The reasons UNI personnel are expected to take a loaner rather than an ordinary laptop are numerous, but a few to highlight include:

• Traditional UNI IT security measures (e.g. storage drive encryption) violate some nations' laws pertaining to computers

• Some applications installed on UNI devices can be covered by restrictions under US Export Control law

• Loaner laptops' storage devices are wiped clean and re-prepped for each individual trip, ensuring that they are free of accumulated University and/or personal data

  • This reduces the impact experienced if your device is damaged, lost, or stolen during your trip

  • This also ensures any potential exposure to malware or other sorts of malicious actors during your trip cannot persist long-term on your device as you resume domestic use

Reserving a laptop

Laptop Preparation and Pickup Procedure

Once the Service Hub ticket is made, you will be able to track progress on the laptop's preparation there.

(Pre-)Preparation

Upon receiving your ticket, our team will review the dates for your trip alongside UNI’s calendar and existing loaner reservations.
A date will be selected by this team to begin preparing your loaner.

A comment will be posted to communicate this preparation date with you, and the ticket’s Summary will be updated to include this date as well.
This date will generally be some number of business days earlier than your departure date.

The reasons for the margin between preparing your loaner and your actual departure date are two-fold:

• Additional time is allocated so if a problem should arise with preparing your loaner laptop, our internal teams have time to troubleshoot and resolve that problem while still having sufficient time to prepare the laptop

• For most cases, any remaining margin once your laptop is prepared is effectively your pickup window: once your loaner is prepared, stop by the IT Service Desk for pickup at your convenience

If any problems or concerns arise with preparation of your laptop, you will be notified with comments posted on your ticket.

Once the laptop is ready, an additional comment will be posted to notify you of that ready state.
Pickup is generally performed by going to the IT https://uniservicehub.atlassian.net/wiki/x/sZlgD during its operating hours, at your own convenience ahead of your departure.

Pickup

When picking up the laptop, before leaving with it, you will need to perform the following processes.
The IT staff working with you for your pickup will assist if you aren’t familiar with either one.

1. Log onto the laptop as yourself (e.g. with your ordinary CatID credentials).

2. Log into the Full Tunnel VPN for the first time. A label with the VPN address is on the top of the laptop.
   Remember to always sign into this Full Tunnel VPN when using the laptop outside the United States (after gaining internet access).

Once you have connected to the Full Tunnel VPN during the pickup process, the VPN client on your laptop will retain all the information for connecting other than your actual credentials.

Usage While Abroad

1. Travelers are granted access to a full tunnel VPN; you should connect to the Full Tunnel VPN whenever you are outside the U.S. 
   This connection secures your network traffic and can frequently bypass certain geographic restrictions to internet resources.

   1. This VPN on its own does not grant you internet connectivity. In fact, the VPN software on the laptop can only connect with UNI once you have already connected to a network and gained internet connectivity. While the VPN does secure your traffic, you should still exercise caution and reasonable diligence in selecting networks to connect to.

   2. At times, foreign governments may block or restrict access to VPNs. This may impact all networks, or it may only impact certain locations.
      The UNI VPN does not attempt to evade detection as a VPN. UNI IT apologizes for any impact to your usage, though we acknowledge such impacts fall outside our control.

2. University data should NOT be stored on this device.
   Google Drive is where any data required for the duration of your trip should be stored.

3. Utilize web-based tools for accessing things to the extent possible.
   Storing your data on Google Drive and accessing your Drive in the web interface is the best way to keep your data as secure as possible.

Returning to the US, returning the laptop

If at all possible, do not turn the computer on after returning from abroad.

Once your trip has concluded, you should return your laptop to the Service Desk within a few days of your return to the Cedar Falls area.

General Information

1. The provided laptops are made by Dell: they are model Latitude 7450, and come with an appropriate charger.

   • In times of exceptionally high demand, other laptop models & charging equipment within IT’s inventory and with similar performance specifications may be supplied instead.

   • Alternatively, IT may engage with your department to temporarily re-prepare a departmental laptop for use abroad if a suitable device is available.

     • As a reminder, ordinary UNI IT devices are configured in a fashion that renders them illegal for you to possess in several countries.
       This nontrivial re-preparation process performed by IT is mandatory for a departmental laptop to be suitable for use in this fashion.

     • This option is offered solely at IT’s discretion.

2. In times of exceptionally high demand, if multiple travelers on the same trip request a laptop, IT reserves the right to issue one laptop to be shared between those travelers.

3. Unlike other UNI-managed computers, the storage drives of the provided laptops are not encrypted due to PC encryption being illegal in some countries.
   This lack of encryption makes data on the loaner laptops especially vulnerable; it is vital that you not store any sensitive data directly on the laptop.

4. The provided laptops run Windows Education version, rather than UNI’s standard, Windows Enterprise.

5. Any additionally-requested software may or may not be installed, depending on the destination Country and US Export Control laws.
   UNI's Legal Counsel will review any software requests.

6. On occasion, a traveler’s trip may be timed such that the IT Service Desk is unavailable for pickup on a traditional preparation timeline – for example, a traveler may need to depart during a time of the year when the IT Service Desk is not physically open for service.
   In cases like this, the traveler will receive additional communication on their ticket to arrange an alternative pickup solution.

   • The same sort of situation can potentially arise for a traveler’s return from abroad. Precise requirements, when relevant, will be communicated via travelers' Service Hub tickets in the same way.

FAQ

1. If my trip abroad isn’t for official UNI business, is it possible for me to reserve a loaner?

   1. No.
      In the past, such trips were accommodated by UNI IT on occasion; shifts in available resources mean that support of this sort of trip cannot be provided.

      • If you will be expected to perform some sort of work on an international trip, we would encourage you and your department to review UNI policies pertaining to work-related travel, and explore alternative workflows or to process an official travel request for your trip as appropriate.

2. If I have submitted my Travel Request but never received a UNI Works notification to offer the laptop service, what do I do?

   1. This would generally indicate that your Travel Request, or the ensuing Spend Authorization, was filed improperly, or that your Spend Authorization has not received its final approval.

      • Verify that your Travel Request was submitted with you documented as the traveler.

      • Verify that the Spend Authorization for your travel has been approved.

3. How does this process work for group travel? If I’m part of a traveling group, will I receive one of these notifications?

   1. The UNI Works process for checking if a loaner is needed sends the reservation question to the person whose name is listed on the Spend Authorization for your trip.

      • If you are the traveler named on a Spend Authorization for a traveling group, we would encourage you to check with your fellow travelers to be certain of whether your group will need a laptop.

      • If you are a member of a group which will be traveling abroad, but aren't the individual whose name is listed on the trip’s Spend Authorization, we recommend communicating with your full group and that individual especially to reserve a laptop if needed.

4. If I require specialized software on my loaner laptop, how do I request it?

   1. When your loaner’s reservation ticket in Service Hub has been created, you can comment on it to request additional software be installed (including before your preparation date has been communicated).

      • Your request will be reviewed by relevant parties within Information Technology, as well as UNI’s Legal Counsel as needed.

      • The outcome of the review of your request (installation where permitted, e.g.) will be communicated with you in the ticket.

5. What software is installed on the loaner laptops by default?

   1. The laptops are prepared with Windows, and are equipped with the following software by default: