Devices and Equipment

UZH’s Information Technology office is responsible for procuring and running IT hardware, for core IT services and for equipping IT workstations for Central Services. Multifunctional printing and scanning devices are provided by the Procurement and Logistics department. The environmental impact of manufacturing most IT equipment far outweighs the electricity used to run it. The social aspects, especially the problems associated with extracting rare materials to produce IT equipment, should also be borne in mind.

Practical Recommendations

• Acquire new electronic equipment as rarely as you can. You can postpone the need to buy new equipment by obtaining devices that have been taken out of service, for example via the UZH Equipment Exchange (see below), or by getting existing equipment repaired.  
• Before you acquire equipment for projects or one-off events, ask Multimedia & E-Learning Services; they can lend out projectors, cameras and microphones.
• Use the Shared Equipment platform, where staff and people outside UZH are currently offering around 200 devices for shared use. More information
• Particularly expensive and complex equipment can be procured via UZH’s technology platforms and made available for shared use. This way utilization rates of up to 90 percent can be achieved.
• More information
• Instead of acquiring a personal workstation printer to print out electronic documents, use central printers.
• Unplug equipment that uses a lot of electricity in standby mode, especially if you’re away for a prolonged period.

Equipment Exchange

UZH’s Equipment Exchange has everything from book scanners and overhead projectors to UV laser markers, centrifuges, DNA sequencing equipment and lab equipment no longer in use, just waiting to be reanimated. If you have new or used equipment (if possible including the relevant handbooks, manuals and descriptions) to give away or want to find equipment, check out the following link for further information:
 

By Alice Werner, translated by MIchael Craig