Coming soon… Computer Lab Anywhere!

Over the past year, Information Technology expanded the virtual computing concept into our student labs to deliver a cloud-based environment enabling access to course-related applications and our standard browsers via new “thin” workstations in the University Hall and Dickson computing labs.

In order to further increase access, we plan to provide the ability for students to utilize their own mobile devices to access applications that today would require use of a workstation in an MSU computer lab. A pilot will be provided to a number of students on campus to get their feedback with the hope of extending this to the entire student body by Fall 2020.

For students, the technology change will provide greater access and for Information Technology and the University, it provides the ability to securely manage our computer labs, have a return on investment in cost by the 3rd year and gives us the ability to support issues more quickly. At this time, we have migrated 151 of the overall 577 machines that IT supports. This includes 3 Dickson Hall Teaching Computer Labs.

As part of the project, Information Technology will look at the overall computer utilization in our Public and IT Supported Teaching Labs and decrease the number of computers as the computers come off lease over the next three years.