COBTech@niu.edu was established to provide you with a central resource to request assistance with all your technology and facility needs in the College of Business. This includes all requests for assistance on hardware or software problems or questions, web page maintenance, Blackboard questions, and even issues related to Barsema Hall. Our goal is to make it as simple as possible for you to obtain assistance. All requests for assistance will be completed or acknowledged and scheduled within 24 hours of receipt (during weekdays). All requests for assistance with any office technology will only be completed in your presence to insure complete resolution and that appropriate training has been given to you.
If your email is down, please call COBTech at 752-TECH. Our preferred method for receiving requests is still via email because it provides us with an electronic copy of your request that can then be passed along to the appropriate person as well as directly imported into the COBTech Request Database.
If you have any new hardware that needs to be setup, please complete the COBTech Hardware form located at www.cob.niu.edu/cobtech/ComputerServices.asp. All hardware setup requests will be completed within 2 weeks of receiving all relevant information and software.
Check the status of any COBTech request by going to www.cob.niu.edu/cobtech/lookup.asp. All COBTech requests that are not completed the day they are received are entered into our new COBTech Request Database. This system provides Technology Resources with an organized way to manage the many requests we receive and also a way for you to lookup the status of a request you submitted to find out the date it's scheduled to be completed and any progress notes relevant to the request. This page allows you to look up a request by requestor name or by the request ID assigned to the request.
Yet another way we are striving to bring service to your computer is via remote COBTech. With the installation of a simple program on your office computer, Technology Resources staff can assist you with questions or problems you may have with your computer. The software provides remote access to your computer only when you explicitly grant access to us when you have the need. After the session is completed, the link is broken and we can only remotely access your computer if you again grant us access. During a remote COBTech session, you will sit at your computer and can use it like you normally do. The remote software allows us to also view exactly what is on your office computer from our remote location and we can assist you by demonstrating how to do various things by controlling your mouse remotely. We have already begun using remote COBTech with faculty and staff in the college and they have found it to be an excellent experience. All that is required is that you request that we install remote COBTech on your office computer (by emailing a request to COBTech@niu.edu). Once the software is installed we will give you a short demonstration of how it works.