Software News

Upgrade Windows 10

OIT has made it easy to for faculty and staff to upgrade computer operating systems. Beginning in June, faculty and staff with OIT-supported Windows computers will begin receiving announcements on their computers to upgrade Windows 10 to the newest supported version, 10 21H2. Visit the OIT website for more information.

Esri to Retire ArcMap

ArcGIS has evolved into a modern suite of apps – ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Field Maps, ArcGIS Story Maps, ArcGIS Dashboards, ArcGIS Pro, and many others. If you haven’t already, Esri encourages you to transition to use Modern GIS workflows.

Older copies of ArcMap will be available; however, they won’t be supported by Esri beginning March 2026.

There are many resources to help guide you through this journey including Learn ArcGIS lessons, Esri Academy Courses, Esri Press books, and others. In addition, Esri is hosting several workshops and discussions to share best practices and address questions.

Please visit the Esri website for more information and begin transitioning to Modern GIS workflows.

OIT Hosts Microsoft Meetups

OIT has planned a week of Microsoft Meetups to prepare and equip UA students to migrate content from Google to Microsoft. Sessions will showcase how to migrate content as well as tips and tricks for using the Microsoft 365 suite of tools.

Join OIT and UA’s Microsoft reps the week of April 11 – 13 to learn more, ask questions and get comfortable with using OneDrive and other Microsoft 365 apps. Learn more about Microsoft Meetups and see a full lineup of events on the OIT Events website.

Microsoft Meetups April 11-13

Update Adobe Creative Cloud Applications

Adobe has recently released security updates for Adobe Creative Cloud apps for both Windows and Mac. These updates address multiple vulnerabilities, the most severe of which could lead to arbitrary code execution. Please update Adobe Creative Cloud apps on your devices as soon as possible.

SYSTEMS AFFECTED:

  • Adobe Premiere Rush 2.0 and earlier versions for Windows.
  • Illustrator 2022 26.0.2 and earlier versions for Windows and macOS.
  • Illustrator 2021 25.4.3 and earlier versions for Windows and macOS.
  • Photoshop 2021 22.5.4 and earlier versions for Windows and macOS.
  • Photoshop 2022 23.1 and earlier versions for Windows and macOS.
  • Adobe After Effects 22.1.1 and earlier versions for Windows and macOS.
  • Adobe After Effects 18.4.3 and earlier versions for Windows and macOS.
  • Creative Cloud Desktop Application (Installer) 2.7.0.13 and earlier versions for Windows.

To update, open the Adobe Creative Cloud application, Click “Updates” in the left panel menu bar, then “Update all” at the top.

Adobe Spark is Now Creative Cloud Express

Adobe Creative Cloud Express is a new mobile app and web platform that has replaced Adobe Spark. Creative Cloud Express is a template-driven platform that makes it easier than ever before to create professional and captivating designs.

Creative Cloud Express combines the powers of Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe PDF tools into one application, allowing users to create social media posts, promotional posters, videos and more. Creative Cloud Express has a similar look and functionality as Adobe Spark, but with new assets and editing features.

Key Features

  • Access to 20,000 premium Adobe fonts and 175 million royalty-free licensed Adobe Stock images
  • Simple drag-and-drop functions to quickly customize thousands of creative templates
  • Ability to remove backgrounds from photos, trim and merge videos, turn videos into GIFs and convert/export PDFs in a few clicks
  • New templates specifically for resumes, logos, book covers and more
  • Shared Templates and Shared Brands to ensure brand consistency across teams
  • Seamlessly manage social media publishing workflows with ContentCal features, once integrated with Adobe
  • Integration with Creative Cloud Libraries

Check It Out

Creative Cloud Express is available on the web at adobe.com/express, and as a mobile app.

  1. UA faculty, students and staff access Adobe Creative Cloud Express at adobe.com/express
  2. Select “Log in with school account”
  3. Then log in with your myBama email address and password

Learn More

Want to learn more about Creative Cloud Express? Make plans to attend our upcoming webinar January 13 at 1pm.

Zoom Log in – Change to Log in with SSO

By Dec. 16, all UA Zoom users must log into Zoom through single sign-on using their myBama credentials rather than a unique username and password.  To log in with SSO, users can select the SSO button in the Zoom app, enter ua-edu for the domain, then login with their myBama credentials. No changes will be made to HIPAA-compliant accounts at this time.  Additional information is available on the OIT website.

Access Zoom with SSO

Mac OS Monterrey

Apple released its latest operating system, Monterey, on Oct. 21, 2021. OIT strongly encourages end users to not upgrade at this time. Upgrading to Monterey will interfere with critical services including McAfee antivirus software.

IT admins should always test an OS in a test environment and wait for further recommendation from OIT before putting the OS into production as any issues that cannot be resolved internally may require further updates from Apple.