Tech Alerts

As of this morning, OIRT has officially retired a legacy Unified Communications tool called the NWN Self-Service Portal. Before the implementation of Webex Calling, this portal was the primary method for adding and removing call forwarding on individual phone lines.

Going forward, call forwarding will be enabled and disabled exclusively through the Webex Application. To set up call forwarding, open Webex and follow these steps:

• Click Call Settings
• Open Call Preferences
• Select the line you want to forward
• Select Add Number, then enter the destination phone number:
  • For on-campus numbers, enter the 4-digit extension
  • For off-campus numbers, enter 31 followed by the 10-digit number

• Click Save

This Wednesday evening, starting at approximately 6:00 PM ET, FredGPT will be offline for a brief period to implement server updates and new features.

After the update, you’ll notice the following enhancements:

Streamlined User Interface

The design has been simplified for easier navigation and a more intuitive experience.

Sessions

Current and prior chats are now called “Sessions.”

Explore Agents

All published Agents (previously called Assistants) will now be listed in the “Explore Agents” section for more organized discovery.

Projects

Organize your files and sessions in one place with the new “Projects” feature. This allows you to:

• Keep all related files and sessions in a single location
• Access previously uploaded documents
• Create custom instructions for each project to tailor responses to your specific needs, such as tone, focus, or format

Memories

In your settings, you can configure Memories to guide future conversations. For example, you can instruct FredGPT to use a specific tone or format and avoid using certain features, such as dashes in responses.

These updates, along with upcoming enhancements, are designed to improve your overall experience with FredGPT.

The launch of our new SAMI Service Desk introduced significant changes to how the University community interacts with IT support, including a greater emphasis on the web-based SAMI Service Desk portal. The portal offers the best accuracy and fastest response times; however, we recognize that it may not be ideal for every situation. Support is also available by email at samisupport@fdu.edu or by phone at (973) 443-8822.

When contacting the Service Desk by phone, you will initially connect with our virtual agent. The following tips will help you navigate the interaction:

• Have your FDU ID number ready. This 7-digit number is located on your FDU ID card and is the only way we can identify you when opening a ticket.
• If you cannot locate your FDU ID number, the virtual agent can still create a support ticket on your behalf, but you will be listed as an “unidentified caller.” You may be asked to provide your name, phone number, and FDU email address so we can respond promptly.
• In most cases, contacting the Service Desk results in a ticket number being automatically sent to your FDU email address. This does not occur when using phone support without your FDU ID number, although a ticket is still created. In these cases, wait for our Service Desk team to return your call. Additional contact before receiving your ticket number may result in duplicate tickets.
• Be prepared to provide a brief description of your issue. Think of it as an email subject line. Use a few clear words such as “Unable to connect to Wi-Fi” or “Cannot access email.” Providing a long explanation may result in an unclear or incomplete ticket subject.
• You may need to respond more than once. The virtual agent will attempt to resolve your issue multiple times before transferring you to a live agent. Listen carefully to the prompts as the virtual agent works to assist you.
• If the virtual agent cannot resolve your issue and you are calling between 8 AM and 8 PM Eastern Time on a business day, you will be transferred to a live agent. Calls made outside of business hours will be placed in a queue for follow-up the next business morning.
• There is no bypass option for the virtual agent. If the virtual agent cannot resolve your issue, you will be transferred to a member of the Service Desk team.
• In all cases, a SAMI support ticket is created for your inquiry. If the virtual agent resolves the issue, the ticket serves as documentation of the resolution. If additional assistance is required, the ticket is routed to our team.

When traveling internationally, there are a few important steps that faculty and staff members must take to ensure FDU does not incur unnecessary costs related to their university-issued cell phones.

The most important action is to notify our Voice Services team about your travel plans. This should be done by submitting the Mobile Device Request & Feature Change Form at least one week prior to traveling. Once Voice Services receives the form, they will ensure that the appropriate international feature—formerly called an international plan—is added to your device. The form also creates a line of communication with Voice Services so they can inform you of the applicable rates, voice and text limits, and any unique circumstances associated with your international travel.

When traveling internationally, turn off “cellular data roaming” on university devices that do not have an international feature enabled. Consider leaving unneeded devices, such as iPads and Mi-Fi units, at home. Unless your device is completely powered off or data roaming is disabled, it will still generate data traffic in the background.

International phone costs can add up quickly, so your proactive steps while traveling are appreciated.

During the Fall semester, OIRT Computing Services noticed a series of easily preventable technology issues in classrooms and event spaces. If you conduct classes or host events using Zoom carts, projectors, screens, or any other FDU-provided technology, we recommend reviewing our new article:

This article is a quick read filled with helpful guidance to ensure you’re both a considerate host to your students or participants and a respectful user of shared spaces for those who come after you.

Softdocs has corrected the issue and access to Etrieve is now available.

Softdocs is experiencing a major outage and is currently unable to all users.

I will send an update as soon as this has been resolved.

Starting on Sunday, January 18 at 11:00 PM Eastern and continuing through 2:00 AM the following morning, FDU will be performing network maintenance. During this maintenance window, on-campus users may experience brief, sporadic internet disruptions, and off-campus users may encounter momentary interruptions when using the FDU VPN.

SoftDocs Etrieve Central will have a new look starting January 1, 2026. The new experience will fully replace the legacy version and introduce a modernized interface that offers a refreshed design, improved navigation, and a more intuitive user experience aimed at helping users work faster and more efficiently.

You can explore the new experience now by clicking the “Try New Central” button in the top right-hand corner of Etrieve Central. You can also view this three-minute SAMI Short tutorial video.

If you experience any issues after the upgrade, create a support request through SAMI Support.

Starting on Friday, December 19 at 11:00 PM Eastern and continuing through 2:00 AM the following morning, FDU will be performing network maintenance.

During this maintenance window, on-campus users may experience brief, sporadic internet disruptions, and off-campus users may experience momentary disruptions to the FDU VPN.