By Simon Alexander, Networks and Infrastructure

The standard suite of software which is made available on all PCs for staff and students is upgraded every year as part of what the University calls its Managed Desktop.

IS&T is currently testing the version with the latest applications that will be used for 2014-15. The major change is the planned use of Internet Explorer 11 and Java 1.7. These have been requested for teaching and learning and to improve the student experience. They will replace the existing versions and provide enhanced security and new functionality.

The updates to Internet Explorer and Java have required extensive testing and we have been liaising with suppliers to ensure our corporate systems will function correctly with the upgraded software and be supported. This work involves resolving a number of issues that have been discovered but we expect to release the desktop shortly so that it can be installed in the labs as scheduled. For information about specialist teaching software, please see our page about IT preparations for teaching.

The latest version of Managed Desktop will be installed on staff desktops throughout the summer as a series of software updates, usually overnight, and staff and students will be notified when they next login that the workstation has been updated. All your existing software and settings will remain as before.