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Office of Information Systems

Arkansas Tech University

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Hardware/Software Purchasing Best Practices

Please read the information below and complete the Hardware/Software Purchase Application


A Hardware/Software Purchase Application must accompany software or hardware purchase requests as categorized below. All hardware or software to be used and/or distributed to university owned devices for the purposes of administrating or educating the student population must be considered. These considerations apply to acquisitions free of charge or purchased with departmental, foundation, grant, or any other type of university or non-university funds. The primary purpose is to insure that the requested software or hardware meet all requirements necessary to be used successfully within our infrastructure and service capabilities and is within our legal and financial constraints.

By completing this form you are acknowledging that you have done sufficient research to be assured that this software/hardware meets your functional needs and that no other existing university owned software/hardware is capable or available to meet your expectations.

VIEW EXISTING SOFTWARE

  • There are many software packages already available to Arkansas Tech employees and students. Please review the list of software commonly placed on faculty/staff and lab computers at https://ois.atu.edu/software.
  • Our major campus service applications include Banner, ARGOS, Transact, Class Climate, StarRez, BossCars, TMA iService Desk, Parature, Event Management Service (EMS), and others.  Access to these systems can be granted through proper security procedures. Be aware that in some cases added software could interfere with the function of these applications.
  • If you believe that your needs would best be satisfied by the Office of Information Systems (OIS) developing software to meet your specific needs, contact the Campus Support Center to set up an appointment for discussion 479-968-0646 or campussupport@atu.edu.

CONSIDERATION FOR SOFTWARE LICENSE

Please allow our Procurement Office and/or OIS to help you with your software license needs. In some cases the university may own a site license that you can use, or we may be able to help you purchase licenses at an educational discount.

SOFTWARE RENEWALS AND UPGRADES

Before purchasing a software renewal or upgrade please confirm with the software vendor that any new changes do not affect how or where the software or data is stored, that no additional equipment is required, and that any needed installation requirements or steps can be provided. If you are unsure, OIS will be happy to speak with your vendor on your behalf. Please provide the vendor information on the Software/Hardware Purchase Application.

SOFTWARE ITEMS THAT REQUIRE A PURCHASE APPLICATION

  • Software to be used in any campus student computer lab for any purpose
  • Software used by staff for the purposes of Arkansas Tech official administrative duties
  • Software used by faculty/staff for teaching or testing purposes
  • Software that requires authentication set up against our services such as CAS,LDAP, or AD.
  • Any software that would require server installation, database building, storage space, or file sharing with Banner or other currently owned software.
  • Any software that requires the services of OIS for installation, set up, maintenance updates, or other task requiring computer network services or technician expertise.

HARDWARE ITEMS THAT REQUIRE A PURCHASE APPLICATION

  • Any Server based system that will connect to the Arkansas Tech University Network and or require DNS, DHCP, LDAP, WEB, Active Directory, or BANNER Services from the University.
  • Any appliance that filters, manipulates, routes, captures or analyses data from the Arkansas Tech University Network or Data Systems.
  • Any System such as Security Cameras Hosting, Kiosk Delivery System, Digital Media Display System, Information Collection or Distribution System.
  • Any other system not stated above that may require control, data integration, AD/LDAP services or other networked system should be considered and OIS should be notified for options.

ITEMS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE A PURCHASE APPLICATION

  • Items expressly exempt are system add-ons such as, printers (unless major system), desktop displays and other items directly related to normal desktop system operations. 
  • Software to be used for specific personal use and does not apply to items listed above are also exempt.
  • Items such as laptops and desktop computers should be quoted through OIS but do not require the formal evaluation or application.

ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS

It is the policy of Arkansas Tech University to afford persons with disabilities the reasonable accommodations needed for equal access. Compliance standards as set by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 http://www.section508.gov/ should be met. The intent of these standards is to ensure individuals with disabilities are able to acquire the same information and engage in the same interactions as others with substantially equivalent ease of use.

Additionally, when procuring a technology product or when soliciting the development of such a product, the State of Arkansas is required to comply with the provisions of Arkansas Code Annotated § 25‐26‐201 et seq., as amended by Act 308 of 2013 ftp://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/acts/2013/Public/ACT308.pdf, which expresses the policy of the State to provide individuals who are blind or visually impaired with access to information technology purchased in whole or in part with state funds.

Vendors may provide a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template, or VPAT, as evidence of compliance with these standards. The VPAT should be reviewed carefully to ensure the intent of the standards is met. In those instances where an acceptable VPAT is not readily available, the purchase should be carefully considered with regard to its intended use and the product’s impact upon the intended end users.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

If you have any questions regarding these guidelines or completing the application please call OIS at 479-968-0646 or email us at campussupport@atu.edu.

The Office of Information Systems is not responsible for software/hardware that is purchased without following these guidelines.

OIS will provide you with a formal memo stating the findings of the product review as well as any supporting documents that may apply.  A copy will also be sent to the Procurement Office.  After the product is approved and any required contract (if applicable) is signed you are ready to create a requisition or purchase with your PCard.  Remember to include a copy of this OIS memo with your monthly PCard documentation.

It is important to consider the timeliness of this process when making plans to have this software/hardware available for use.

  • The minimum processing time for Administrative Software applications is one month prior to creation of the actual Purchase Order. Note that this does not include software implementation time.
  • Processing time for all hardware is one month prior to purchase.
  • Applications for software requests for student labs will follow the same deadline dates as for book adoption orders.
    • Software requests for all summer terms must be submitted to OIS by the end of March.
    • Software requests for the fall term must be submitted to OIS by the end of March.  We can accept any changes due to classroom adjustments through then end of May.
    • Software requests for the spring term must be submitted to OIS by the end of October.
    • Please note that any requests for version upgrades to software in computer labs will be completed during the summer only.  Due to textbook considerations, we are not able to upgrade software versions during the school year.
  • For student lab software requests, please use the Software Request form for located here: https://ois.atu.edu/software-request/

Please fill out the Hardware/Software Purchase Application here: https://ois.atu.edu/hardwaresoftware-purchase-application/

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CAMPUS SUPPORT CENTER

RPL 150
(479) 968-0646 (call)
(479) 348-2436 (text)
campussupport@atu.edu

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Monday-Friday: 7am-7pm

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