From Pilot to Production
On Monday, Jan. 17, 2011 the Division of Information Technology and the Telecommunications Office will officially launch the Mobile Communication Device (MCD) Program. The program features devices such as smartphones, e-mail devices, personal digital assistants and iPads to which the university automatically “pushes” data/e-mail.
The university has enacted the MCD Program to comply with various contractual, regulatory and statutory obligations to protect certain types of data such as those defined as protected information under HIPAA, FERPA and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). This program is being deployed in conjunction with the implementation of University Policy #68, Mobile Communication Device Policy.
In conjunction with the athletics department and the student affairs division, the IT division conducted a successful pilot program to test the various security and device configurations across multiple platforms. All of the major MCD operating systems (Blackberry, iOS, Droid and Windows Mobile) have been tested and approved.
Charges Adjusted
After reviewing the pilot program, the IT division decided to slightly modify the maintenance fees charges in order to align the fees across the board for all types of users. The maintenance fee for Tier 1 devices (Blackberry) has been increased by $1 from $35 to $36, and the maintenance fee for Tier 2 devices (Droids, iDevices, etc.) has been decreased by $2 from $50 to $48. These adjustments were necessary in order to match the amount being paid by both university departments using budget codes and faculty and staff who are paying individually using a payroll deduction.
What You Need to Do
Starting on Jan. 17, you will need to register your mobile communication device (MCD) in order to have your university data/e-mail automatically “pushed” to your device. (You aren’t required to register for the MCD program if you “pull” your data/e-mail using a web browser.) Visit the MCD website at http://mcd.wcu.edu where you will find instructions on what you need to do. There is a Terms of Service form you have to read and sign, along with a registration form you have to fill out and have signed by the appropriate persons. If your department is paying for your MCD access, there is a section on the registration form where you enter the university budget code to be charged. An accountable officer for the budget must sign off. If you are paying for your own access, you must fill out and sign a Payroll Deduction authorization form to have the charge taken from your paycheck. Note that for the 2010-2011 academic year, the Tier 2 annual maintenance fee of $48 has been waived through June 30, 2011. When the registration and/or payroll deduction forms are completed, send them to Office of the CIO, 106B Cordelia Camp Bldg.
IMAP Being Retired
As part of the MCD Program implementation, the e-mail protocol named IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) will be retired on Jan. 17. This is being done to reduce security risk to university accounts. You can read more about this in this DoIT News article.
If you have any questions about the MCD Program, please contact the IT Help Desk at 227-7487 or ithelp@wcu.edu.