Overview
The remote desktop service provides access to a fully managed and secure Windows desktop environment that you can access from any device, anywhere, any time. You can access your usual network drives (G:, H:, O: &c), a core suite of software, and can print to your home printer or to a work printer.
You will need to request access to use the service and your department must approve payment of a per-user annual service charge.
Connecting
If you have already set up your computer to access the remote desktop service then connecting is extremely simple:
- Activate Oxford VPN - only if you are connecting from home / over wifi
- Login from Windows / OS X or from Android / iOS
Key Features
Security & backup
The remote desktop service offers an equivalent level of security as working on a managed staff desktop. All network communications are encrypted, and the University VPN is required for connections from non-University networks.
If you are connecting from a personal / home computer, it is your responsibility to ensure it is fully updated and has appropriate security measures in place, including anti-virus software. Please see the Information Security website for more information.
Anything saved in My Documents, Pictures, Videos, Music, Favorites, Desktop and Downloads or the G:, H:, I:, O:, P: and Q: drives is backed up daily. This is the same backup scheme used for managed staff desktops.
Applications
Available Applications
- Access 2016
- Acrobat Reader DC
- Chrome
- Citrix Receiver
- Dataload Classic
- Emu
- Excel 2016
- Firefox
- GL Connect
- Internet Explorer
- KeePass
- MuseumPlus
- Office 2016
- OneDrive via Web
- OneNote 2016
- Oracle Service Cloud (Right Now)
- Outlook 2016
- PowerBI Desktop
- Power PDF (Kofax/Nuance)
- PowerPoint 2016
- Publisher 2016
- Teams
- Word 2016
Applications Coming Soon
- OneDrive sync client
- Gemalto smart card integration
Incompatible Applications
- Adobe Creative Cloud Suite*
- Aleph
- Brahms
* Staff can install their user-licensed Adobe CC apps on their home computer
Files, folders and personal settings
Your shared drives and personal folders (My Documents, Pictures, Videos, Music, Favorites, Desktop and Downloads) are available in the remote desktop service. Drives on your home PC, including USB drives, will also be accessible. Double-click This PC or press Start + E to browse your files and folders.
A selection of personal settings will be synchronised with your managed staff desktop. These include your desktop background and icons.
Printers
Any printers that were configured and active on the device you connected from will be available in the remote desktop service. To set your default printer or change printer settings, select Start , type print, select Printers & scanners, select the printer you want to modify and click Manage.
Billing
As noted above there is a per-user annual service charge. Departments will be billed once each year, for all users with access on 1st August. To keep administrative overheads as low as possible there are no part-year charges: no charge is made when new users are granted access before 1st August, and no refunds are paid when access is removed after 1st August.
You must request removal of access for staff who have left, whether they are moving to another department or leaving the University entirely. To request removal of access, visit our service catalogue and select the CONNECT Remote Desktop Access tile. If you are billed for a user who still had access on 1st August, but you had submitted a request for removal of their remote desktop service access prior to 1st August, then please let us know and we will remove the charge.
