Among other things, you can expect optimised service pages and user guides, as well as a new menu structure tailored to user needs. The ZID forms (webmail login, set up u:account, My u:account etc.) are now also displayed uniformly in the new design. The ZID web page also welcomes you with practical new features:

• Want to find the right information quickly? The ZID Searchbot assists you in searching the ZID web pages.
• Is a service available for employees or students? Target group tags on all service pages clearly indicate who can use a service.

ZID Searchbot: Find the right information quickly

How do I configure Wi-Fi on my smartphone? What is the u:account? Where can I find IT security tips?

You can now ask these and other questions to the ZID Searchbot. The feature was developed at the ZID and uses artificial intelligence to assist you with requests relating to the ZID – with fast and accurate answers.

‘The Searchbot facilitates access to ZID information and services and optimally complements the conventional search function on the ZID websites,’ explains Christian Kracher-Fischer, who is responsible for developing the Searchbot at ZID. ‘We are particularly pleased that we can operate it on the ZID infrastructure. And we can assure you that no personal data will be stored and no data will be passed on to third parties.’

The Searchbot's knowledge is based on the information on the ZID websites, so it can only answer questions about this content. Try it out and access it via the Searchbot service page (in German) or click on the blue icon at the bottom right of any ZID website to ask it a question.

For feedback, such as technical problems, please use the Servicedesk form Feedback zum ZID-Searchbot (feedback on the ZID Searchbot, in German).

URLs: What is changing and what is staying the same

With the changeover, almost all existing URLs will remain accessible, including those for service pages, Terms of Use, forms, and information pages, such as the ZID Helpdesk.

There will be changes to the user guides and anchor links, i.e. links to sections of ZID web pages.

User guides:

• Previously: zid.univie.ac.at/servicename/user guides/user guide name/
• New: Due to the removal of the section /user guides, these URLs will immediately be zid.univie.ac.at/servicename/user guide name/
  To make it even clearer what you can expect in a user guide, some title changes have also been made.

In the case of anchor links (e.g.: zid.univie.ac.at/servicename/#c12345), the link no longer directs to the corresponding section of the website, but to the top of the page.

The URL changes are effective immediately. Please check your saved bookmarks and links (e.g. on your websites, in informational materials) if you refer to content of the ZID.

The total funding pot is 20,000.00 euros. The ZID awards up to 5,000.00 euros per project. When awarding funding, projects with one of the following characteristics are prioritised:

• Use of hybrid approaches (combined use of Azure services with local infrastructure)
• Use of Azure services with artificial intelligence
• Use of Azure services for which the ZID does not offer alternative IT services
• Particularly innovative character

The exact funding conditions are available at Funding for research with Azure services. Employees can submit an application for funding via this website between 03.11. and 31.12.2025.

Review of 2025: 9 projects, diverse approaches

In 2025, the ZID was able to fund 9 projects. These started at the beginning of the year and some will continue into next year.

Researchers from a wide range of faculties received funding, including the Faculty of Computer Science, the Faculty of Business, Economics and Statistics, the Faculty of Psychology and the Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies. You can find out more about the funded projects in the interview with Fabian Jusufi, who is responsible for Azure service in the Coordination Digital Transformation staff unit.

The projects not only come from different scientific disciplines, they also differ greatly in their approach – as the abstracts of the projects show. Fabian Jusufi adds: “But almost all projects have one thing in common – they use the AI services in Azure: OpenAI Service and Azure AI Foundry.”

While the OpenAI Service focuses on the use of OpenAI’s large language models (LLMs), Azure AI Foundry is a much more comprehensive platform. It offers numerous other LLMs and enables all AI solutions available in Azure to be created and managed centrally.

AI services in particular have developed significantly in Azure in 2025. Both the researchers and the Coordination Digital Transformation Team were able to gain valuable experience in the practical use of AI during the course of the project implementation.

Outlook for 2026: Everything AI?

The coming year is also likely to bring many more innovations in this area. Azure AI Foundry, in particular, is developing rapidly and, in addition to the latest LLMs, offers the option of configuring your own AI agents.

Fabian Jusufi expects that many of the projects submitted will again use AI services, but he suggests: “All Azure services are available to researchers. Services such as virtual computers, storage space, databases, network solutions, analysis tools and much more can also be used – all without long lead times and individually configurable. Azure also offers a modern and scalable environment for software development with container services and DevOps tools.”

Whichever Azure services the researchers ultimately choose for their projects, the Coordination Digital Transformation Team looks forward to receiving numerous new applications.

The extended security updates (Extended Security Updates, ESU) offered by Microsoft are reserved exclusively for private users and are not available for devices running Windows 10 Enterprise versions at the University of Vienna.

Why continuing to operate without updates is risky

Operating systems are subject to a technological life cycle. Over time, older versions no longer meet the requirements for IT security, hardware compatibility and software functionality. Windows 10 was released in 2015 and is now being replaced by Windows 11.

With the end of regular support on 14.10.2025,

• no automatic security updates will be provided,
• new critical vulnerabilities will remain open, and
• technical support from Microsoft will no longer be available.

This means that secure use of Windows 10 is no longer guaranteed. The risk of malware and ransomware attacks increases. Devices running Windows 10 can be misused as a gateway into the university data network.

 Which version of Windows am I using?

If you are unsure which version of Windows is installed on your device, you can find a user guide on the Microsoft website on how to retrieve system information of your Windows device.

Switchover for centrally managed PCs

From 01.12.2025, Windows 10 can no longer be used on centrally managed PCs to protect the IT infrastructure of the University of Vienna.

• It will then no longer be possible to log in to these devices (desktop and notebook PCs).
• Windows 10 can no longer be reinstalled once support ends on 14.10.2025.

What you should do now:

• Users with Windows 10 should contact your IT representative to plan the switch to Windows 11.
• Save your locally stored data in advance to an external medium, such as the Z: drive, Share, u:cloud or a USB flash drive.

Switchover for locally managed devices

Users of locally managed devices must take action themselves:

• If you have a valid Windows 10 license, the upgrade to Windows 11 is usually free of charge – provided that your hardware is compatible.
• Check your system compatibility with the free app PC Health Check.
• Older hardware may not meet the requirements of Windows 11.

For technical, organisational and IT security reasons, the ZID will not procure, distribute or support Extended Security Updates. This means that no extended security updates provided by the ZID are available to members of the University of Vienna. The continued operation of devices running Windows 10 without security updates is at the own risk of the respective organisational units and users.

What happens if I do nothing?

Technically, Windows 10 will continue to function without security updates after 14.10.2025. However:

• Security gaps will remain open and new threats will no longer be defended against.
• Hackers can specifically use vulnerabilities.
• Sensitive activities, such as the processing of personal data, are no longer recommended.
• Compatibility problems with new hardware and software will increase.
• Even a virus scanner does not offer complete protection, as it relies on current updates.

Where can I get help?

If you have questions or need support with switching to Windows 11, please contact your IT representative.

Image credits: Illustrations based on Storyset

DeepL Pro consists of:

• DeepL Translator: translates texts, images, or even entire documents
• DeepL Write: checks grammar and spelling and makes suggestions for alternative words, phrasing, and tone for your own texts

Both work in many languages. 

These extras from DeepL Pro help you use the tool efficiently:

• Apps and browser extension: Save yourself the hassle of copying and pasting texts back and forth and translate directly in the respective application.
• Glossaries: Terms defined in the source and target languages ensure consistent translation. The translation service of the Corporate Communications service unit already provides several glossaries centrally in DeepL, recognisable by the glossary name UniVie_. Activate the respective glossary in the settings so that DeepL translates proper names (such as organisational units), research areas and the most important terms from the fields of studyand teaching, human resources and librarianship correctly and consistently.

Why DeepL?

DeepL relies on specialised AI technology and analyses the content of the texts to be translated in context, while also utilising professional human expertise.

This makes DeepL translations very accurate: the message and context are preserved and less post-editing is required. Translations are therefore faster.

At a university in particular, the demand for translated texts is high: many non-German-speaking colleagues and students also need information in English or other languages. In addition, the internationally connected research community makes it necessary to provide correspondence with partners, publications or research documentation in English.

DeepL in practice

The University of Vienna’s translation service team has compiled tips and recommendations for translating with AI on the intranet. Users can get answers to the following questions:

• How do you prepare texts for translation?
• To what extent should you check and correct the translation?
• Which types of text are suitable for translation with AI tools?

The IT Communications & Marketing team at the ZID has already gained experience with DeepL. It uses the tool to make informative texts about IT services available in English. This process has proven successful:

The team members have the texts translated via DeepL. They activate a glossary the team has created, which contains all ZID-relevant terms in German and English. In a first pass, they check for themselves whether the content has been translated correctly or whether the translation contains any major errors. Sara Curtis, the English expert in the team, then goes through the translation again: “Most of the time, I only have to change minor details. For example, if the tone isn’t quite right or if ambiguous terms are translated incorrectly.”

DeepL has more than proven itself for the team, reports Sara Curtis: “We can now provide much more information in English. This is especially true for texts that need to be published urgently. It also takes some of the pressure off our colleagues in the translation service team of the Corporate Communications service unit.”

What about data protection?

If you use the DeepL Pro subscription provided by the University of Vienna, data protection compliance is guaranteed, and you can use the tool for all texts produced at the University of Vienna.

Ordering DeepL Pro

As an employee, you can order a DeepL Pro subscription for a fee (Euro 12,50/quarter) in the self-service portal.

You can find a user guide on how to order and further information about DeepL at Ordering a DeepL account for employees.

Training: Using DeepL efficiently

Webinars during the winter semester will help you get started with DeepL and show you the most important features:

• 21.10.2025, 9:00–10:00, in German
• 04.12.2025, 14:00–15:00, in English

More information and registration at u:rise

Image credits: Illustrations based on Storyset

Automatic subtitles with u:stream

Since the summer semester of 2025, u:stream has been offering automatic subtitling of video and audio content. Automatic subtitles are generated in the original language for all newly uploaded or recorded files. Optionally, an automatic translation with English subtitles can be generated. This must be activated separately.

The subtitling function supports the requirements of the Web Accessibility Act, which stipulates that on-demand videos must be subtitled as completely as possible in the interests of accessibility. Since many users do not have the time for manual subtitling, the new solution provides a remedy.

Subtitling is done by OpenAI’s AI application Whisper, which is provided by the ZID on servers at the University of Vienna. It offers solid quality for German and English content. There is currently no empirical data available for other languages. Inaccuracies – for example, in names or technical terms – are possible. The generated subtitles can be edited in the editor if necessary, or the function can be deactivated completely.

Please note: Automatic subtitling is activated exclusively for newly registered u:stream series. Subsequent subtitling of existing videos is not provided. If necessary, please contact u:stream support.

The u:stream user guide registration and administration contains information on how to manage subtitle settings.

ZOOM AI Companion: Intelligent support for your meetings

The Zoom AI Companion complements your online meetings with AI-powered features that improve efficiency and clarity, such as automatic summaries.

As the host, you decide which features you want to use. These can be activated or deactivated at any time, even during an ongoing meeting. When the feature is activated, an star icon appears in the top right-hand corner of the meeting window and participants are notified with a note.

The following features are included in the campus licence:

• Meeting summary: Video How to use Zoom AI Companion Meeting Summary
• Questions during the meeting: Video How to use AI Companion 2.0 during a meeting
• Smart recording: Video How to use Zoom AI Companion Smart Recordings
• Whiteboard generation: Video Using Whiteboard Content Generation with AI Companion

Please note: Zoom uses no communication data (audio, video, chat, files, etc.) to train AI models (neither Zoom nor third-party providers).

Image credits: Illustrations based on Storyset

The most important new features at a glance

Activity overview

On the course start page, you will now find an additional tab called Activities. There, all activities are grouped by type, such as assignments or tests. Teachers and participants can access the respective elements directly, which makes navigation much easier, especially in extensive courses.

Shared question bank with advanced filter functions

The question bank has been enhanced with powerful filter and search options, for example by content, author or tags. Questions can now be more easily shared between courses and tagged with additional metadata – ideal for structured exam planning and collaborative use. For more information, see Question banks (Fragensammlungen, in German).

New settings for assignments

Teachers benefit from new filter options, which provide a better overview of submitted, assessed and pending assignments.

Improvements to the Test activity

The Test activity now has new status indicators for attempts, such as completed, not on time or still open. The navigation for participants has been revised and is now much clearer, especially for longer tests. Individual questions can now be re-evaluated specifically – no longer just the entire test. Technical improvements also ensure more stable performance, even with an unstable internet connection.

New features for offline tests

Answer sheets can now be pre-filled by teachers with the first name, surname and student ID number in advance so that they can be distributed to specific students. Additional information is available during evaluation, which facilitates corrections and makes the process more efficient.

Enhancements to the TinyMCE editor

To improve accessibility, image descriptions can now contain up to 750 characters – for a more detailed alternative representation. In addition, design templates such as boxes and labels can be easily applied to texts. Direct screen capture is now also possible.

Further information on the changes can be found on our Moodle preview instance in the course Moodle Feedback, Insights & Outlook. There you can also leave us anonymous feedback, which we will use for the further development of the platform.

We wish you a good start to the new semester!

Image credits: Illustrations based on Storyset

There is a special focus on study-related software. This includes tools for statistics and data analysis, programs for mathematical calculations and applications for data visualisation. The programming languages Python 3 and R are also part of the course portfolio and provide an introduction to the world of programming.

New IT courses for students

• Free 1-hour short training courses MATLAB (offered by the manufacturer)
  • Building Robust Code – Testing Strategies in MATLAB
  • Structuring and Organising Code in MATLAB – Projects and Source Control

• MATLAB Introduction
• Mathematica Introduction
• Python with AI
  • Natural Language Processing
  • Deep Learning and Neural Networks
  • Supervised Machine Learning
  • Generative AI & AI Literacy

• Self-paced course Digital accessibility  (Digitale Barrierefreiheit)

New IT courses for employees

• Self-paced course Digital accessibility  (Digitale Barrierefreiheit)
• 1-hour short training courses (offered by the respective manufacturers)
  • MATLAB
  • DeepL
  • Grammarly

• MATLAB introduction
• Mathematica introduction
• Python with AI
  • Natural language processing
  • Deep learning and neural networks
  • Supervised machine learning
  • Generative AI & AI literacy

Find the right IT course

The u:rise portal is available at https://urise.univie.ac.at/.

• On the Offers page, you can enter terms in the search field or use the filter settings.
• For a complete list of all IT courses offered by the ZID, select the entry Zentraler Informatikdienst under Offered by.
• The search results can then be filtered further, for example by offer type (on-site or online) or course language (German or English).
• To view the course details or make a booking, you must log in with u:account. You can find your booked courses under My Area. There you will also find information on when you can cancel a course in order to receive a refund of any course fees.

Detailed information on the IT courses on offer, booking and cancellation can be found on the IT courses service page.

If you have any questions about the IT courses of the ZID, please use the ZID IT courses Servicedesk form.

Click here to view all ZID IT courses in u:rise

Enjoy browsing!

Without u:account, you’re lost

The u:account for students is your central access point to almost all IT services at the University of Vienna. It consists of the u:account UserID and the u:account password. You set both of these yourself when you set up your u:account. Your user ID can be found in the welcome e-mail you received from the ZID (which stands for Zentraler Informatikdienst). You should make a note of it, as you will need it frequently, along with your password.

 u:account UserID = user/login name in the form: doejamie99

All details about your u:account

Speaking of passwords

Before we introduce you to all the great IT services, we would like to draw your attention to the following:

• Always keep your access data secure and up to date. Please take a look at our info video on password security.
• You can change your password at any time. To do so, use the resetting the password form.
• You can also do this if you have forgotten your password, but only if you have previously entered an emergency e-mail address and agreed that it may be used. If not, you will need to request a new password.
• Here you will find tips regarding the password. You should really read them, as they serve to protect your data and the entire IT infrastructure of the University of Vienna! Got it?

Ready for IT services?

Many of the University of Vienna’s IT services are managed by the ZID. On the ZID website, you will find all the important service information, detailed user guides and the relevant Servicedesk forms for questions and support.

There are a handful of IT services you can’t do without, first and foremost u:space, the portal you use to organise your degree programme. You can also use the library services with your u:account. But there are several more. Curious? We’ll give you an overview of the most important IT services and show you which services you can discover beyond the must-haves.

Well connected: e-mail and Wi-Fi

Even if you usually do everything via Snapchat or WhatsApp: At university, communication still often takes place via your university e-mail address. Admittedly, this is not particularly appealing. However, it is advisable to check your mailbox regularly via webmail.univie.ac.at so that you don’t miss any messages from the university. You can also forward your university e-mails to your private e-mail address.

All information about the e-mail service

The Wi-Fi at the University of Vienna is called eduroam. If necessary, use our Wi-Fi user guides to configure it. And because IT security is important, there is a separate Wi-Fi password for eduroam. Also interesting to know: eduroam is an international project. It allows you to use the Wi-Fi of all participating institutions – worldwide. So if you ever visit TeamLab Planets in Tokyo, you’ll be connected right away.

All information about the Wi-Fi service

 Deep dive: VPN and MFA

Did you know that you need a VPN connection (Virtual Private Network) to access certain services such as u:print or online storage space from outside the university data network? You will then receive an IP address from the University of Vienna’s address range and an encrypted connection. Logging in to the VPN is secured with multi-factor authentication (MFA). This means that you need more than just your user ID and password to log in. This could be a one-time password generated by an authentication app on your smartphone, for example. You also need a second factor to log in to Microsoft 365 for students.

Learned and streamed: Moodle and u:stream

Without e-learning via Moodle, nothing works in your degree programme: this is where you exchange ideas with your lecturers and fellow students. You will also find teaching materials and assignments there. Video conferencing systems integrated into Moodle, such as Zoom, are also used for courses. In addition, there is u:stream, which lecturers can use to stream or record their courses online and make them available on demand, usually in Moodle. 

All information about e-learning services

 Deep dive: using Moodle smartly

Whether you are just starting your studies or need a refresher in your fifth semester, our practical short video tutorials (in German with optional subtitels) will help you use the most important Moodle functions efficiently.

• Video Registering for Moodle course: find the right course quickly and easily
• Video Downloading files: access all documents offline with just a few clicks
• Video Subscribing to forums: never miss a post
• Video Uploading assignments: submit work easily via the platform
• Video Contacting other students: network with other students in Moodle

In the test environment Moodle Preview, you can set up a personal course, test the new features and find out about planned changes to Moodle. The e-learning team of the ZID also invites all students to actively help shape e-learning at the University of Vienna. You can use the feedback form to submit ideas for improving and further developing Moodle.

Called and teamed up: Zoom and Teams

Of course, you can make video calls via Facetime or WhatsApp, and Zoom is also available free of charge. But with the data protection-compliant Zoom of the University of Vienna, you can hold as many meetings as you like, lasting up to 24 hours, with up to 300 participants. Filters included.

All information about Zoom

In addition to Zoom, you can also get Teams. This is available in a package with Microsoft 365 for students and offers features such as chats, calls and (video) calls. Teams also makes it easy to collaborate with others, for example by creating and editing documents together, exchanging files or brainstorming via whiteboard. You also get some free storage space in OneDrive.

All information about Teams

Saved and shared: online storage space and u:cloud

This brings us to our topic. Of the ZID, you have several options for storing, sharing and saving your data. These include online storage space and u:cloud cloud storage. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. We have already written a detailed article on this topic Where should I store my data? Feel free to check it out.

All information about storing and sharing data

 Deep dive: ACOnet FileSender

You may be familiar with this situation: you want to send a file, but your e-mail won’t work because it’s simply too large at 12 GB. That’s where ACOnet FileSender comes in. It’s a very useful tool that allows you to make files up to 250 GB in size accessible to others.

Surfing and printing: computer rooms and u:print

Don’t feel like lugging your laptop around with you? Is your printer on permanent strike and you don’t have the right software? Then head to the computer rooms. Just last year, the computer rooms celebrated their 30th birthday and were equipped with state-of-the-art and powerful devices running Windows 11. The list of locations tells you where to find the computer rooms and when they are open. All PCs are equipped with standardised application software. However, some locations also have subject-specific software.

All information about the computer rooms

The computer rooms also have u:print printers, which you can use to print, scan and copy. You can even send a print job from home. You can find out how u:print works in the user guides.

All information about u:print

We have the hardware: u:book

Are you looking for the right laptop for your degree programme? We have just the thing for you. With the u:book promotion, you can purchase top-of-the-line laptops, tablets, convertibles and accessories at discounted prices at the beginning of each semester. The u:book sales period is open until 20 October 2025!

Click here to visit the u:book shop

 Deep dive: u:book labels and filter function

Are you looking for a device that meets specific criteria? In that case, the filter function in the u:book shop is very helpful. You can select the screen size and a maximum price, for example, and you will only receive product suggestions that meet your requirements. Or you can search specifically for labels. These are only awarded to selected devices that meet certain requirements. This makes it easy to find the right laptop.

And we also have software for students

As a student, you can get inexpensive software via AcadCloud through the ZID. Unfortunately, there’s no Zelda or Monster Hunter, but there are very useful tools for your degree programme. However, there are a few goodies included. You can get Microsoft 365 for students completely free of charge. The Adobe programmes via Adobe Creative Cloud are also nice to have. User guides are provided for all available products.

All information about software for students

 Deep dive: Overleaf

You can use an Overleaf Free licence via the University of Vienna to collaborate on LaTeX documents online. Overleaf helps you simplify the collaborative writing, editing and creation of research papers or project reports. With a license, you can collaborate with others on an unlimited number of projects in real time and use templates. Feel free to read our article Not a LaTeX guru? Overleaf will help you anyway!

In the thick of it: IT courses

Now you know how to get hardware and software. But how proficient are you with it? Would you like some tips on Office apps? Or have you got SPSS completely under control? The inexpensive IT courses offered by the ZID can help you here. The majority of IT courses are held in the form of online webinars. The course topics include:

• Windows and Office
• Degree programme and research
• Graphics and audio/video
• Internet and social media

All information about the IT courses

 Deep dive: Free MATLAB short training courses

Want to solve complex problems, interpret data, create models or develop algorithms? The manufacturer of MATLAB shows you everything that is possible with the software in two different free short training courses. Information and login can be found via u:rise.

Last but not least: using IT securely

Do you think IT security is only for pros? Think again. IT security concerns everyone. It’s not just about your data. It is the responsibility of all users to save the IT infrastructure of the University of Vienna. It’s not difficult. With our tips for users, you’ll be well prepared. If reading is too boring for you, then check out our entertaining videos:

• Video: How to stay safe in the digital world
• Video: Dangers in e-mails
• Video: Password security

To the IT world IT security

 Deep dive: IT security quiz

If you think you already know all this, test your IT security knowledge with our quizzes.

Let’s be honest: Did you know about all these IT services or have you even used them? Visit us on our Instagram channel and write us a post about IT services in the comments section, telling us which services are your favourites and least favourites and why. We’re really excited to hear from you!

Do you like what you’re reading here?

We wrote this article for students. Do you like the style or do you find it odd when we communicate with you like this? Feel free to give us feedback:

 via Instagram

 via e-mail

Automatic camera tracking for your course

Starting in the winter semester, most lecture halls equipped with u:stream will have a new camera with auto-tracking technology. This camera automatically tracks the speaker and keeps them in the frame at all times – even when they move around the room. You can see which rooms already have auto-tracking in the overview of all u:stream lecture halls.

The controls are conveniently located on a new button on the u:stream web interface in the lecture hall. Alternatively, you can continue to use the familiar fixed camera profiles. Details on how to use the controls can be found in the Streaming Controls user guide.

In addition, the new camera can be controlled directly via the touch panel in the lecture hall – a significant simplification for video conferences. The auto-tracking function can also be used in video conferences. You can find out more about this in the user guide for starting a video conference in the lecture hall.

Curious about how the new system works? Our video Using Auto Tracking shows you the most important functions in use.

Good sound for good teaching: using microphones correctly

A crystal-clear camera image is only half the battle – sound quality is also crucial. But which microphone is suitable for which purpose? How do you use playback devices correctly? And what should you look for when choosing a microphone?

On the ZID YouTube channel, you will find the video using microphones correctly (Mikrofone richtig nutzen, in German) with the most important tips for your u:stream recordings and video conferences – for professional audio quality in every teaching situation.

Newly equipped rooms

Since spring, new rooms for u:stream and video conferences have been newly equipped in the lecture hall – naturally already with the new camera technology:

• Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz 1: Lecture hall 16, seminar room 5 and the Sky Lounge
• Währinger Straße 29: Lecture halls 2 and 3
• Centre for Translation Studies: Lecture Hall 5
• University Campus: Seminar Room 5

These innovations further improve the university's streaming equipment – for modern, accessible and interactive teaching formats.

Image credits: Illustrations based on Storyset

The IT Communications & Marketing team manages the ZID website and is responsible for the relaunch at the ZID. It is using this opportunity to restructure the content, present it clearly in the new design and fundamentally revise the most frequently visited pages.

Geared towards user needs: evaluation as a basis

Is the home page clear? Are the user guides easy to follow? In order to better understand user needs and create a well-founded revision concept, feedback was gathered from students and employees using several methods:

• Survey: How satisfied are users with the ZID web pages? What changes would they like to see?
• Card sorting: Which services belong thematically together from the users’ point of view?
• Usability tests: How easy do users find the user guides on the ZID website? How helpful are the optimised user guides that were tested?
• Website metrics: Which ZID websites are visited frequently? How far do users scroll on a web page? Which links are clicked on most and where?

More than just modern design: optimised content, structure and navigation

The relaunch is not just a (design) technical advancement. Based on the feedback, the IT Communications & Marketing team is optimising the home page, the menu structure and the most frequently visited service pages and user guides (such as Wi‑Fi and e-mail service):

Home page, menu structure

• The home page is clear, as compact as possible and makes the most frequently used services quickly accessible
• New and intuitively understandable categories (such as Research or Communication, collaboration) complement the tried-and-tested categories for better findability

“Since the last relaunch of the ZID website, several new IT services have been added. Some of them did not fit optimally into the existing categories,” explains Doris Maierhofer, who is coordinating the relaunch. As part of a card sortingstudy, users were therefore asked to organise the IT services into a structure that made sense to them. The results of the study are being incorporated into the new menu structure.

Most visited service pages

• Concise introductions explain what the service is and who can use it
• All user guides are listed directly on the service page to save clicks
• Content is shortened or moved to subpages and formatted in a reader-friendly way, for example with bullet points

On the last point, Doris Maierhofer explains: “Website users have a reputation for only scanning texts instead of reading them in full. This has been confirmed in usability tests with students and employees.” The aim for all texts relating to IT services is therefore to reduce them to the essentials and to use a layout that supports quick comprehension of content.

Most visited user guides

• Precise page titles, descriptive URLs and a prominent table of contents show users what to expect in the guide
• Brief user guides (for experts) and basic user guides (for beginners) appeal to users with different levels of technical knowledge
• (Numbered) bullet points and subheadings provide more structure

Coming soon

The new website will make the IT service information of the ZID easier to find, understand, and navigate. The IT Communications & Marketing team of the ZID looks forward to welcoming you to the new website soon!

Tailored AI: Share knowledge databases

Would you like to analyse data available as documents, such as minutes, tables and presentations, together with your teammates or use it as a basis for chat queries? Use the new Tailored AI. It allows you to:

• create a knowledge database using uploaded documents (PDF, DOCX, PPTX, TXT, XLSX)
• define your own basic instructions for the chatbot of this Tailored AI

Tailored AI then uses all this data and information to respond to your prompts (requests). You can customise the knowledge database and basic instructions at any time.

Particularly helpful: Invite other u:ai users to use your Tailored AI. Depending on the role you assign them, your colleagues can either share your Tailored AI or even upload documents and edit settings themselves. This creates a shared knowledge base that the tool uses to answer your questions and those of your colleagues.

New flexibility: Conduct multiple chats and save the history individually

There are more new features related to saving chat history: Now you can create separate chats on different topics and the history remains saved even when you end the session. It is also possible to delete each chat individually.

If, on the other hand, you want to make sure that the history remains empty, click on the lock icon.

That’s not all

Often requested by university employees, the introduction of these features is planned, starting with the end of the year:

• Additional language models: choose between more language models
• Web access: if desired, allow u:ai to access either only the trained data from the language model or additionally directly access information on the internet to obtain more up-to-date results
• Image generation, image recognition: let u:ai generate images or analyse content in images

More information about u:ai

Try out the new features in u:ai now!

Image credits: Illustrations based on Storyset

The AI-powered tool Grammarly supports you with English texts by correcting text, checking for plagiarism, and – now new – creating and adapting English texts using generative AI.

“The professor writes good well.”

Do you want your e-mail or publication to be professionally written? Grammarly helps you optimise your English texts. It can:

• check grammar
• correct spelling
• make style suggestions

And you’ll improve your English skills at the same time.

Particularly useful in a university environment: Grammarly can also check English texts for plagiarism.

A demo on the Grammarly website shows how it works.

Advanced AI features for English texts

Do you need writing support from scratch or content suggestions? With the new generative AI feature – accessible via the light bulb icon – you can use your own prompts or prompt templates to:

• create new texts, such as e-mail responses
• receive content feedback and suggestions for improvement
• change the tone (humorous, formal, friendly, etc.) or adapt the text to a different target audience (academics, first-year students, etc.)
• simplify texts, paraphrase, and much more

Perfect texts wherever you write

The Pro version available via the self-service portal also includes the Grammarly Editor. This lets you write, edit, and create texts directly in your browser without installing additional applications.

In addition to online use in your browser, Grammarly is also available as an app. Once installed, you can use Grammarly locally on your PC and mobile device – for easy improvement or for writing texts in Office or e-mail programs, for example.

AI used in compliance with data protection regulations

The version of Grammarly that the University of Vienna provides is data protection compliant and ensures that your data is treated securely and confidentially. This means you can use the tool without hesitation for your academic and administrative tasks.

Ordering and using Grammarly

Grammarly can be ordered for a fee in the form of a personal licence from the self-service portal. You can find a user guide on how to order a Grammarly account on the ZID website.

The Grammarly portal for the University of Vienna offers an onboarding guide and tutorials to help you get started with Grammarly.

Learn how to get the most out of Grammarly in webinars held in English:

• 23.10.2025, 10:00–11:00
• 29.10.2025, 14:00–15:00

More information and registration in u:rise

Image credits: Illustrations based on Storyset