"An application that doesn't work properly only restricts users if they work with it."
(M. Brunner, Incident Manager)
The BIT now uses the IBI-aws application to inform users of IT system malfunctions. This allows users who are affected by a fault to be informed in a targeted manner. The fault information is no longer sent by e-mail, but appears as a pop-up message on the screen. Integration managers also have the option of displaying all messages relating to their office in an app on their smartphone.
IT disruptions always occur at the worst possible moment. It is therefore all the more important that the affected users are informed as quickly as possible. What is not working? Who is affected by the fault? How long will it be before I can work as usual again? When will I be informed next? To enable the BIT to answer these questions in a targeted manner, it has introduced a new application for providing information in the event of a malfunction: IBI-aws.
How does communication between BIT and users via IBI-aws work?
For example: Skype for Business is not working properly, some of the UCC functions such as telephony or desktop sharing are not available. The users in the affected offices receive a pop-up message on their screen (1).
You can open the message by clicking on the pop-up window (2). The message contains additional information about the fault and shows which administrative units are affected. The time of the next information is also noted in the message. In the drop-down menu at the bottom right, users can change the language for multilingual messages (3).
Inform the affected users in a targeted manner
«An application that is not working correctly only restricts users if they are also working with it,” says Incident Manager Markus Brunner. This is why IBI-aws offers the option of displaying the fault message specifically to users who are working with the affected application or are currently starting it. “Until now, we didn't have this option. Users who had subscribed to incident messages in the information overview for customers received all messages relating to their office, regardless of whether they were using the application or not.»
Safety warnings as mandatory consumption
In addition to error messages, the BIT now also sends security warnings via IBI-aws. To ensure that all users actually receive such security warnings, for example in the event of a new wave of phishing emails - the message appears directly on the screen in full-screen mode. Users must actively close the window before they can continue working. In this way, as many employees as possible can be reached relatively quickly.
The IBI-aws application is installed as standard on all workstation systems (APS) operated by the BIT. Users can find IBI-aws in the taskbar of their desktop. If they click on the arrow symbol, they can open the application (symbol see Figure 1). Here they can see all active and viewed fault information.
The individual messages can be called up for 60 days, after which they are no longer displayed in the application. “To avoid having to search for the IBI-aws application for a long time, we recommend that all users drag and drop it into the taskbar,” says Markus Brunner.
Alternatively, all active fault messages are also published on the support page of the BIT customer platform under the menu item “Current events”: intranet.bit.admin.ch > Do you need support? > Current events.
IBI-aws MobileClient for Integration Manager
It is practical for users to only receive information on faults that affect them directly. For integration managers or IT specialists, however, this is not always enough. They can install the IBI-aws MobileClient app on their smartphone so that they are informed about all faults in their administrative unit even when they are not working on their notebook.
The mobile client is available in the App Store (iOS and Android). Registration is only possible with a valid e-mail address for which the BIT has previously activated the domain name (e.g. @amt.admin.ch; @kanton.ch).
The MobileClient is intended exclusively for integration managers or IT specialists in the customer offices: the BIT has the option of rejecting registered users who do not need the MobileClient for their work. The app can be used to display all fault information for your own administrative unit. This also works if access to the federal network is impaired.
Another advantage of the MobileClient is that customers who do not purchase their workstation systems from BIT can also have faults displayed in the app.
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