News

With the mobile workforce growing continuously, it is a major concern for IT decision makers to protect sensitive data on mobile computers. Starting from Windows Vista, BitLocker Drive Encryption helps protect sensitive data from being accessed by unauthorized users. BitLocker To Go extends such data protection to USB storage devices, enabling access to be restricted with a password. BitLocker To Go can even be forced to apply on all removable drives in an organization by IT administrators through the group policy.

 

The introduction of learning management system (LMS or VLE for virtual learning environment) at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) was led by a small group of colleagues, including myself, in the Department of Physics and Materials Science and the Computing Server Centre (CSC) in 1998 [1].

Enterprise 2.0 is defined as “a system of web-based technologies that provide rapid and agile collaboration, information sharing, emergence and integration capabilities in the extended enterprise.” (Please visit http://www.aiim.org/What-is-Web-2.0.aspx for details.) As technologies advance rapidly and become mature, the University has deployed Microsoft SharePoint to support many internal and public applications in various ways to support Enterprise 2.0 such as blogs

Similar to the eduroam service, Universities Wi-Fi is a free collaborative Wi-Fi network offered by the JUCC institutions (CityU, HKU, CUHK, PolyU, HKUST, HKBU, LU and HKIEd) since year 2009 allowing staff and students of any member institution to log on and use the WLANs while they visit the other member institutions. Unlike the eduroam which some institutes support only WPA, the Universities Wi-Fi service supports the highest security protocol WPA2 to provide maximum data protection for its user.

As a VIP to the CityU, alumnus can now enjoy free Wireless LAN (WLAN) service anywhere inside the campus to access the Internet. Being a registered user of the CityU-Net Basic Service, alumnus can use any IEEE802.11a/b/g/n compliant wireless device, whether it is a wifi phone, PDA or notebook computer to connect to the wifi network (SSID) “alumni”. After connecting to the said wifi network, alumnus can bring up a web browser and use his/her CityU EID and network connection password to login and enjoy mobile networking.

Voice over WLAN (VoWLAN) is the technology integrating Voice over IP (VoIP, the technology used in the IP Phone system) and WLAN technology, enabling the Computing Services Centre (CSC) to enhance the current phone service to include wifi phones in mobile communication support. The wifi phones provide similar functions and messaging applications to that available on the desktop IP phones. However, their easy deployment and availability provide the University users with the following benefits:

An exciting new-look website for City University of Hong Kong (CityU) was launched on 12 August, improving internal and external communications channels and projecting a more vibrant and contemporary image of the University.CityU prides itself on making use of new media technology to enhance teaching quality and improve internal and external communications in order to promote its commitment to professional education and academic research. In developing its revamped website, the University sought users’ opinions, examined the functions of the website and studied the various homepage designs of leading mainland and overseas universities. Content on the new website is reorganised, while the design employs three major colours, blue, green and orange, to present a vibrant and enticing brand.

CityU and the Chinese University of Hong Kong organised an e-book international conference on 3 June to enable librarians from Hong Kong and the region to exchange ideas on purchasing and using this electronic educational resource.The conference was an initiative of the Electronic Resources Academic Library Link (ERALL) consortium formed by the eight University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded institution libraries in 2006, for the purpose of purchasing e-books for shared access and perpetual ownership.

At the University Development Forum held on 20 March, the University shared with staff and students the progress made so far in developing the framework for the transition to a four-year normative degree structure and exchanged views on the issue.

CIO Dr Jerry Yu Jer-tsang introduces plans to re-engineer the University’s information system for student administration in the run up to the 4-year degree programme.Project 4Y has been designed in anticipation of the new 4-year degree programme and provides an opportunity to upgrade the existing student information system, according to Dr Jerry Yu Jer-tsang, CityU’s CIO. Dr Yu spoke to a full house of academic and administrative staff.He outlined several major administrative issues that would need to be addressed in view of the new curriculum. These issues include student information management, admissions, curriculum advising, and the double cohort transition.