Mobile Computing
Loughborough University Policy on the use of PDAs (Personal digital assistants) and Smart Phones
The use of a PDA or smart phone, in conjunction with the University's e-mail and calendar system (Outlook / Communigate), can prove to be very beneficial to staff, providing access to e-mail and diary / calendars whilst they are away from the office.
IT Services endeavours to support handheld computing devices for centrally managed services like e-mail and wireless network access. However due to the diverse functionality of devices and Operating Systems, comprehensive support and documentation will only be provided for three devices. These are:
* Additional software may be required. These devices offer limited functionality with the Staff Desktop Service.
As the University's e-mail system is standards based, it will work with the vast majority of PDAs and smartphones. IT Services advice is that staff should follow the instructions that came with their device for synchronising with Outlook, however some devices do not offer enterprise functionality. This may inhibit their use on campus. We will endeavour to provide guidance for basic functionality, however it is strongly recommended that only fully supported devices are purchased for use on campus.
A self help group has been set up for users of these devices. The instructions for joining the mailing list are as follows:
Send an e-mail message to majordomo@lboro.ac.uk with "subscribe handheld-support" in the body.
This list is archived, so staff can refer back to previous discussion threads at https://internal.lboro.ac.uk/mail/local/handheld-support/ (restricted).
Please note that for Android we cannot support all user interfaces for Android phones because they are all vendor specific.
Due to the wide variety of standards and devices on the market, IT Services endeavours to provide the best support possible with staff resources available, but may be unable to assist in some instances. Limited assistance with setup is provided to customers receiving IT support direct from Staff PC Services (SPCS). Anyone not receiving support from Staff PC Services should, in the first instance, contact their local IT staff who may be able to offer assistance.
Supported Mobile Device Functionality
| Type | Blue-tooth | 3G | Basic WiFi | Secure WiFi | IMAP E-mail | Mail / Calendar Synch with PC | Mail / Calendar Synch "over the air" | Tether to PC for Internet connection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HTC TyTn II |  |
|
|
|
|
|
! | |
| Nokia E61(i) | |
 |
|
|
|
|
! | |
| Nokia E71 | |
|
|
|
|
|
! | |
| iPhone | (cannot be used to sync with PC) |
(3G model only) |
|
|
|
! (calendar & contacts only) |
! | |
| iPod Touch | |
|
|
|
|
! (calendar & contacts only) |
! | |
-
compatible with appropriate Loughborough University systems.
-
not available / compatible with appropriate Loughborough University
systems.
! - partially works with Loughborough University systems, some notable issues.
Basic Wifi refers to wireless networks with non-Enterprise security encryption e.g. Lboro-web and Imago Wi-Fi networks.
Secure Wifi refers to wireless networks with Enterprise security encryption e.g. Lboro and eduroam networks.
Mail / calendar etc. synch with PC: Windows Mobile devices use ActiveSync (Staff Desktop Service Optional Application), Nokia devices use Nokia PC Suite, Apple devices use iTunes.
Mail / Calendar Synch "over the air": Calendar entries, especially recurring appointments, do not synchronise correctly over the air. This may lead to duplicate and incorrect entries.
Tether to PC for Internet connection: 'Tethering' a mobile to a PC refers to connecting the device to a desktop or laptop PC and using the mobile device's network connection to provide Internet access to the PC.