Thousands of UNCG faculty and staff use UNCG-purchased computers to perform their jobs on a daily basis. These computers must be purchased within our regulatory (including CPI), fiscal, and managerial constraints, configured to support effective and safe computing, and managed during their time of use by our community. Since 2008 ITS has branded this work as Campus Wide Hardware Procurement (CHP). CHP provided access for departments to purchase a set of defined Dell and Apple hardware.
At the direction of the Executive Steering Committee (ESC), ITS is overhauling the CHiP program in response to several driving factors:
Implementation will take place over the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
Hardware used on UNCG’s campus goes through a four-step life cycle:
Typically desktop and laptop computers have a maximum useful life of about 8 years. ITS has developed a standard hardware lifecycle model where full time faculty and staff use their primary machines for 4 years while covered under warranty. CHiP Lifecycle Management Services describes the services that are available for a primary machine. Primary machines are re-purposed for secondary use by non-full time employees and student workers. Departments may use the Request for Repurposed or Surplus Computer to request a re-purposed machine. Once machines are obsolete or non-functional they should be securely disposed of as e-waste. ITS is developing educational materials and tools to assist departments with managing the hardware life cycle for departmental equipment.
The ESC has endorsed a campus standard of providing employees with a single machine to do their UNCG work. Given the ever-changing nature of hardware and myriad potential configurations, the ESC has directed standardization on Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 devices. Most employees should be issued a Tier 1 or Tier 2 laptop and additional monitor(s), with wired connectivity in their primary work location.
ITS has developed a web-based CHiP Shopping Assistant to help users map their job duties to appropriately configured machines.
CHiP Tiers and Standard Set-Ups describes the Tier 1 and Tier 2 options for Windows and Apple laptops, desktops, and all-in-ones.
To learn more about specific requirements for video, graphics, code development and analytics software see CHiP: Categorized machines and software requirement comparisons
All purchases must follow both state regulations and UNCG managerial objectives. CHiP Purchases, like all UNCG purchases, must flow through SpartanMart. CHiP purchases are shifting from order fulfillment directly by Dell and Apple to fulfillment by CDW, who will provide asset tagging and machine configuration services for all CHiP devices.
See CHiP UNCG CDW Purchasing Tips for instruction on how to order Tier 1 or Tier 2 machines from CDW through a punch-out in SpartanMart.
A Tier 3 machine must first go through a Pre-Purchase Software and Hardware Review before it may be purchased.
Since 2008, ITS annually defines a set of models from a limited set of vendors to provide a balance between machines that meet user needs and resources to provide technical support. ITS defines the boundaries of support in consideration of machine obsolescence, Operating System (OS) security patching availability, software compatibility and other factors. ITS will provide a greater level of support for Tier 1 and Tier 2 laptops (Minerva Plan), than for desktops, all-in-ones, or Tier 3 devices (Spartan Plan).
Coming soon - links to the ITS Support Definitions:
PCs
Apple Devices
Minerva Plan vs Spartan Plan