Cleaning up messy legacy software is a bane of companies big and small, but it’s long been considered an unclimbable mountain. Now, UM-Dearborn faculty member Marouane Kessentini might have found a solution. His software refactoring tool—which helps automate the process of cleaning up messy legacy code—was impressive enough that U-M’s Office of Technology Transfer named if one of eight… Read More »
We all should be in the habit of keeping our software up-to-date. This is necessary because vendors and others regularly identify security vulnerabilities in software and apps, and then release updates and patches to fix them. Additionally, keeping your software current enables you to take advantage of other improvements, such as better performance or new functionality. Personal computers… Read More »
The number of startups launched at U-M nearly doubled in fiscal year 2018 to 21 as U-M inventors went to market with a broad array of discoveries. Nine of the 21 startups are software companies. The majority of this year’s startups are also headquartered in southeast Michigan, where they’re creating jobs and helping to diversify the economy. “We… Read More »
WebNow, also known as Perceptive Content, will not work with some newer operating system versions and with certain browsers. WebNow is the university’s document imaging system, which can be used to upload and store documents as electronic files in a secure online environment. These system limitations will be eliminated after the system is upgraded this summer. More information… Read More »
Antivirus software should be installed and kept up-to-date on all of your computers—both your own and those owned by the university. MiWorkspace computers already have antivirus software installed, and it is updated automatically. For U-M computers Information Assurance (IA) recommends these antivirus products that are licensed for use on UM-owned computers: Windows 8 and 10. Use Windows Defender,… Read More »
Starting in about 2011, Storify dominated the niche of tools to harvest, collect, and organize social media and related content into meaningful collections or “stories.” But by early 2018, when Storify announced it would be closing, the market was wide open for a replacement and Wakelet came to the forefront. My colleague, emerging technologies librarian Patricia Anderson (who co-authored this post),… Read More »
Most blind people on Windows either use JAWS or NVDA as their screen reader of choice. Here is a summary of some of the best screen readers available today.
Accessibility is a priority at the University of Michigan and in Information and Technology Services (ITS). Becoming more accessible as an institution will mean a fundamental shift in approach to how we plan, design, develop, create, and instruct.
The University of Michigan is part of an NSF-supported 17-university coalition dedicated to creating next-generation computing power to support high-energy physics research. Led by Princeton University, the Institute for Research and Innovation in Software for High Energy Physics (IRIS-HEP) will focus on developing software and expertise to enable a new era of discovery at the Large Hadron Collider… Read More »
Forvo.com offers word pronunciations with playable audio, often with variations for regional dialect and different languages.
Melissa Thurber, M.B.A., was recently interviewed about her work on the Software Delivery Team. The Health Information Technology & Services (HITS) project manager began her career in IT working in the digital marketing space. Thurber understands what customers are looking for, making her contributions to healthcare IT all the more impactful. Tell us about your role and responsibilities.… Read More »
UM-Dearborn faculty, staff, and students now have one-stop to explore study abroad opportunities. ITS at the Dearborn campus partnered together with the Office of International Affairs (OIA) to automate and streamline the management of their study abroad program. Using Terra Dotta to implement the new M-Navigator site required data integration with the student information system Banner. Once configured, single sign-on… Read More »
Over 60 university community members attended the Web Platforms Service Town Hall on March 7 at Palmer Commons. The presentation reflected feedback received during meetings and interactions held over the past year and a half. Town hall participants shared further ideas verbally and using the Poll Everywhere app. The service project team is reviewing the latest feedback and… Read More »
You can deploy Passwordstate in your unit under a U-M license that covers use by U-M faculty, staff, and students on all U-M campuses. Passwordstate allows teams of people to access and share sensitive password resources and is typically used for managing elevated and administrative passwords, as well as passwords for smaller proprietary systems, such as research databases.… Read More »
UM-Dearborn Professor Marouane Kessentini founded Search-Based Software Engineering (SBSE) research lab five years ago with the goal of innovative software development. Now, through a partnership with software company Sema, Kessentini is seeing the impact the SBSE lab is making for the university, in students’ lives, and in the software industry. Through the partnership, the U-M Office of Technology Transfer licensed four of… Read More »
A town hall and interactive session will be held to discuss the new Web Platforms service being developed by ITS for the university community. This event will take place on Wednesday, March 7 at 2:00 p.m. in the Great Lakes Central Room, Palmer Commons. Members of the university web developer community and those who have an interest in… Read More »
Information and Technology Services is redesigning and launching new web hosting platforms that are tailored to the unique and varying needs of the U-M community. “The main aspects of the hosting platforms will be reliable and robust cloud-first architecture, scalable and flexible environment, simple provisioning, and security improvements,” says Deborah Gowan, director of ITS application operations. “Individuals can… Read More »
ITS is piloting new software for campus called MaizeLink. Powered by OneCampus, the software uses search and filter technology to make it easier to organize preferred web-based campus services in one mobile-friendly location. For the last two years, ITS engaged campus user groups via interviews, surveys, and prototype reviews to search for software to do what this one… Read More »
Computer Showcase holiday pop-up stores are back and coming soon to a campus location near you! December 8 – Shared Services Center, Victor’s Room December 13 – Arbor Lakes, Building 3 Lobby December 18 – University Hospital Cafeteria, Dining Rooms A&B December 19 – Wolverine Tower, Room G18 Pop-up store hours are 9 a.m.-1 p.m. for University Hospital and… Read More »
All U-M faculty and staff are invited to the third annual Holiday Kickoff at Computer Showcase on Wednesday, November 30, 2016. This special event features exclusive discounts on popular products and much more. Qualifying products will include the new Apple Watch and select PCs, as well as iPad Pro, Mac, MacBook, and Beats by Dr. Dre. In addition… Read More »