Thread: DII / EGS

Yes I have an EGS account (but I have been given several verbal bans on using it for ARRSE :D )

But for your intended use of EGS, email. You should be using the DII role (e.g. 34SR-CO) you have been allocated, period.

If it's social emails then you should use your person role (e.g. Smythe, Charles).

You should be treating your role account in the same way you treat normal army correspondence, so when you leave that role it is handed over in a similar manner..

If you can't remember the wording in the subject line, send an email to a internet address. This should bounce back with a reply which contains the correct wording.

Except for trying to get onto ARRSE, I normally use EGS to look at traffic reports, weather reports, news, etc. I'd even say a reply like this on ARRSE is work related ... but they don't believe me!!!!

Originally Posted by Bushnut

Travis, I think the clue to the query from Morris was in the wording... "TA blokes" are won't have a camp, guardroom, or cookhouse. Therefore no DII terminal in them! But if they did... 600 blokes trying to use one DII machine in a guardroom - rather not thanks. We do, in fairness have a DII machine setup in our TAC for use by personnel who otherwise would not have access. It just seems that when DII / JPA etc. was dreamt up, the reserve forces weren't properly taken into consideration - hence the helpdesks never open at weekends! I am not going to moan about the system anymore, as it could be a lot worse.

Back to my original question, have any TA soldiers/officers got an EGS (ex-IGS) account? Does anybody have a definitive answer as to whether TA personnel are entitled to an EGS account?

Its cost and its down to your authorised demander. A standard user account costs about £25 a month I believe, if your AD is happy to "pay" for a TA soldier to have a standard account that he might use once in a blue moon then its his choice. The only people that have standard accounts here (as previously mentioned) have a role attached.

If you want to send emails to your soldiers, why not utilise the multiuser mailbox (I'm assuming you have one) ?

Originally Posted by CAARPS

Originally Posted by Bushnut

Back to my original question, have any TA soldiers/officers got an EGS (ex-IGS) account? Does anybody have a definitive answer as to whether TA personnel are entitled to an EGS account?

Like was said above, you don’t need and IGS account. Insert the words Release-Authorised: in the subject heading line of your outlook E-Mail and you can access outside E-mail addresses.

Yes TA can have EGS and standard user access but this is subject to approval by your budget holder as these services incur an ongoing monthly charge to the unit in the region of £35 per month. Speak to your authorised demander who is responsibly for upgrading accounts and demanding EGS access. Email him a quick note justifying why you need a standard account/EGS. He may then approach the budget manager (usually the RAO) for approval to make the changes and then request them through the DII ASR form.

If you don't know who your AD is login in to DII then click Strart>Programs>DII Service Catalogue. Enter your UIN and search and it will tell you who the AD is for your unit.

So long as you can justify the cost of having a standard account/EGS your unit can make it happen.

Originally Posted by spaz

Originally Posted by Bushnut

I have a DII(F) account and have my own DII machine on my desk in my office. However, because ALL of the TA are classed as "occasional users" I have been told that I am not entitled to have access to External Gateway Service (EGS). This sounds b*llocks to me! I need access to external email to effectively communicate with my soldiers.

I believe that access should be determined by your role; not how often you access a DII machine. I fail to see how using the machine every Tuesday without fail and every in-barracks w/end is occasional.

Can anyone confirm/deny whether all TA personnel are subjected to this draconian 'them and us' scenario?

Just ring SPOC on 188 (I think ) and ask for an IGS account.

SPOC will only inform you that you must go through your AD to get EGS.

Thanks for the replies - it's a little clearer now. At present I have a 'personal' account, so could really do with getting a 'role' account created (i.e. B Troop Commander) so when I do move job/location it can be handed over to the incoming bod.

I have heard about the "release-authorised:" thing before, and tried it. Being a bot of an IT buff, I wasn't surprised when it didn't work. But thanks anyway.

It was my AD that said I wasn't entitled to an account, and now I know why - he'd have to pay a monthly cost for it! So it's possible, but I'd have to convince him that it is worth it. No problem, sounds like it will take a little more convincing that's all!

Would it also be my AD if I wanted to have a role-based DII account created?

I think you'll find you already have two accounts, I know the reasoning behind why they gave everyone two accounts but in practice it just causes confusion.

Originally Posted by delberto

I think you'll find you already have two accounts, I know the reasoning behind why they gave everyone two accounts but in practice it just causes confusion.

Nope. " Occaisional" users do not have a role account, nor access to civvy internet via DII. "Standard" users have both a role based account and a personal account and restricted access to civvy internet sites. If you need access to civvy internet as a TA bod then its easier to do at home - and without all the blocked sites.....heaven forfend that anyone used their own wireless enabled laptop or Blackberry to conduct their TA business while sat in a TAC, all sorts of security implications......

The question someone should be asking is why on earth the contractors were allowed to get away with big monthly charges for standard users internet access - and basic housekeeping like moving machines between taps. Sounds like MOD is paying twice the rate that you'd pay for reasonable broadband at home.

Originally Posted by saladin

Sounds like MOD is paying twice the rate that you'd pay for reasonable broadband at home.

the expense is reflected by the security of the system

Originally Posted by Dirtyfilthymech

Originally Posted by saladin

Sounds like MOD is paying twice the rate that you'd pay for reasonable broadband at home.

the expense is reflected by the security of the system

How? It's a proxy server FFS.

MSR

It's more the auditing, testing, re-testing and monitoring that tends to cost the money than the tech itself.

Originally Posted by saladin

If you need access to civvy internet as a TA bod then its easier to do at home - and without all the blocked sites.....heaven forfend that anyone used their own wireless enabled laptop or Blackberry to conduct their TA business while sat in a TAC, all sorts of security implications......

That's my issue with the system. I have an office, a desk, and a DII machine, but I have to wait until I go home to email anyone who has a civvy email address (i.e. all of my troop!). To an occasional user, it is a glorified typewriter.

Originally Posted by WhatAmIDoing

It's more the auditing, testing, re-testing and monitoring that tends to cost the money than the tech itself.

Then that is a central cost, why is it borne by each user at £25 per month?

Originally Posted by Bushnut

Originally Posted by saladin

If you need access to civvy internet as a TA bod then its easier to do at home - and without all the blocked sites.....heaven forfend that anyone used their own wireless enabled laptop or Blackberry to conduct their TA business while sat in a TAC, all sorts of security implications......

That's my issue with the system. I have an office, a desk, and a DII machine, but I have to wait until I go home to email anyone who has a civvy email address (i.e. all of my troop!). To an occasional user, it is a glorified typewriter.

Thank goodness for the PGP offer on armynet, or we would never get all the MS which JPA demands done

Originally Posted by msr

How? It's a proxy server FFS.

MSR

Ha, I was involved in the sale of the same proxy system as new technology, same name, slightly different department (in MOD) to a different government intranet.

Originally Posted by Bushnut

Originally Posted by saladin

If you need access to civvy internet as a TA bod then its easier to do at home - and without all the blocked sites.....heaven forfend that anyone used their own wireless enabled laptop or Blackberry to conduct their TA business while sat in a TAC, all sorts of security implications......

That's my issue with the system. I have an office, a desk, and a DII machine, but I have to wait until I go home to email anyone who has a civvy email address (i.e. all of my troop!). To an occasional user, it is a glorified typewriter.

Good to see you have a DII terminal, as for me I have the office, a desk, and an IGS account, but no terminal !!!

In answering your original question, yes TA can have an IGS account, but I had to justify why I needed one, and after that it was very much down to the bean counters to agree to fund it.

Justification was fairly easy, something like, "if the civvy storeman needs an account then surely the boss needs one as well", a few red faces, some gnashing of teeth and hey presto result.