Requesting IT equipment (staff)

IT Services have reviewed and selected a range of standard IT equipment.   This range includes Windows and Apple laptop and desktop PC's, as well as peripherals and accessories.

Equipment has been selected to meet user requirements, while providing quality, value and meeting security and supportability requirements.  The majority of IT equipment will include support and warranty cover from IT Services or a third party supplier.

You can view the UoE IT equipment standards and current costs here.

Non-standard IT equipment can also be purchased if options are not suitable, and options and pricing provided.

Recommended IT equipment for colleagues

The minimum standard IT allocation of equipment for colleagues regardless of work mode includes:

• 14" UoE Windows laptop
• USB Headset

Additional provision based on mode of working

In addition to the minimum allocation, there is a recommendation for the provision of the following equipment:

Specialist equipment/Reasonable adjustments

Specialist equipment is necessary for an individual to do their job for technical reasons relating to the nature of their work. Equipment should be considered as part of their provision in consultation with faculty/service leadership.

Some colleagues may require reasonable adjustments to their working equipment e.g., the use of particular equipment for reasons attributed to physical or mental disability. Please refer to the DSE webpage here:

It is the manager's responsibility to ensure reasonable adjustments are in place for staff, and many arrangements can be put in place without the need for occupational health support, e.g., an additional screen. Where support is needed, colleagues should be referred to the Occupational Health team to establish if they require reasonable adjustments.

To request IT equipment, please follow these steps:

1. Review the standard IT equipment detailed above
2. Raise an IT equipment request through the IT Service Desk by clicking here and selecting 'Log a request' > 'New IT Equipment Purchase'. This will bring up a form which will guide you through the information needed to fulfil your request. You will need to know the following information to complete the form:
   
   
   • What standard equipment you would like to request, or if none suitable details of the requirements so non-standard options can be researched for you
   • Who the request is for and where it will be used
   • There is now one single budget for all laptops/PCs linked to a specific user.  Please use the first option in the list to select this budget.  If the request is to be funded by a separate budget (for example, for lab or departmental use, or is grant or externally funded) please provide the T1 account code
   • Confirmation if the request qualifies for VAT exemption (for further information please check here)
   • Any deadlines for the IT request
   • Any other specific software or configuration requirements
3. Once completed the form will be sent to the T1 Budget Holder/s for Approval via Power Automate.
4. For Zero Rated VAT Orders this will go to the Tax Office for approval before the T1 budget holder.
5. Once confirmed, IT Services will process this request and you will receive a ticket reference.
6. We will endeavour to supply standard Windows equipment from stock. We now hold stock of standard Apple equipment, and Non-Standard equipment will always be ordered to an individual request
7. Once your IT equipment is available you will be contacted for collection/deployment and any further setup.

EE mobile phone voice and data package: £15 per month

Includes:

• unlimited calls to UK landline and mobile numbers
• unlimited SMS (text) messages to UK mobiles

Data Usage:

The University has purchased a single data bundle for all mobile phones which is suitable for users to share to standard mobile phone data. This is made available to users on a reasonable use basis.  If there is excessive usage over a connection, the University will recharge this usage directly back to the College or Department the Contract is allocated to.

Strictly not to be used for a WiFi dongle (hotspot) connection.

Colleges and Department generally have their own dedicated contact who is responsible for purchasing and managing mobile phone contracts for their staff members.  If your Department or College does not have a contact listed below, please raise a query through the IT Helpdesk who will be able to advise.

Please contact your own relevant Administrator for further information.

Smartphones

These devices combine the functionality you would normally expect from a mobile phone, such as SMS messaging and internet browsing, with access to email, calendar and online contacts. Many smartphones also include facilities such as media player, camera, gps and gaming.

Tablet Computers

Tablets are touch-screen handheld computers which usually connect to a wireless network and which may also incorporate mobile broadband. One example of a tablet computer, the Apple iPad,  is supported by Exeter IT. For a given memory, the 3G (mobile broadband) version costs around £100 more than the non-3G version, and will incur an additional monthly cost for the Mobile Broadband tariff.

Desk/Landline Handsets

For information on desk-based phones please refer to  Telephony web pages.

The Mobile Phone Communications Policy document explains the tariffs and responsibilities for University Managers, Finance Administrators and University mobile users.

The Smartphone Service Support Policy document explains the scope and level of central IT support offered for Smartphones.

The SIM tray is always on the side of an iPhone (except for the first three models), and on an Android it will be on the side or the top. You’ll notice a small hole where the SIM tray is. The SIM can be removed using the SIM-eject tool included with the phone when you first got it. If you have misplaced this tool, you can bend out a paperclip and use the end of this instead.

Poke the paperclip/tool point into the SIM tray hole and push it in lightly and the tray will pop out. Use your fingers to fully remove the tray. You can now tip out the current SIM, and drop your new one into the tray (see below for guidance on knowing your SIM card size) – use the corner cut-off as a guide to orientation. Once the SIM is in properly, it should sit flush within the SIM tray. Then slide the tray back into the phone.

On an older handset model, you may find that the SIM tray is located underneath a removable back cover, below or above the battery.

How do I know my SIM card size?

SIM cards fall into three sizes: Standard, Micro and Nano, descending in size. The new SIM card you receive will fit every size option as it can be downsized to fit smaller SIM card trays. You will just need to 'pop out' the appropriate sized SIM for your phone. 

Most phones will come with clear instructions telling you which SIM card size suits the device. Failing that, search online for your exact phone model and the information can be easily found.

In the case of iPhone, anything after the iPhone 6 uses a Nano SIM.

We recommend that you download the MS Teams mobile app to your handset and sign-in to your University account. Here is guidance on downloading the app:

iOS:

1. Open the Apple App Store on your iOS device.
2. Tap the Search icon in the store and type Microsoft Teams.
3. Tap the download link to install the app on your device.
4. Once the app has finished downloading and installing, you will be able to open it and sign-in. 

Android:

1. Open the Google Play Store on your Android device.
2. Tap the Search icon in the store and type Microsoft Teams. 
3. Tap the Install button to install the app on your device.
4. Once the app has finished downloading and installing, you will be able to open it and sign-in. 

If you’re travelling abroad, there are additional charges to consider for using your phone based on which country you’re travelling to.

For EU countries, you can use your phone to make and receive calls to and from the UK, send text messages and use your data connection as normal.  Please note for data, there is a general Fair Usage policy on phone connections after which, additional costs may be charged to your department.

Please note, for calls, only those that either originate or terminate in the UK are not charged by EE.  For any call that doesn’t either originate OR terminate in the UK, there is a 50p per minute charge.

For example, if you are in Spain and you call the University to discuss something with a colleague, this would be included in the standard contract and so not chargeable.  However, if while you were there, you called a local restaurant to book a table, this would be charged at 50p per minute.

For the Rest of the World, there are 3 different Zones of Countries with different charges depending on the Zone.

Do you need to order anything in advance before going abroad?

 No. You will be charged the relevant amount based on the above automatically by EE.  If you are travelling to a Zone A or Zone B country, you will be charged either £4 or £7 each day you use your phone in that country (even if it is for a single phone call made or text message sent).  

Can I take my 4G Wifi Dongle abroad?

No.  The 4G Wifi Dongles are strictly for UK use only and must not be used abroad.  Any dongle used abroad in any country (either EU countries or any country in Zone A, B or RoW) will be charged at £3 per MB used and will be recharged directly back to your department or faculty.  There are no ‘bundles’ available for 4G wifi dongles.   On average a ‘light’ user, only checking emails and basic web-browsing will use between 30MB and 40MB per day so can expect a bill of at least around £90-£120 per day (over £1,000 if on a two week trip this was the average daily usage).  

How long can I use my connection abroad?

This service is designed for short-term use while travelling abroad.  EE does not provide a Global service and if a connection is used constantly for more than 3 months they make take action to disconnect the service.

Further Queries?

Please email mobilemanagement@exeter.ac.uk if you have any further queries.  These information is correct as of Easter 2022.

Exeter campuses

New printers can be requested through the University provider Xerox, by contacting them directly.  

• email the Xerox Managed Print Team at UoEOnsiteSupport@xerox.com
• call the Xerox Global Communication Centre (Helpdesk) on: 0370 850 7832

Penryn and Truro campuses 

For printing at the Penryn and Truro campuses, please see FX Plus Printing webpages - https://www.fxplus.ac.uk/our-services/reprographics 

• To allow us to manage stock much more effectively so that we can have available what you need when you need it.
• So we can make any budget code recharges promptly.
  
• To allow us to respond to supplier lead times and absorb these delays on your behalf as much as possible.

• For non centrally-funded equipment, the approval of a budget holder is essential. The cost is recharged once the equipment is collected or delivered.  The approval may be the only point at which the budget holder has sight of the cost and is a requirement of us recharging the cost from a budget.
• For Zero-rated VAT equipment requests, this may be the only sight the Tax Office have of the request to approve.

• If you wish to request additional items please raise a new request as we cannot increase the already authorised cost.
• Please let us know as soon as possible if you wish to remove items from your request. We can manually amend the cost down but not increase the value due to financial approval requirements.

• The request will go to the UoE Tax Office first who will assess and Approve or Reject the request.
• The request will then go to the budget holder approval pool as usual.
• This will then progress to IT Services in the usual way.
• Your budget code will be recharged the Zero Rate VAT amount.
• This process has been agreed with the Tax Office and covers off the legal requirements around Zero-rate VAT orders.

• Please split into separate requests for individuals so we can accurately track work and avoid any confusion of having multiple users in one request. If equipment will be used mainly by one person then please submit individual requests. This also allows us to take advantage of automation and other efficiencies to speed up provision of equipment.
• If you wish to request equipment for larger scale work (for example for a Project) please select Non-Standard request and we will contact you to discuss requirements. However please note that we may have to place direct orders with suppliers for large scale requests which would be subject to supplier lead times.

• You must use the short charge code for the budget - please use the lookup tool here to check if you are unsure.
• If your budget code is new, we load new codes on a Sunday.
• If you have no approvers linked to the Approval Pool on the code, there is no one to send an approval to therefore this will be rejected by the system. Please contact Finance to rectify this.  If approvers are added this is updated on a Sunday.

• The Budget holder (and for Zero Rate requests the Tax Office) will need to approve this first. A call for Desktop Support is only generated once this is fully approved. You should receive your call reference within 1 working day of approval. Please check with the budget holder if this has been approved.
• If your request was not approved by the budget holder within 30 days the request will expire as requirements and prices could change.

• The form uses the T1 budget holder approval and it is not possible for us to approve on another budget holders behalf.
• The request for approval is valid for 30 days which would cover most annual leave periods.
• If the budget holder will be absent for a significant period then it is best practice to get another approver added to the approval pool via normal finance channels. The request would need to be resubmitted once this done. Our system updates with any changes to codes and approval pools on a Sunday.

• Our prices are amended weekly in line with the current costs from suppliers - they can go up or down depending on this.

• Please reject the request and ask the requestor to resubmit the request with what you are happy to authorise.
• If the request has already been approved, please let us know as soon as possible so we can cancel the request or remove items. We can amend the cost down manually but we cannot increase the value charged.

• Please reject the request and ask the requestor to resubmit against the correct budget code so it is authorised by the correct budget holder. We cannot manually change it on our system to prevent errors.
• If the request has already been approved, please let us know as soon as possible so we can cancel the request. The requestor should then submit a new request against the correct code.

• Normally this will between the 1st and 5th of the month after delivery.
• Year End Journalling will cover equipment collected or delivered by 31st July.

• As with T1 receipting, we cannot journal costs from your budget until equipment has been delivered or collected.
• For Year End we can only journal funds from your budget for equipment delivered or collected by 31st July.

• Please arrange for this to be journaled between the two codes in the usual way to transfer the cost. We can only journal against the code authorised as our system does not allow us to change this.

• We currently cannot provide this as we order equipment in bulk and recharge via journalling the approved budget. For orders over £5,000 (which almost all our bulk orders are) we have to meet the usual T1 requirements of providing 3 quotes.
• We are also in discussion with Finance Colleagues about how we can help you in meeting these requirements.