and Infrastructure requests
• Space Management
• OHS incident reporting, risk assessment
• Lease Management
• Residence and Office space occupation
• Capital Project Management
This service is the Financial system of the NWU and includes:
- Accounts payable and receivable
- Capital asset management
- Chart of accounts
- General ledger
- Kuali identity management
- Purchasing
- Value added tax
- Reporting.
This system is used by Human Capital for the management of:
- Employee biographical information
- Appointments
- Leave
- Payroll
- Position budgets
This service manages student study admissions, residence admissions, registrations, course results, fees, financial aid, graduation, short course admission and registration.