Discussion: 

Effective 1/1/2006 UTHSC approved HOOP Policy 17.02 allowing the use of Blackberry type devices and allowing for distribution of salary supplements to offset data service fees at the discretion of units (units may develop their rules for distribution) and within university fund rules (using unit resources) as described below. 

MSB Guidelines:

• Supplements are $50/month.
• A qualifying employee may receive only one data service supplement.
• A qualifying employee currently receiving a cell phone supplement cannot also receive a data service supplement.
• The data service supplement can be paid to a qualifying employee for any brand of cellular data device selected (e.g., Verizon, Cingular, Sprint, Blackberry).
• Blackberry devices MUST use the UTHSC Blackberry server to qualify for the supplement.
• All such requests should come to the Director, MSIT for approval. MSIT will verify that the person requesting the supplement is indeed on the Blackberry server or whether he/she is  using another PDA service.
• An employee who is not eligible under this policy for the data service supplement or whose unit does not approve the data service supplement may purchase a Blackberry device with his/her own personal funds, including all associated cellular fees. This employee may then request that MSIT provide a connection from the University’s Blackberry server to the employee’s personal Blackberry device.  The authority to grant this connection will reside with MSIT.
• Students are restricted from obtaining a connection to the Blackberry server unless they qualify as a University employee and meet the criteria under this policy.

Clarification of a Data Service Device:

Multiple function devices:  At the University Information Technology Governance Committee (ITGC), there was a distinction made between those items which are in fact a PDA and those devices which are considered a phone.  The ruling was made that if the device could be activated as a phone, it is in fact a PHONE first, and PDA second, meaning that it would be covered by the cellular policy as simply a phone for purchasing decisions.  This would be true even if the device was never going to be used as a phone but only as a PDA.   This was decided in order to prevent people from justifying a $600 Treo or Blackberry as a clock, calculator, or some other device.

Medical School Approval Designee for Data Service Supplements:

Types of Funds Allowed for Use for Data Services: