08.06.2026 - 12:01
Ingress
The Travel Device Service provides replacement devices for University staff travelling on business to countries where standard work devices cannot be taken for data protection reasons under University guidelines.
The purpose of the Travel Device Service is to help protect University data during business travel, as laptops and phones used in everyday work almost always contain sensitive data. The travel device selection includes a travel laptop and a travel phone.
How do I access the Travel Device Service for my trip and where can I find more information?
You can obtain travel devices by contacting the IT Helpdesk at least two weeks before your trip:
- Chat (weekdays 9 AM to 3 PM, chatbot 24/7): helsinki.fi/helpdesk
- Call: 029 41 55555 (weekdays 9 AM to 3 PM, local network charge / mobile call charge)
- E-mail: helpdesk@helsinki.fi
The Travel Device Service covers a travel laptop and a travel phone. See the instructions below for more detailed information about the devices, their features, and how to use them.
Travel laptop
- Travel laptops are equipped with a web browser only and do not have any software installed on the device hard drive.
- You must not save your own files on the device.
- If you need to process University data during your trip, this must be done by opening a remote desktop in the University’s VDI environment through a browser. Most University IT services are available through the Windows or Cubbli remote desktops in the VDI environment. See the IT Helpdesk instructions for using remote desktops
- Signing in to University services requires Microsoft Authenticator and multi-factor authentication. See the IT Helpdesk instructions for multi-factor authentication
Travel phone
- Travel phones use the University’s mobile subscription which allows mobile data use abroad.
- You can use the device with pre-approved apps needed for your trip. Before you travel, check that all the apps you need are available in the app store. If an app is missing, contact the IT-Helpdesk so it can be added.
- Before you travel, activate the pre-installed Microsoft Authenticator app on the travel phone. It allows you to sign in to University systems through a browser during your trip.
- Mobile data is usually more expensive in countries that require the use of a travel phone than within the EU. To keep costs down, use mobile data only for essential work tasks.
- Microsoft Authenticator and Defender are pre-installed on the devices. Use of Microsoft 365 apps (including Outlook and Teams) is blocked because they can easily provide access to University data.
- You cannot sign in to Google or Samsung accounts on a travel phone.