News and Announcements, 2011 - 2012

Celebration! 10K PennNet Phone Clients (June 18, 2012)
ISC will celebrate its 10,000th PennNet Phone installation this Summer! This is good news for the University because PennNet Phone provides lower phone and voice mail costs and a whopping 50% discount on local and long distance rates. [more...]

Wireless Soon Available at Shoemaker Green (June 18, 2012)
Shoemaker Green will have AirPennNet wireless coverage by Fall semester. It’s part of the initiative in which Information Systems & Computing continues to investigate and expand outdoor AirPennNet wireless service to areas where the Penn community congregates.[more...]

New elearning Managment System Launches this Summer (June 18, 2012)
Penn will launch a new eLearning platform for training and professional development this summer, replacing what we know today as Knowledge Link. [more...]

If You Missed Commencement... (June 18, 2012)
If you’re sorry you missed this year’s Commencement ceremonies, there’s no need to worry. [more...]

Milestone Marked: All Central Pool Classrooms to Have AV Technology (June 18, 2012)
Starting this Fall semester, all Central Pool Classrooms will contain an installed AV technology system. To achieve this milestone, ISC’s Classroom Technology Services team is managing projects in 53 classrooms this Summer. Projects range from simple projector replacements to full technology installations. [more...]

Penn IT Staff Convention Draws Nearly 300 (June 18, 2012)
Nearly 300 IT professionals from all 12 Schools and 17 other Penn organizations and Centers attended the 7th Annual Penn IT Staff Convention. Wharton Computing hosted this year’s event held at Huntsman Hall.[more...]

WHYY to Connect through ISC's MAGPI (June 18, 2012)
WHYY, Greater Philadelphia's leading public radio and TV provider, will soon be connected to the national high speed research and education network through ISC's MAGPI organization.[more...]

ISC's Service Catalog Now Available (March 20, 2012)
ISC recently launched a web-based Service Catalog that provides a new way to access and request information about ISC's services. The Service Catalog gathers, in one location, information about all the services and resources ISC provides. [more...]

Death of the Desktop (March 20, 2012)
ISC’s Technology Support Services predicts 2012 marks the beginning of the end of the traditional desktop or notebook being used by 100% of the Penn community. Instead many students, faculty, and employees will be running Android, iOS, or something else on vastly different mobile devices from a wide range of providers. [more...]

Penn Hosts BICSI Region Conference (March 12, 2012)
Approximately 160 people from Maine to Washington D.C. attended the BICSI Northeast Region Conference held this Spring on Penn’s campus. (BICSI is the professional association for those working in the information technology systems development and design industry.) Information Systems & Computing hosted the conference, the largest of BICSI’s five U.S. regional conferences. [more...]

ISO Certification Continues for ISC Computer Operations (March 12, 2012)
Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) conducted an internal audit of ISC’s Computer Operations to validate continued certification for ISO 9001:2008 and to validate NIST Compliance, as required annually for Penn Medicine computer systems. LRQA provides independent assessment, certification, verification, validation, and training to organizations in more than 120 countries. [more...]

ISC Launches ISC Service Catalog (March 12, 2012)
Information Systems & Computing pleased to announce the availability of the ISC Service Catalog, a comprehensive new way to access and request information about ISC’s services. [more...]

ISC Delivers Mobile Apps: m.upenn.edu(April 21, 2011)
ISC Delivers Mobile Apps: m.upenn.edu Information Systems & Computing is proud to deliver m.upenn.edu, a major initiative to provide a mobile culture to Penn’s campus that will meet the needs of Penn’s highly diverse and technology-demanding community for “anytime/anywhere from any device” connectivity. [more... ]

FIDES Replaces Investigator Paper-Based Financial Interest & Responsibility Disclosure Process (February 1, 2012)
The Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) in partnership with Information Systems and Computing is pleased to announce implementation of a new application to facilitate the disclosure of financial interests and relationships related to participation in specific research projects. [more...]

Lynda.com Available for On-Line IT Training (January, 23, 2011)
ISC has coordinated an agreement with lynda.com, the on-line video learning service, for faculty and/or staff of eight Schools (Annenberg, GSE, Dental, SEAS, Law, Nursing, SP2, Wharton) and six centers (President, Provost, College Houses & Academic Services, VPUL, Library, and ISC). [more...]

Shoah Visual History Archive Will Launch This Spring (January 23, 2012)
Penn will soon have streaming video capabilities that will house 3000+ Holocaust testimonies, thanks to collaboration among ISC, the Annenberg School, and the Library. [more...]

Big Fix Supports University’s Sustainability Goals (January 23, 2012)
Big Fix is an example of ISC’s on-going efforts to support University-wide sustainability goals. Data confirms that systems that have implemented the Green IT power settings of Big Fix, the ISC Desktop Power Management service, are achieving major energy savings relative to those that have not yet adopted them. [more...]

Computer Connection Launches New Website In Time for Holiday Shopping (November 21, 2011)
The Penn Computer Connection is pleased to announce the launch of its newly redesigned website in time for the holiday season. You're invited to take a look and let us know what you think. [more...]

Mobile Volunteer Portal Enables “Friends-Asking-Friends” Fundraising (November 18, 2011)
Alumni volunteers have used the Mobile Volunteer Portal extensively this year to apply a “friends-asking-friends” approach to reunion fundraising. [more...]

Mobile Apps Provide Anywhere/Anytime/From Any Device Connectivity (November 18, 2011)
Mobile apps are now a fact of life, especially for our students. The field is evolving so quickly it doesn’t seem possible that only a year ago we didn’t have a wide array of apps at Penn. Today, students, faculty, and employees can access an enormous amount of information about Penn from any handheld device. [more...]

Winter Break Hours For ISC Announced (November 18, 2011)
Information Systems & Computing has announced its schedule for the upcoming winter break. [more...]

MacOS 10.7 Lion Released (September 20, 2011)
Mac OS 10.7 Lion, formally announced on June 6, 2011, is the seventh significant update to Mac OS X, Apple's UNIX-based desktop operating system. It became available exclusively from the Mac App Store on July 20, 2011, bypassing traditional distribution channels. Information Systems & Computing (ISC) currently supports Mac OS 10.7 Lion for its clients, including off-campus students, only on new Macintoshes that ship with Mac OS 10.7 pre-installed. ISC strongly recommends that all other University users adopt a "wait and see" approach, continuing to use previous versions of Mac OS (including Mac OS 10.5.8 and Mac OS 10.6.8) until the initial bugs in Mac OS 10.7 are identified and fixed. [more...]

Course Evaluation.... There'll Soon Be an App For That! (September 20, 2011)
M.upenn.edu will soon have a new application: Course Evaluation, which will become the latest addition to Mobile PennInTouch. It’s one of the latest ways ISC is meeting the needs of Penn students. [more...]

An Earthquake and Hurricane Irene in Philly! How Well Did Your Organizaton Survive These Events? (September 20, 2011)
Penn’s Mission Continuity Program not only ensures Penn copes well with emergencies; it also ensures the University can continue critical operations afterwards. The earthquake that rumbled across Penn’s campus and Hurricane Irene’s high winds and torrential rains gave Penn’s Schools and Centers real-time opportunities to see how their Mission Continuity plans held up. [more...]

Penn Works Will Add New Features (September 20, 2011)
A new feature, Additional Pay Pre-Work, will be added to PennWorks, the web-based front-end to the HR/Payroll system. [more...]

New System Streamlines Research Administration Processes (September 20, 2011)
It’s the latest example of how ISC contributes to the University’s critical mission of education and research. [more...]

New Initiative Will Facilitate Penn's Globalization (September 20, 2011)
Penn’s commitment to global engagement is a critical part of the Penn Compact, the vision that guides the University. ISC is involved in a collaborative effort to facilitate Penn’s globalization. [more...]

DAR Mobile App Under Development (September 20, 2011)
University Donor Heat, a new mobile application to support the goals of Development & Alumni Relations, is currently under development by ISC with an anticipated release date in FY12. [more...]

High Density Wireless Will Meet Mobile Demands (September 20, 2011)
More and more mobile devices are showing up on Penn’s campus and in classrooms as part of the delivery of instructional content. To ensure wireless access throughout the length of a class, ISC has installed High Density Wireless Service. [more...]

Investments Make Classrooms "Smarter" (September 20, 2011)
ISC upgraded more than 13 classrooms this summer, adding digital technology that records lectures and presentations for easy download and storage. [more...]

Energy Management Leads to "Greener" Classrooms (September 20, 2011)
ISC Classroom Technology Services and VPUL Facilities have made a concerted effort during the past two years to explore options for better energy management in the Central Pool classrooms. [more...]

StarRez Phase II Now In Test Phase (September 20, 2011)
StarRez, a new room management system for Penn Housing, is currently in the test phase for Phase II, a portal for House Deans and upperclass students. [more...]