Volume 2. No 1 
Information Technology News of the University of California, Davis October 1993
I.T. Secures Enhanced Technical Support through Vendor Programs
by Jennifer Koester, Information Resources
Information Technology staff have been working with vendors to
provide enhanced technical support for campus users of Microsoft,
WordPerfect, and Apple products. Here are the most recent
successes!
Microsoft Support Coordinator Program
During the past six years, Information Technology staff have been
active members in the Microsoft Support Coordinator Program.
Attendance at quarterly meetings has proven to be extremely
beneficial.
With our membership, the Davis campus has received monthly CDs
containing technical information and software. The software CD
has provided customers of the Center for Advanced Information
Technology with immediate access to the Microsoft product line
for evaluation and testing. The technical CDs have proved to be a
valuable resource for consulting efforts at the IT-Campus Access
Point.
Most importantly, participation has established our campus as a
viable site for alpha and beta testing of software, due to the
diverse users and technological platforms currently in place.
This relationship has allowed UC Davis to preview forthcoming
changes and to update Microsoft Corporation officials on the
migration of Microsoft products on campus.
Increased Support for 1993-1994
During the coming fiscal year, Information Technology staff will
continue to serve as Support Coordinator liaisons through
membership in the new Microsoft TechNet Program:
TechNet Membership gives access to:
- Microsoft KnowledgeBase, an extensive library of
technical support information used by Microsoft Product Support
Specialists;
- Resource Kits, packages of technical references,
troubleshooting information, utilities, and accessories to aid in
the installation and support of Microsoft applications;
- Training Materials, including tutorials, training
guides, and training-session slides with notes for support of
Microsoft products;
- Customer Solution Profiles, detailing how other
information services professionals have solved real business
problems with Microsoft products;
- Strategic Information on Microsoft products and
services to keep UC Davis ahead of the game on the direction
Microsoft is taking.
- Plus session notes from Microsoft conferences, ROM discs,
monthly TechNet CDs, and more!
Throughout the year IT staff will receive updates of these
support materials, as well as new information on the features,
functions, and system requirements of Microsoft products.
WordPerfect Customer Advantage Program
Information Technology staff are currently qualifying the campus
for membership in the WordPerfect Customer Advantage Program
(i.e., the contracts have been sent to Purchasing and Business
and Contracts for approval). Membership will grant Davis
customers special licensing rights to the WPCorp family of
products.
Benefits will include:
- Software Duplication -- Davis customers will be
authorized to duplicate WordPerfect software and materials as
needed, thus reducing the need to order, procure, handle, and
warehouse software.
- Electronic Distribution -- Information Technology
will be able to distribute software electronically to clients on
campus, thus reducing the costly process of duplicating
diskettes. New users will be able to get the software they need,
and others will be able to stay current with the latest release
supported by Information Technology.
- Multi-platform Licensing -- As technology and the
needs of the campus change, departments may find the need to move
to another operating system. WPCorp's multi-platform licensing
will provide that flexibility for a substantial cost savings.
- Multilingual Licensing -- Through the Customer
Advantage Program, the campus will have the opportunity to
purchase a multilingual license of any of the languages supported
by WordPerfect.
- Administrative Savings -- All licenses will be
consolidated under a single number and under a single agreement.
Plus, WordPerfect will supply appropriate software so that key
administrators of the program will have an easy method of
communicating with WordPerfect to obtain updated information.
- Interim Releases and Upgrades -- Our campus will be
kept abreast of the latest software technology with access to
interim releases and upgrades on all products that we specify.
- Access to Pre-Release Software -- Information
Technology access to WPCorp software in its beta stage will
enable the campus to plan and prepare for its installation and
know beforehand the increased benefits it will add to our
institution.
- Long-Term Evaluation Software -- Current WPCorp products
will continue to be donated to the campus, allowing
Davis users to evaluate new software in the Center for Advanced
Information Technology.
- Electronic Documentation -- Electronic documentation,
tutorials, and workbooks will be available for use by the campus.
- Technical Support Database -- WPCorp Customer Support
personnel use the Technical Support Database as a reference when
answering questions over the toll-free support lines. This same
database will be made available through the IT Campus Access
Point help desk.
- Customer Service -- Information Technology will
receive a monthly CD ROM that includes the following: Customer
Advantage Program newsletter, WordPerfect Report, editorial from
the Board of Directors, questions and answers, tips and tricks,
product demonstrations, product information, executable
evaluation copies of products, and third-party product
information.
Apple Computer Support Professional Program
During the past two years, Information Technology staff have been
active members of the Apple Computer Western Operations Advisory
Council. Our efforts as part of this council have been focused on
assisting Apple Computer to develop the "Support Professional
Program."
The goal of this program is to provide Macintosh wisdom to
corporate help desk staff. Information Technology staff helped
develop the program's structure and criteria. They also alpha-
and beta- tested all the new products in the program.
Here are the highlights:
- Support Automation System -- A client-server system
will allow access to a CD-ROM database containing Apple manuals,
software archives, and installer scripts using AppleSearch. This
text-retrieval system will allow the indexing of any material for
search and retrieval.
- Remote Briefings -- Desktop technical briefings will
include multimedia QuickTime movies. An interactive component
will let customers submit questions via electronic mail or fax.
Responses will be made via conference calls, which also will be
used to announce new products. In conjunction with the Apple
Desktop Seminar Toolkit, Davis users will be able to customize
their own internal briefings as well.
- Key Users/Infrastructure Building Tools -- A
self-learning application will aid help desk staffs and key users
in mastering three levels of competency.
Information Technology is particularly proud of its involvement
in this advisory group. Due to our aggressive participation and
the UC Davis technical profile, we were chosen as the national
Higher Education sponsor of the program. This is clearly a
successful case of the vendor listening to the "enduser"!
For more on the Microsoft Tech-Net Program, WordPerfect Customer
Advantage Program, or Apple Support Professional Program, contact
Jennifer Koester at jakoester@ucdavis.edu or 752-1904.