DSA PC Inventory

Program Overview

SAITS, through the DSA PC Inventory is responsible for providing a personal computer and LCD monitor to each staff position within the division. All new equipment purchases of PCs or servers, including monitors, keyboards, and mice are to be purchased exclusively through SAITS, regardless of the funding sources available to the department. Additional workstations for new positions, supplemental work areas, student workstations, or public areas are also included in the inventory.  By the end of 2009 all PCs and laptops within the division should be a part of the DSA PC Inventory and registered to SAITS.

Under the program, SAITS will establish a standardized hardware and software configuration each year that will meet all functional requirements and ensure a common standard across the division. In order to maximize financial and operational efficiencies, SAITS will primarily purchase the equipment in a single order generally occurring only once per academic year. This is to maintain the SAITS standard and continue to reduce DSA costs for the maintenance and repair of equipment by limiting the number of models deployed within the division.

Prior to Fiscal Year 2008/09, SAITS was funded to replace 25% of the PCs within a given department each year based upon the number of units on record in the DSA PC Inventory. Due to budget reductions, this program was modified in FY 2008/09 to a five year replacement cycle dependent upon further budget modifications. In FY 2008/09 departments also received the last installment of LCD monitor replacements provided by the Division.

Based upon the revised program funding, in FY 2009/10, SAITS will replace 20% of PCs in each department and monitor replacements will be handled on an as needed basis.  FY 2009/10 will also mark our program’s fifth year of PC replacement and it will complete a full refresh cycle for all departments.  As part of the Year 5 process, each department's authorized PC count will be validated and any additional units above the authorized count must be approved by an AVP or VP.  Additionally, all remaining non‐SAITS laptops and PCs must be replaced or retired in Year 5.  Any remaining non‐standardized PCs/laptops must be returned to SAITS as part of this process for survey.

Year 5 will also be the final year the department will deploy systems with Windows XP.  The current OS and applications image have been deployed since the summer of 2008 and currently all PCs within the division are standardized with the same Windows XP/Office 2007 functionality.  SAITS will be bypassing the Vista operating system and will begin standardization on Windows 7 beginning in calendar year 2010.  Year 5 PCs are expected to be fully functional with Windows 7.

Authorized Inventory - DSA PC Inventory by Fiscal Year

Fiscal Year 2009/10 DSA PC Inventory - Replacement Cycle Completion
Fiscal Year 2008/09 DSA PC Inventory - Program Modifications
Fiscal Year 2007/08 DSA PC Inventory
Fiscal Year 2006/07 DSA PC Inventory
Fiscal Year 2005/06 DSA PC Inventory

Equipment Replacement

All requests for PC replacement or relocation are to be made to SAITS by contacting the department at x7186 or by placing an online Help Request.

• When SAITS replaces a PC and/or monitor as part of regular maintenance the technical staff member is required to take back the existing computer equipment that is currently in use unless arrangements have been made with the Executive Director of SAITS.
• Equipment replacement that is part of the annual DSA PC Inventory program must be swapped with another production workstation. Systems returned to SAITS are intended to be PCs that were currently in use by a staff member and not a "surplus" system. Traded-in PCs will either be transferred to SAITS or surveyed and removed from production depending upon the assessment of SAITS staff.
• SAITS will provide new employees (in existing positions) with the same or similar model of PC that was in use by the prior incumbent. Departments are requested to contact SAITS at least one week in advance to make arrangements for the setup of the workstation.
• Equipment provided for these existing positions may be new or reconditioned depending upon the functional needs of the job and the availability of equipment in the DSA PC Inventory. New positions that did not previously have a workstation assigned are directed to follow guidelines for "New/Additional Equipment".

New/Additional Equipment:

Departments that wish to expand the number of systems assigned beyond their current inventory are to submit the request through their direct report (AVP or VP), and if approved, the request will be forwarded to SAITS.  Any additions to the DSA inventory will require a permanent funding increase to SAITS' budget to support the additional equipment and eventual replacement of the new item.

Security Procedures

• When a DSA employee leaves a department or trades equipment, their existing PC must be re-imaged to remove all prior data which may include confidential information.
• PCs are deployed using a standardized software and operating system image that is developed by SAITS to ensure compatibility with university/divisional standards and security procedures.
• All DSA PCs are to be logged out and left on nightly so that SAITS systems may perform OS patching, virus updates and scans.
• Additional department/user software may be installed by SAITS technical staff with valid proof of licensing provided by the department/user. Please contact SAITS (as noted above) to make arrangements.
• DSA staff members are generally not provided with "Administrator" level security on their PC unless an exception has been approved by the appropriate AVP or the VPSA and communicated to the Executive Director of SAITS.
• SAITS equipment will be secured to the desk (if possible) and SAITS is to be contacted to relocate PCs/LCDs to ensure proper tracking of equipment.

Upgrade Procedures

• In Fiscal Years 2005/06 through 2007/08 the Division funded the phase out of CRTs and older LCDs with a single 19” LCD. Funding is anticipated to continue, but LCD replacement is not permanentized and may be suspended at any time.
• Departments choosing to provide dual monitor setups for their staff members are required to transfer funds to SAITS to cover the cost of the second monitor.
• Departments seeking upgrades (such as laptops) can make these purchases through SAITS as part of the annual DSA PC Inventory program. Replacement options will be made available each year and departments are required to transfer the difference in cost between the "basic" DSA system and the upgraded system cost to SAITS.

Additional Background on the Program

Prior to the development of the DSA PC Inventory, individual departments purchased their own personal computers resulting in significant variations in the age, configuration, security and functionality of the equipment within departments and across the division. Additional factors such as budget constraints, lack of available technical support, small purchasing quantities and differing department priorities (related to technology) created an eclectic inventory of equipment.

In 2005, the Division of Student Affairs established this program to provide for the scheduled replacement of 25% of the PCs within a given department each fiscal year. This program was initially funded through a permanent allocation of funds from the departments and supplemented with funding from the division. The program takes advantage of various “economies of scale” by bundling all purchases into one large order (approximately 150 PCs) each year and by the end of Fiscal Year 2008/09 the first replacement cycle will be completed.