Kategorie: ‘Support, Services & Updates’
Digital Cleanup Day 2026: A Fresh Start for Your Digital Devices
Source: Own illustration
We’ve all been there: your desktop is cluttered, your inbox is overflowing, and old apps are piling up on your smartphone. It’s time for a digital spring cleaning! On March 21, 2026, it’s that time again: Digital Cleanup Day invites you to bring order to your digital world while helping the environment.
KI:Inferenz.nrw Launches Offering for Universities in North Rhine-Westphalia
Source: Own illustration
The demand for powerful AI models at universities continues to grow rapidly. Applications such as chatbots and AI-supported services in the KI:connect environment are leading to more and more institutions using generative AI in research, teaching, and administration. At the same time, demand for locally operated open-source models is increasing.
RWTH Aachen University is currently testing several open-source models via KI:connect through the WestAI service center. The KI:Inferenz.nrw initiative was launched in January 2026 to provide universities in North Rhine-Westphalia with comprehensive access to open-source AI models in the future. It aims to provide universities in North Rhine-Westphalia with an infrastructure for the use of language models that is independent of the universities themselves.
Successful Conversion of Data Center Core Switches
Source: Alexander Müller
After five months of intensive planning, preparation, and coordination, the big day finally arrived on February 24, 2026: The data center core switches, which had been in service for 16 years, were replaced by a new, more powerful generation.
This was a significant milestone for the IT Center’s infrastructure, as the core switches form the heart of our data center.
Admin meeting on February 4, 2026
Source: Own illustration
The first admin meeting of the year took place on February 4, 2026. This article explains why the admin meeting is an important platform for exchange and which topics were presented, discussed, and debated in particular detail.
This time, the agenda included news about the state-wide backup system “Datensicherung.nrw,” the AI chatbot “Ritchy” as digital support in IT support, and the Webex Hybrid Calendar Connector for improved appointment and meeting integration.
DataStorage.nrw: Migration complete!
Source: Own illustration
The wait is finally over: the migration of research data to the new DataStorage.nrw storage system is complete. A total of approximately 2.7 PB of research data was migrated between July 2025 and January 2026.
In this blog post, we give you an overview of the migration process and the benefits it brings to researchers throughout North Rhine-Westphalia.
Always up to Date: The sciebo Blog
Source: sciebo
Anyone who uses sciebo or is interested in secure cloud storage solutions in the university environment should regularly check out the sciebo blog. There, users will find bundled information, news, and helpful background articles about the cloud service.
In addition, the new documentation page offers clear instructions on the functions of sciebo.
HPC Review 2025 – Developments, Collaborations and Highlights
Source: Own Illustration
For the High-Performance Computing (HPC) division at the IT Center of RWTH Aachen University, 2025 was marked by international exchange, practice-oriented workshops, sustainability initiatives, technological developments, and numerous activities related to HPC use and competence building. In this review, we summarize key events, projects, and successes.
Guests in git.nrw – A New Way to Collaborate
Source: git.nrw
In today’s digital world, effective collaboration is essential. The git.nrw project has therefore introduced a new feature: the ability to invite external individuals and make them git.nrw guests, granting them access to projects.
Goodbye FAX: Secure Communication at RWTH
Source: Own illustration
Are you still using the old FAX or UMS function of the RWTH telephone system? Now is the right time to switch.
The university-wide switch to modern VoIP technology is progressing according to plan. The goal is to completely replace the old Alcatel digital telephone system by January 31, 2026, at the latest. From that date onwards, the previous fax and UMS services will no longer be available. The switch-off is an important step in making RWTH more modern, efficient, and future-proof.
The IT Center Year in Review 2025
Source: Freepik
2025 was a year full of change for the IT Center, both technically and organizationally, as well as on a human level. While new services were launched, major infrastructure projects were implemented, and digital work processes continued to converge, there were also many moments that enriched our everyday work. Whether new AI initiatives, important security measures, service updates, or team events: the year was marked by change.
In our annual review, we summarize the developments that had a particular impact and the highlights that accompanied us in 2025.
