CSBS Information Technology (CSBSIT) purchasing is centrally managed to ensure system compatibility and effective cost control. These standards, procedures, and restrictions apply to all IT hardware, software, computer-related components, and technical services purchased with university funds. All technology and technical service purchases require review, approval, and coordination through the CSBSIT Team.
The follow categories are considered technology resources:
- Desktops, laptops, tablets, and servers
- Software running on the devices mentioned above
- Peripheral equipment, such as printers and scanners
- Cables or connectivity-related devices
- Audio-visual equipment, such as projectors and cameras
The CSBSIT Team follows this following policy:
How do I request IT equiment?
Please complete the CSBSIT Purchasing Form with as much information as possible. If you are unsure of the desired configuration, describe the general purpose of the equipment (e.g., research use, video editing, office use), and CSBSIT will recommend an appropriate option.
Submitting the form allows your request to move through the required review and purchasing workflow.
What happens after purchasing?
After you purchase your equipment, all purchasing information should be entered into the inventory. When your equipment arrives, IT will notify you of its arrival and of any forms that may need to be filled out (e.g. deployment forms or off-campus agreement forms).
What type of limitations or problems can occur if I purchase nonstandard equipment?
Insufficient Warrantee: Typical consumer computers (if purchased outside of CSBSIT through Amazon or Costco) come with a 30-day, 90-day or, at times, 12-month warrantee. Surprisingly, most of those warranties do not cover every component, and require the end user to pay for shipping to a repair location if a component malfunctions. Also, the vendor has the choice to repair it and the repairs may not include labor and/or parts.
Vendor Contact Limitation: Many consumer end equipment vendors will NOT allow CSBSIT (or anyone else) contact them on the purchaser's behalf. For example, if CSBSIT or you try to call for technical support they may refuse to speak to us and will only speak to the person who ordered the equipment (which, in most cases, is the ASC).
Compatibility: Contrary to popular belief, not every system can be made compatible. For example, certain configurations may not have compatible drivers for specific equipment that may be needed (e.g., Windows 8 may not be compatible with EQS).
Consumer class products are relatively less expensive than enterprise class products due to licensing, manufacturing and testing standards. For example, consumer class product manufacturers (Dell home for example) purchase lower quality 3rd party components (such as an audio card) in mass and add them to computer models without rigorously testing the products for compatibility. Consumer class products also have versions of windows which have limited features (for example a home edition has limited features and cannot work in our environment).
Consumer class products also have limited support options. No next-day onsite support is available, and since only a fraction of users purchase anything beyond the basic warranty, QA and compatibility can be an issue.
Also, consumer class products price points are subsidized tremendously with trial programs that are pre-installed on consumer class machines, which can slow down them down. For example, sendori, preinstalled software, can slow down web browsing. This practice is less common, if non-existent on enterprise machines which explains the difference in price point between consumer class products and enterprise products.
Support Limitation: CSBSIT reserves the right to limit/refuse service for certain pieces of equipment if they do not conform to standards. With over $2.4 million dollars of equipment to maintain and only three technicians, standardization is essential for efficient technical support.
Spare Parts Compatibility: CSBSIT only purchases spare computer components that fit specific requirements, which allow us a quicker turnaround time when hardware fails. When non-standard equipment is purchased (such as an SSD or a nonstandard power plug), CSBSIT does not carry the necessary spare parts that might help to efficiently handle any technical problems that may occur.