UniWA Project

The UniWA Project

As part of the IT Transformation Program, the UniWA Project will change the way we work with computers and how we collaborate both on and off campus.

The University's historical IT diversity has led to a variety of different and independent IT environments. The result is different logins, inconsistent access to systems, and a range of data storage locations for staff and students. The environment has created hurdles - and in some cases, barriers - to efficient collaboration and ease of access.

UniWA will consolidate these disparate systems and services, and will address many of the issues which cannot be resolved under such a diverse structure. It will provide a single platform, which in turn will enable new and innovative approaches to IT, and further the University's realisation of its strategic goals.

What are the benefits of the UniWA Project?

Although there are many benefits to having a single IT platform, some key benefits include:

• Staff and students will use the same username and password UWA-wide: on computers, applications and services such as UniFi, UniConnect, email, etc.
• You will be able to access to your files on any UniWA computer, anywhere on campus. Your documents, desktop, pictures, bookmarks and other files you regularly use will always be available to you. They will be backed up automatically on a daily basis, and are able to be restored in the case of accidental loss or deletion
  
• Your files are also available to you securely via the Internet, allowing you to access them from home or whilst travelling
  
• UniWA improves storage for shared documents. Business Units can create secure spaces for their internal documents, and also for those they wish to share with people in other areas. This is provided through a simple folder structure, and assists collaboration between staff UWA wide
  
• You will use your Pheme password, which is changed six monthly. This will minimise disruption to access, whilst maintaining our necessary security.
  

UniWA ultimately provides a platform to facilitate new and improved IT services, enabling the University to achieve its strategic goals.

What do I need to do?

Although the planning is aimed to have minimal impact to you, data migration to UniWA file storage is a significant component of the project.

Information Governance Services provide excellent advice on cleaning up and maintaining your documents. Following this advice as you prepare for your UniWA migration will ensure that the University meets its record keeping requirements without unnecessarily storing documents in our file shares. It is important that you review the files you currently have stored in your own document storage and in shared spaces, so that when the time comes only required data is moved.

Beyond cleaning up your stored files, please take careful notice of communications issued by the UniWA project team relating to your area's migration to UniWA. Understanding the advice provided will lead to the smoothest possible transition.

It is recommended that you backup your personal items, as these should not be stored on the UniWA home or shared drives. Windows machines will have a folder in an alternate location for the storage of personal items; a similar file location can be created on Mac and Linux machines. You will be responsible for backing up the data in these locations as they will be outside the UniWA backup regime.

Data that may be considered personal includes:

• Music
• Personal photos
• Videos
• Other non-work related items
  

If you have any questions with regard to your personal data, please contact your local IT support area.

When is the project happening?

The UNIWA project has already started, with some faculty areas and business units already partially or completely migrated to the new platform. For those areas that remain, preliminary work and planning is well underway. The project is expected to be completed in the first half of 2016.

How will the project be delivered?

UWA IT groups are already working together with their business units to plan and schedule the work and we will actively commence migrations across UWA business units in the coming months.

Our intent is to minimise disruption to the University, however we understand that the project may alter some of the traditional ways you may have worked. We appreciate your support and cooperation during this period to ensure the best outcomes and opportunities for the University beyond the project.

Further information

The UniWA project is being run for UWA through Business Information and Technology Services and includes teams within the IT support centres of each faculty and central business unit.

If you have questions about the UniWA project, please speak to your local IT support team. Contact information for the local IT teams can be found here.