Important Notice
[2025-03-31] DeepSeek and Qwen models are now available on HKBU GenAI Platform (Staff & Student)
COMMUNICATIONS
Overview
ITO offers various communication channels for the University members. To request for the service, please submit a Service Request via Request Forms.
UChat is an enterprise-based unified communication mobile app, designed especially for HKBU staff to communicate with each other with text messaging, file sharing and voice call capabilities. UChat runs on Android devices as well as iPhones and iPads. Same text messaging and file sharing features will also be available on BUniPort as a browser version.
With UChat app, your mobile is not only a personal phone, but it also acts simultaneously as your VoIP phone on your office desk when connected to Internet with the benefits below:
- Free of any IDD charge when calling any HK telephone number from overseas
- An option to receive and pick up calls made to your office phone
- Directly access your office voicemail
The electronic fax service (eFax) can replace all the individual fax machines in Departments/Offices. With the new service, users will be able to send and receive faxes on their PCs in electronic formats, as well as retrieve and organize fax archive from desktop in a few clicks. All the existing fax numbers owned by Departments/Offices can be migrated to the new fax service at no cost.
e-Announcement is an electronic channel to disseminate information to the University community through the BUniPort as well as emails (option to opt out). Note also the following arrangement regarding e-Announcement posting:
ITO offers 3 different types of Video Conference solutions for both point-to-point and multipoint video calls with local and/or overseas participants. Besides, a ready-for-use video conferencing setup has been made available at SWT-803, SWT-504 and RRS-305A (Polycom).
Polycom Room System
ITO has acquired an H.323 standard HD Video Conferencing Unit which offers video conference service at selected locations in the University
WebEx (Free)
WebEx is a cloud-based service which supports instant messaging, voice/video conference with multiple parties via the Internet:
- Runs on PC (Windows/Mac) and mobile (iOS/Android/Windows)
- Supports PC desktop sharing
The university's digital signage system offers a dynamic platform for content dissemination. It showcases endorsed posters for events and university-wide announcements, making it an ideal tool for promoting campus activities. Additionally, it efficiently shares event/program footage, promotional videos, university news, documentaries, and more, enhancing campus communication and engagement.
IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) is a new TV platform service running on network infrastructure in order to replace existing CABD (Communal Aerial Broadcast Distribution) system.
Without changing the TV content (channels), new IPTV platform at user end only requires a TSP, SetTop Box and Display equipment (e.g. TV set) with HDMI interface for connection establishment.
[IT101] Digital Signage Video Posting Request Form (The service is supported by CPRO starting from 2 Aug)
[IT102] Digital Signage Poster Posting Request Form (The service is supported by CPRO starting from 2 Aug)
- Departments/Offices shall submit their e-Announcements in either pure text (English or Chinese), PDF or HTML formats. If the content contains GIF and/or JPEG images, they shall be embedded in a HTML file or converted to a PDF file. Departments/Offices shall also be responsible for the content/layout, taking into consideration the user’s reading experience. ITO will not be responsible for any editing on behalf of any Departments/Offices. Alternatively, Departments/Offices may choose to host their announcements on their own websites and simply provide the URL instead.
- The announcement content and details, together with the Request for e-Announcement Posting form, shall reach ITO before 4:30 p.m. (for Monday to Friday) on the date of posting. ITO will prepare an e-Announcement notification message and deliver it to individual users’ mailboxes during the low network traffic period. To ensure smooth processing, ITO has implemented an automatic delivery mechanism for the daily announcement messages. Departments/Offices are requested to adhere to the cutoff time. Any requests received after the cutoff time will not be processed.
- E-Announcements shall be restricted to matters relating to the support and administrative functions of the University. These may include calls for registration and enrolment, invitations for participation in surveys, notices on the availability of facilities or services etc.
- All e-Announcements and their contents shall comply with all laws and regulations of Hong Kong, including but not limited to The Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, constitutional provisions, ordinances, subsidiary legislation, rules and regulations having the force of law and rules of common law and equity.
- All e-Announcements and their contents shall not:
(a) without prejudice to the generality of paragraph 4, constitute or cause the occurrence of offences against the laws and regulations of Hong Kong, including but not limited to offences endangering national security, or be otherwise contrary to the interest of national security;
(b) contain any content that is abusive, discriminatory, defamatory, illegal, immoral, obscene, scandalous or inappropriate or that may cause embarrassment to the University or bring the University into disrepute or that infringes or potentially infringes the rights of any person; or
(c) contain any form of promotion or advertisement of any business entity.
- Any e-Announcements and/or their contents that are in breach of this e-Announcement Posting Policy will not be posted by ITO and/or will be removed without prior notice. The University may also take other follow-up actions as it deems appropriate.
- No commercial names and/or logos other than that of the co-organising/sponsoring companies of the activities and events organised by the University’s academic or administrative units and/or student organisations shall appear in the e-Announcement.
- Postings regarding the University’s activities or events such as ceremony, exhibition, lecture, seminar, colloquium and performance shall instead make use of the University’s Event Calendar. For more information, please enquire with CPRO or refer to the HKBU Event Calendar Guidelines in BUniport under “U-Wide Policies & Info” > “Communications Guidelines”.
- Departments/Offices may request to have their announcement posted on a date other than the current day. They must state clearly their desired date of posting on the designated column (i.e. “Date of Posting”) in the request form. ITO will make arrangements for posting the announcement on the specific day as indicated in the request form.
- An announcement with the same content is allowed to be re-posted only once as a reminder.
- The announcement request form must be submitted online at https://announce.hkbu.edu.hk/epost.php.
- The message headline can accommodate a maximum of 150 bytes. Please note that with Unicode, each English or Chinese character will be counted as 2 bytes. Users are advised to use the same message headline that appears in the caption of the announcement to facilitate searching.
- The relevant academic or administrative unit which submits the e-Announcements and/or authorises the posting of the e-Announcements shall ensure compliance with this e-Announcement Posting Policy and shall be responsible for any breach hereof.
- For enquiries about e-Announcement postings, please contact the ITO Service Call Centre at 3411-7899 or hotline@hkbu.edu.hk.
Please note the following guidelines before submitting the requests:
- Request for service should be made at least 2 weeks in advance.
- Camera, A/V facilities (TV, Projectors) and shooting service are NOT included.
- User should provide their own equipment with specification below:
- Video source: Camera with HDMI output
- Display equipment: TV/projector with HDMI input