How do I know if I have a standard or lite licence allocated to my staff account? 

If you are currently using Microsoft 365 on your desktop, you will not be impacted by the licence change for now. 

How are the licences allocated? 

ICTS and UCT’s HR department are working together to develop a software licence allocation process that aligns with the UCT staff role model.   

What if UCT gave me a UCT laptop? 

There are no changes to the way that you access the Microsoft 365 productivity suite. You can access the applications on your desktop, online, as well as mobile devices. 

Will I lose any of my data? 

No, all the files that you created and have been shared with you, will still be accessible in the applicable folders.  

If you were allocated a standard licence, you can continue accessing the Microsoft 365 suite on your desktop. If you are lite user, you will need to need to access content via the Microsoft 365 portal. 

  1. Navigate to https://portal.office.com/ and log on with your UCT username (staffnumber@wf.uct.ac.za) and password. Verify your UCT credentials via MFA, if required. 
  2. Once you have successfully logged in, click the App launcher icon  in the top left corner to view the Microsoft 365 productivity suite applications available to you. 
Do I need to do anything in preparation for the change? 

There isn’t anything that you need to do ahead of time. You can already access the Microsoft 365 portal to access our Outlook mailbox, view documents on OneDrive for Business, use Microsoft Teams, and create new files via the range of productivity applications. 

Where will my data be saved if I have a lite licence? 

All your data will automatically be saved on the Microsoft 365 portal when you create files online. This means that you only need to look in one central location for all your files. Alternatively, you can navigate to the specific application online where you created your file (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and access it from there. 

Why do we need to change licence types? 

Microsoft has updated its licensing agreements, which is affecting all universities across the globe.  

How do I access documents saved on my computer online? 
  1. Navigate to https://portal.office.com/ and log on with your UCT username (staffnumber@wf.uct.ac.za) and password. Verify your UCT credentials via MFA, if required. 
  2. Once you have successfully logged in, click the App launcher icon  in the top left corner to view the Microsoft 365 productivity suite applications available to you. 
Will I still be able to access OneDrive on my desktop? 

If you have a standard licence your access will remain unchanged. However, lite users will need to access their OneDrive for Business account online via the portal.  

Will I still be able to access Microsoft 365 applications online if I don't have internet access? 

No, you will need an internet connection to access these applications. 

Why should I not store emails I want to keep in my Deleted folder?

As part of the storage reduction plan, a change has been made to the retention policy to automatically delete emails that is stored in the Deleted Items, after a certain period. We therefore recommend that you use Archiving for emails that you would like to keep for an extended period of time.

 

Outlook

Are there any differences to the way I need to access my Outlook mailbox? 

You can perform most of the actions in Outlook no matter what platform you’re using. If you’re new to Outlook on the web, view the links below for guidance on performing some tasks. 

What if I use my own device to do work for UCT? 

Depending on your licence, you may be able to install the Microsoft 365 productivity suite on your device. Alternatively, you can access it via the online portal, or install the applications on your mobile device. 

 

Storage 

What happens once the storage quotas are in place?   

ICTS will communicate more information in due course. 

Why will we be restricted to quotas on Microsoft storage options?  

Microsoft has updated their terms of use for the university’s Higher Education licence. This is a global change affecting all universities that have Microsoft licence agreements.  

Microsoft has significantly increased the prices of its storage offerings and reduced the amount of storage assigned to a licence. ICTS has obtained approval for implementing a storage reduction plan, which aims to standardise and manage cloud storage allocation per user, ensuring alignment with the new Microsoft Licence Agreement.  

What is the recommended method to share a document?  
  • If you’re only going to share the document with a specific group of people once-off, and then save the file on OneDrive for Business.
  • If it is part of a project, work group, or collaboration process, and then save it in Microsoft Teams, where it is automatically stored on SharePoint.  
What options are available for collaboration with external individuals?  

Microsoft Teams is the ideal communication and collaboration for engaging with internal and external individuals. View our extensive guide to effectively using Microsoft Teams at UCT.  

What is the difference between OneDrive personal and the UCT OneDrive?

Your personal OneDrive requires access using a non-UCT Microsoft email address (e.g., hotmail.com or outlook.com). OneDrive for Business is linked to your UCT account.

How do I create a personal OneDrive account?

You can create a free account using a non-UCT Microsoft email address. Alternatively, you can use Google Drive, which is part of Google Workspace that you have access to at UCT.

What are the quotas?  

The following quotas are currently being considered but more information will be communicated soon. 

SharePoint
OneDrive for Business
Exchange online

Teams: 10GB  

Microsoft 365 groups: 10GB  

Staff: 100GB  

Students  

Undergraduate to Honours: 50GB  

Masters, Doctoral, Post-doctoral: 100GB  

Alumni: 1GB  

All mailboxes will be 50GB.  

Archives will be dependent on licence allocation