As we can see from the statistics, the beginning of the semester is also an especially busy time for the IT department.

To ensure that we can provide you with the services you need in time for the spring semester, we kindly ask you to request them already now. Once the semester has started, it may already be too late – despite our best efforts, we may no longer be able to guarantee that your timeline will be met within the resources we have available.

We hope that you will request in good time:

We still have time before Christmas to finalize your arrangements for the spring semester. We look forward to hearing from you!


Best regards,
Helpdesk

In case of any inquiries related to this announcement or other IT matters at Metropolia, please contact the Helpdesk as follows:

Phone service: +358 9 7424 6777
Service requests: https://hd.metropolia.fi / helpdesk@metropolia.fi
Frequently Asked Questions: https://itservices.metropolia.fi/FAQ
Ask Mikko Anything (AMA): https://mikko.metropolia.fi

First published on 01.03.2022 at 13:38.

If your laptop is swollen like Teuvo's laptop in the video, do not continue using it. In that case, the battery is damaged and needs to be replaced. A damaged battery can pose a safety risk.

If the laptop in question belongs to Metropolia, please contact Metropolia's IT Helpdesk (contact details below and in the video).

Watch this comedic video!

NOTE: Turn on the sound and watch the video till the end!


Best regards,
Helpdesk

In case of any inquiries related to this announcement or other IT matters at Metropolia, please contact the Helpdesk as follows:

Phone service: +358 9 7424 6777
Service requests: https://hd.metropolia.fi / helpdesk@metropolia.fi
Frequently Asked Questions: https://itservices.metropolia.fi/FAQ
Ask Mikko Anything (AMA): https://mikko.metropolia.fi

The break is due to system update.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

We have a new employee named Mikko. He is an AI-based chatbot who understands your questions and instantly provides a precise answer tailored just for you.

Mikko is not just any chatbot. Most of today's chatbots simply retrieve answers from their answer banks using keywords from your question, and sometimes they fail. However, Mikko is based on far more advanced, modern AI technology.

Mikko doesn’t just perform searches within its material based on the words in your question. Instead, its answers feel like the result of human-like, intellectual reasoning. The bot "understands" your question and combines pieces of information to craft a precise answer just for that. That’s why Mikko outperforms many other chatbots. It is a real help to you.


Ask in your own language

Mikko will answer your question in your own language. Mikko truly knows dozens of different languages, including most of the widely spoken ones, rather than producing awkward machine translations.


Chat as if you were talking to a person

Mikko doesn’t just answer your question; you can also continue the conversation with him. If you need clarification on a specific detail from Mikko’s response, just ask him. If you want to refine your question or provide additional information to Mikko, do so. You can converse with Mikko as if you were talking to a person.


Is Mikko perfect?

Mikko is not perfect, but usually, he answers correctly when it comes to IT-related questions about Metropolia. Mikko adds references at the end of his answers, which you can click to verify the information from the original, easy-to-read source.


Is it better to contact the Helpdesk instead?

No. The Helpdesk is happy to assist you, but chatbot Mikko often provides a more precise and easily understandable answer than a human. Mikko responds to you immediately, so you don’t have to wait in the Helpdesk service request queue. The Helpdesk also uses Mikko to assist you more quickly and efficiently. If you send your question to the Helpdesk, you might receive a response generated by the Mikko chatbot. You could have gotten that answer faster by asking Mikko directly. Mikko is available 24/7.

Yes, there are situations where a human is needed. Still, try Mikko first and be surprised! Mikko might solve your problem in situations where you never thought you could manage without human help. Give Mikko a chance before picking up the phone or submitting a service request.


Handling personal data and privacy

Chatbot Mikko is designed to answer your questions on a general level, not with your personal data. It is not intended to process your or anyone else’s personal data. Do not input your or others’ personal information into the chatbot. This would constitute unnecessary personal data processing, contrary to the data minimization principle outlined in the EU General Data Protection Regulation. Mikko operates in Microsoft’s cloud service and adheres to Metropolia’s cloud service terms.


Future plans

The newly launched Mikko is the first version. Mikko and its interface will continue to be developed. One possible future change is that the service request form and Mikko will be easily accessible from the same webpage. In that case, the service request submission and the chatbot would work conveniently side by side, eliminating the need for multiple webpages.


Provide feedback

We are happy to receive feedback on Mikko, especially when there are mistakes or gaps in its responses. Feedback helps us improve Mikko and its source material so that it can answer better in the future. In many cases, the corrections we make based on your feedback take effect shortly after you submit it. We then test whether Mikko answers the same question correctly afterward. We will also inform you about what changes we made based on your feedback and how it affected Mikko’s responses. You can provide feedback to the Helpdesk using the contact information below.


Best regards,
Helpdesk

In case of any inquiries related to this announcement or other IT matters at Metropolia, please contact the Helpdesk as follows:

Phone service: +358 9 7424 6777
Service requests: https://hd.metropolia.fi / helpdesk@metropolia.fi
Frequently Asked Questions: https://itservices.metropolia.fi/FAQ
Ask Mikko Anything (AMA): https://mikko.metropolia.fi

The break is due to the update of the system. 

Problems in OMA

We are currently experiencing ongoing issues that, despite our best efforts, have not been resolved. Therefore, the new services installed last week (capacity booking for work schedule planning, kapasiteettivaraus) will be temporarily disabled while we further investigate the cause of the problem.



We're sorry for inconvenience and thank you for patience. 


Summer Opening Hours for Helpdesk Phone Service (phone: 09 7424 6777) will end, and the extended opening hours for the beginning of the autumn semester will begin on Monday, August 16, 2024.

  • August 19, 2024 – September 13, 2024: Open Mon-Thu 8 AM - 6 PM and Fri 8 AM - 4 PM.
  • Starting Monday, September 16, 2024, we will return to our regular opening hours: Open Mon-Fri 8 AM - 4 PM.


Regardless of your matter, please report all IT-related issues at Metropolia as follows:

  • Phone service: 09 7424 6777
  • 24/7 service requests at https://hd.metropolia.fi or via email at helpdesk@metropolia.fi
  • If your issue is urgent and you need assistance within three business days, please call our phone service. This allows us to prioritize your urgency. Phone service is available for both urgent and non-urgent matters.


Remember the IT Services website and the FAQ!

You can indeed find the answer to your question directly on the IT Management website or on our FAQ page — give it a try and be surprised! The content of the website can also be found through Google and other search engines; just add the words "Metropolia IT Services" to your search.


Best regards,
Helpdesk

In case of any inquiries related to this announcement or other IT matters at Metropolia, please contact the Helpdesk as follows:

Phone service: +358 9 7424 6777
Service requests: https://hd.metropolia.fi / helpdesk@metropolia.fi
Frequently Asked Questions: https://itservices.metropolia.fi/FAQ

The Helpdesk sells discontinued computer packages, laptops, and projectors at the Myllypuro campus in D-building lobby 1st floor on August 19th - 21st, 2024.

Information about available products will be updated until the start of the sales days. Check the latest information when the sales days begin.

  • On the first sales day, products are sold only to Metropolia students and staff.
  • Products cannot be reserved in advance. They are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Only one computer package or projector per buyer.
  • There may be a queue at the sales point. We would like to ask for patience while waiting for your turn.

Check the products, opening hours, and additional information on the IT Services website. Please note that there are important instructions on the page that you should consider before coming.


Kind regards,
Helpdesk

Call Center: 09 7424 6777
Service requests https://hd.metropolia.fi / helpdesk@metropolia.fi
Information and instructions: https://itservices.metropolia.fi

Metropolia's telecommunication and server systems will be maintained from Monday 1.7.2024. at 08.00 until Friday 5.7.2024 at 18.00. The maintenance will cause short outages throughout Metropolia's telecommunications and server environment.

The maintenance will result in downtime for most of the IT services provided by Metropolia, including
- campus networks, i.e. wireless and wired network connections on campus and VPN connections
- financial and human resources management systems
- email
- Skype For Business
- network drives (Z, U, W, T, S, P)
- O365 logins
- Desktop streaming (VDI and CampusVDI)
- web services for teaching and projects (including Exam, users, vhost, mysql, mysqlproj, projects servers, wiki.metropolia.fi, www.metropolia.fi, ezproxy.metropolia.fi and elomake.metropolia.fi)

Separately, longer outages already known for the following services:
moodle.metropolia.fi: 02.07.2024 9.00 - 12.00
valmentavakoulutus.fi: 02.07.2024 from 13.00 to 15.00
hd.metropolia.fi: 04.07.2024 at 9.00 - 13.00

The breaks is due to the update and maintenence of the system. 

We're sorry for the inconvenience it might cause.

The Helpdesk sells discontinued computer packages, laptops, and projectors at the Myyrmäki campus in the C3004 classroom on June 5th - 6th, 2024.

Information about available products will be updated until the start of the sales days. Check the latest information when the sales days begin.

  • On the first sales day, products are sold only to Metropolia students and staff.
  • Products cannot be reserved in advance. They are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • Only one computer package or projector per buyer.
  • There may be a queue at the sales point. We would like to ask for patience while waiting for your turn.

Check the products, opening hours, and additional information on the IT Services website. Please note that there are important instructions on the page that you should consider before coming.


Kind regards,
Helpdesk

Call Center: 09 7424 6777
Service requests https://hd.metropolia.fi / helpdesk@metropolia.fi
Information and instructions: https://itservices.metropolia.fi

The outage is due to a system update.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Note also another outage on May 28, 2024.

Take Care of Your File Backups

Ensure your backups are in place before your vacation, and enjoy your holiday worry-free. Read more in the OMA announcement: Avoid a collapse – take your backups now!



The person in the image is not related to the case.

Check Windows Updates

Before your vacation starts, check for available updates for your Metropolia Windows laptop following the guide available on the IT department's webpage here. (Note: read the guide, do not use Windows' own Check for updates feature.)

The old Finnish proverb applies to Windows updates: "What you leave behind, you will find ahead." Updates have to be done at some point. If you keep delaying them, they will be automatically installed on your computer at a time that might not suit you. Installing the update includes restarting your computer and a temporary disruption of its use.


Keep VPN On for a Few Hours

Keep the VPN running on your Metropolia maintained Windows laptop for at least a few hours before your summer vacation starts. If you work during the summer, remember to keep the VPN open for 1-2 hours at a time, 2-3 times a week, preferably when you do not need your computer for other tasks (NOTE: It is not advisable to use the VPN during online meetings as it can slow down the connection). By doing so, your computer's functionality at the start of autumn will be more reliable.

Security updates are now automatically installed on Metropolia computers, provided the computer is turned on and connected to the internet. Just keeping the computer on helps a lot. However, the VPN or Metropolia's internal network is needed for certain essential functions like Windows licenses. If your computer is disconnected from the Metropolia network via VPN or on campus for too long, you may need Helpdesk assistance to get it back up and running.

Instructions for using the Palo Alto GlobalProtect VPN service can be found on the IT department's webpage.


Update Your Metropolia Mac Computer

If your work laptop has an older macOS than Monterey (12.x), update it immediately to the newest available version found in Apple's Software Update settings. Most Mac computers from 2016 and later support at least macOS Monterey 12. If it's no longer possible to install macOS Monterey 12 on your computer, consider requesting a newer Mac if necessary.

Reminder apps will be activated on Mac computers at the start of the summer, which will remind you of updates and their installation.

By autumn, mandatory security updates will also be available for all Macs, which can only be delayed for a limited time. After that, they will be installed without your permission after a countdown.

Read the instructions for updating the operating systems of Macs maintained by Metropolia here.


What Happens If the Computer Is Off the Network for Too Long?

Updates are essential for ensuring security. If your computer is not online for a long enough period, updates will automatically install the next time you start working.

Imagine a scenario where, after returning from a summer vacation, you start a lecture in a full auditorium. You turn on your laptop for the first time after your vacation five minutes before the lecture starts. Your computer quickly begins installing missing updates to ensure your security. As your computer slows down due to the updates, you finally open your PowerPoint presentation eight minutes after the lecture starts. As you reach the fourth PowerPoint slide, your computer restarts without warning, and the lecture is interrupted. This is inevitable as delaying updates poses a security risk. How would you feel in this situation? Would you then feel like contacting the Helpdesk to complain about your computer's poor performance?

Avoid scenarios like the one described above by connecting your computer to the network, and if you're not on campus, also open the VPN connection
1) before your summer vacation starts
2) after your summer vacation ends well before you start working. If possible, even the whole day before.


Summer 2024

The Helpdesk phone service is open from June 17 to August 16, Mon–Fri from 9 AM to 3 PM. (On Midsummer Eve's Eve, June 21, from 9 AM to 12 PM)

The phone service number is 09 7424 6777

Regardless of the season, we only accept contacts through

Service requests received during the summer are processed as usual, and delays are generally not expected. It is not advisable to postpone contacting us until the autumn, when the volume of contacts to Helpdesk is significantly higher. If the issue you report must wait for a responsible person to return from summer vacation, we will always inform you separately.


Fall 2024

Starting August 19, the Helpdesk phone service will switch to autumn hours. The beginning of the academic year is statistically and from our experience the busiest time, but we are prepared by increasing the staff for handling calls and service requests until the end of September. Despite the increased capacity, there may still be congestion.


All Contacts in Fall Still Only to Phone Service and Service Requests

We kindly ask you to continue using only the contacts listed above (and at the end of this announcement) instead of direct contacts on campus. This also gives the Helpdesk peace to work, and allows each of us to focus fully on our own areas of responsibility. Our contact policy is fixed and does not vary with the seasons.


Read Also


Promotional Videos

Watch the fun and exciting promotional videos by Helpdesk, which remind you to contact the Helpdesk using the correct contact information.

Best regards,
Helpdesk

In case of any inquiries related to this announcement or other IT matters at Metropolia, please contact the Helpdesk as follows:

Phone service: +358 9 7424 6777
Service requests: https://hd.metropolia.fi / helpdesk@metropolia.fi
Frequently Asked Questions: https://itservices.metropolia.fi/FAQ

The aged workspaces of Metropolia's wiki will be archived for read-only on Tuesday, March 19th, at 4:00 PM. This will cause a few minutes of downtime on the wiki. 

Old workspaces are those that were last updated on December 31st, 2021, or earlier.

Workspaces related to teaching and learning that begin with the string 'wiki2' are being moved to the archive.

Archived workspaces can be restored if necessary, so no page will be permanently removed from the wiki.