The dilemma of finding enough money and hard drive space for new computer applications may be coming to an end for current U-M-Ann Arbor students, faculty and staff members.
Virtual Sites is a new free service that will provide remote access computer lab software and printing. It allows users to connect to University computers and launch applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Google Earth and Microsoft PowerPoint.
The service is accessible via virtualsites.umich.edu.
Launched after a year in development through Information Technology Central Services, the applications will be accessible through any Internet connection. Virtual Sites will launch Nov. 13; an open house with demonstrations is planned from 2:30-5 p.m. in the Michigan Union, Kuenzel Room.
“U-M is one of the first large academic institutions to implement such a program on a campuswide scale,” says Campus Computing Sites Technical Manager Kevin Jones, who designed the program along with Sam Jones, project lead for Virtual Sites, and Josh Fields, user interface specialist.
In the initial rollout, a couple of different software packages are available. The basic package features about two dozen computer applications and can support up to 100 people at a time. The full loadset package has about 100 applications and can accommodate 30-40 people.
Users can connect to Virtual Sites from Windows, Mac or Linux computers; supported Web browsers are Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari.
While the new service connects to Windows computers, future plans include support for connecting to Mac computers, Jones says. Other planned features include “virtual classrooms” that instructors can reserve.
Campus Computing Sites has more than 2,000 machines available in general-use locations. The machines have logged 54,000 unique users since January.
