UBIT Is Real Time

Article by Blake Cooper / Photo by Chris Devers

Published January 29, 2016 This content is archived.

It's 3 a.m. and you're still going, awake with great ideas. You're on your tablet or smartphone, and you're making progress.

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Blake.

Blake Cooper (UB Student, Class of 2016) is originally from Canandaigua, NY. He is studying Spanish, Linguistics and Comparative Literature, and beginning work on translating an Argentinian novel into English.

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Whether it's a breakthrough in your research or the first line of a class assignment, you rely on UB Information Technology to get things done. That's because UB’s information technology is connected and working behind the scenes, in real time, 24/7.

A look behind the curtain

We rely on UB's IT services working with smart devices around the clock and from just about anywhere.  It's no accident that our expectations are met: there are three ingredients.

First, services need to be continually working, 24/7:

  • The Internet never sleeps, so with the exception of planned maintenance, UB’s networks are always up and running.
  • Email is constantly moving around the world, and UBmail services and spam filters are always on guard. So you can add UBmail on your smartphone to stay connected to your professors and classmates.
  • MyUB, HUB Student Center and UBlearns are available 24/7, reflecting the global nature of our students and faculty, and supporting learning all over the world.
  • World-class software is always available for download to UB students, faculty and staff. It’s only a click away anytime.

Second, someone has to be there to help when there are problems:

  • The UBIT Help Center online is available to submit problems, request services and track their progress at any time.
  • Each service is continuously monitored thanks to UB’s Network Operations Center, a group within UB Information Technology that tracks and reports on the status of IT services.

Finally, each service needs to be "mobile device aware." The service has to sense when you are using a small screen and tapping, verses a mouse and monitor:

  • The UB Mobile app, available for download from the Apple App Store or Google Play, offers 24/7 access to a transportation tracker, campus maps, shuttle schedules and dining options.
  • Use your UB Card...without the card. Mobile ID is now available around campus to pay for meals, vending machine items, and even do your laundry.
  • Blackboard Mobile Learn offers around the clock access to UBlearns and makes its features easy to use from a mobile device.
  • Many UB websites are responsive. Check out what happens at buffalo.edu/ubit when you shrink down the screen size to smartphone size.

Some UBIT services can’t be available 24/7:

  • The UBIT Help Center offers walk-up service in Lockwood’s 2nd Floor Cybrary on North Campus and in Abbott Hall on South Campus, as well as email and phone support, Monday through Saturday, often as early as 7:30 a.m. and late as 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Additional hours may be added in the future based on customer needs and traffic patterns.

UBIT is committed to bringing the campus the information technology tools you need whenever and however you need them. If you work or study at UB, you’ve already invested in a community that values reaching others, making connections and enriching each other’s lives. Your time here is important...and UB’s IT services are here to help you use it to the fullest.