IT support as well as hardware and software are regulated by a central framework agreement between the D-GESS department and the IT Services. Furthermore, D-GESS is a shareholder of Scientific IT Services since 2014.
This move was prompted on the one hand by the spatial consolidation of the department in the IFW/RZ building and on the other by the decision of the ETH Executive Board to restructure departmental IT support with the target of providing commodity IT (i.e., non-specific IT requirements) better and more cost-effectively through service- and requirement-oriented structures. A joint hardware procurement policy facilitates reduction of hardware expenses and support costs. Reaction time and service quality was improved through centralisation and standardization, as well as acquisition processes made easier and IT costs per position lowered. The D-GESS service model is a pioneering approach and an example for other departments.
The framework agreement is based on the following components:
– IT Services will provide support for all D-GESS IT equipment, apart from a few dedicated research installations such as laboratories, measurement systems, and computing clusters.
- – IT Services will provide a permanent support team (S4D-GESS) located in the D-GESS premises. As Service Delivery Manager, Benjamin Baum is the primary point of contact for all ICT matters arising at the department.
- – IT Services are responsible for procurement and replacement of hardware and software at D-GESS. The contract also covers a centrally provided services such as storage, backup, and server services.
The ORTS ticket system to be used for reporting hardware, software, and support requirements can be found here: