OHIO Technology Review | Ohio University

A technology review is required for all information technology, communication technology or software purchases/renewals, including "free" services and services developed in house. The review checks for:

Compatibility - With Ohio University's existing IT infrastructure.
Compliance- With University policies/state law.
Alignment - With IT best practices and standards.
Accessibility - An accessibility review also will be performed any time an Ohio University administrative or academic unit uses software to provide university programming, services or activities.

Reviews are conducted by a multi-departmental committee of campus professionals, each with unique areas of expertise. The process is facilitated by OIT and includes OIT, Purchasing and in some cases the Registrar and Legal Affairs.

Please request a technology review as soon as you have selected the product you wish to purchase or renew. You may need to work with your vendor to gather required user and technical details as part of your request. For help with a software or technology purchase, contact the IT Service Desk.

Request a Review

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Reviews are Required

Technology reviews are necessary to comply with several university policies (91.006, 91.004, 04.001) and state law. The process protects the safety, security and financial interests of our campus community by verifying appropriate handling of sensitive data, evaluating accessibility and compatibility, and ensuring that all new software terms of use/contracts include the Ohio Attorney General's "essential terms." In the case of renewals, the process can identify changes in the way Ohio University uses a product compared to when its original contract was signed.

Purchases that Require Review

All information and communication technology purchases and adoptions must be reviewed, regardless of cost or funding source (state, foundation, athletic, federal or state grant funds, etc.) This includes "free" products or services (e.g. Apple, Google Apps) as well as those developed on campus. Examples include but are not limited to:

Software
Equipment that uses a digital interface, software or system to store, manage, control, manipulate or retrieve information
Videos
Web content
Communications products

List of Approved Applications and Services

How long will the review process take?

We have a long-term contract, can we get an exception?

What if I pay for it myself?

Oops I clicked accept on the term's agreement-now what do I do?

Contact the IT Service Desk immediately; they will be able to determine if software was downloaded to your device or if what you accidentally agreed to is a service on the internet. If you downloaded software to your university owned computer, OIT will assist in removing all unwanted software. If you agreed to an online service, they will send the ticket to the appropriated university department to contact the company and explain the situation.