The University of Ottawa has tools to help you store and manage the information you need for your work, and to promote seamless collaboration. Explore these tools and their recommended uses.

SharePoint Online (SPO) and uoNexus

SPO maximizes the benefits of Microsoft 365 by providing integrated tools to boost collaboration on campus.  

Benefits of SPO

• Transparent collaboration: Share and edit documents with your colleagues in real time, wherever you are.
• Quick access to information: Use advanced search tools to help you easily find the documents and information you need.
• Secure information management: Organize and store your information on a safe platform that meets University standards.

Types of sites  

The Information and Archives Management (IAM) team, in collaboration with the Information Technology (IT) team, offers two types of SharePoint sites that are tailored to the University’s needs.

OneDrive

OneDrive is a personal, cloud-based storage space for work-related documents.

Recommended use:

• Storing work-related files for your own use
• Storing documents that are still being drafted or reviewed
• Temporarily sharing files with specific users

Microsoft Teams

Teams is a communication and collaboration platform that allows teams to work together in real time.

Recommended use:

• Collaborating for a limited time on projects and initiatives
• Managing drafts and team discussions

Note: Do not use Teams to permanently store files or final versions of documents. Once you have finalized a file, move it to the appropriate location.

Shared drives

Shared drives (e.g., the P:/ drive) are storage spaces accessible over the network. They enable multiple users to access a given set of files. Shared drives continue to be available for a few specific purposes.

Recommended use:

• Storing non-standard format files that are incompatible with other systems
• Storing large files, such as photos, videos or complex datasets  
• Storing sector-specific documents for which a particular format is required