Starting this week, WSU students, faculty and staff will be getting help for their technology needs from the new Crimson Service Desk instead of CougTech.

The merging of WSU’s two previous technology support programs, CougTech and Enterprise Systems, will allow staff to assist more people said Jacqueline Southwick, WSU Information Technology Services communication coordinator.

Students will still be able to come into Center for Undergraduate Education, Room 302 during business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays for computer issues like viruses, but the online system will change and the staff will join forces to provide better service, she said.

“The proceedings here have remained largely unchanged,” Student Director Sergio Lomeli-Flores said.

It is possible those services could change somewhat in the future, he said, but nothing has been announced so far.

The change will not have any financial impact, Southwick said, but the combined information technology staff will be able to handle more than either group individually. Even though many ground-level operations will stay the same, the online system is significantly different.

Some CougTech signage is still in place, she said, but the official change from the old system to the new took effect as of Monday.

“For all purposes, CougTech doesn’t exist anymore,” Southwick said.

Under the new program, students will be able to visit crimsonservicedesk.wsu.edu to troubleshoot on their own by using the website’s search function, including after hours when they cannot access in-person services.

Students will also be able to submit tickets online for problems they are unable to solve themselves, and be updated on the status of those tickets as Crimson Service Desk staff work on a problem. Customers can also call (509)-335-4357 for help.

The online programming is designed to be more user-friendly and allow students to fix simple issues before they take their problems to the in-person staff. However, that support is still available when needed, Southwick said.

“I would encourage you to look at the portal and see what it adds to you as a student,” she said. “We’d love feedback, we’d love your thoughts on it, and we’d really encourage you to visit the website and get familiar with it as a resource.”