How to Access State Accounts: Contact Center Agents

If you work from a small office or home office providing direct phone support to Minnesotans or other state employees, and you have technology needs in addition to O365 and VPN, read the information below.

Technology Needs

Email
Calendar
Teams
O365 SharePoint
OneDrive
Skype/Webex
Employee Self-Service
Line of business applications
Network or shared drives
Office printer
SharePoint (O365 Cloud, or on-premise)
State-issued VoIP phone and headset
Small Office Home Office (SOHO) service from MNIT, which includes a router, etc.
State-issued computer

How to Access Your Technology

How to Access Office 365
How to Access Office 365
1. What device are you using?
  - If you are using your personal computer or mobile device OR your state-owned computer or mobile device without VPN and:
  - Have recently installed Microsoft Authenticator for multi-factor authentication, you may be prompted to log in using that two-step authentication.
  - if you DO NOT have Authenticator, you may be prompted for authentication (see below)
    - If you have been notified that your agency requires multi-factor authentication, learn how to set up Microsoft Authenticator.
2. Log In at Office.com
  - You will be prompted to authenticate. Verify who you are.
  - Choose an account – always choose Work or School account.
  - Your username is always your work email address, and the password is always the one you use to log into your computer.
3. Office 365 Home Screen
  - On your Office 365 home screen, you’ll see all the applications you have access to.
  - To find your OneDrive (if your agency has turned it on), go to your profile icon in the top left corner of the screen and select the link for My Profile. Under your photo, you’ll see a link to My OneDrive.
More Resources
- Microsoft Office 365 Training Center website
- MNIT Tech Training Toolkit for Office 365 ProPlus
How to Access Voicemail
How to Access Voicemail
1. Before you leave the office, set up call forwarding.
  - If you have a Centrex phone, wait for a dial tone and dial *72.
    - Listen for a dial tone again and then dial the phone number you wish to forward your calls to.
    - The new phone number will ring; and an automated message will announce that calls are being forwarded.
  - If you have a Cisco phone, press “Forward All” on the phone console.
    - Dial 91 then the phone number to forward calls to.
    - Look for confirmation on the screen.
  - If you didn’t set up call-forwarding before leaving the office, please contact the MNIT Service Desk.
2. To access your voicemail from any phone, call your phone number and press 9 during your greeting. You will be prompted to enter your voicemail PIN.
3. If you need to reset your voicemail PIN, set up call-forwarding if you’re not in your office, or want to have voicemails sent to your email, contact the MNIT Service Desk at 651-297-1111 or through the Minnesota Service Hub.
How to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
How to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)

When you are connecting from anywhere other than your local office, you will need to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection if you need to access your office resources, such as shared drives.

The connection needs three things: connection to the internet, software on your computer, and an RSA SecurID Token (RSA Token). Together, they form a VPN connection between your computer and your office network. Just as if you were in your office, you will have access to all resources, like shared drives and printers. Some organizations use “soft tokens” – see that section for details. When you become an employee, your manager determines if your job duties require a VPN. If they do, you will be assigned an RSA Token.

An RSA token is either a small hardware device (called a hard token or keyfob) or a mobile app (called a soft token) for logging in to state systems using two-factor authentication -- a method in which the user provides two means of identification. You only need one token. The passcode generated by either token can be used to log in to VPN from any computer or mobile device.

VPN Tokens

If using a hardware token: Connect to the internet. Open the Cisco AnyConnect application. In the 'Passcode' field on the VPN login screen, enter your PIN followed by the passcode displayed on your device (no spaces). The passcode displayed on the token automatically updates every 60 seconds and can only be used once.

If using a software token: Connect to the internet. Make sure you’re connected to the internet. Launch the RSA SecurID app and enter your PIN number. The token will then generate a one-time passcode that changes every 60 seconds. Use the passcode to log in to VPN. (The RSA software token is available for iOS and Android devices.)

Instructions

Choose from the instructions below that best match your work situation. If you are unable to access theses instructions, contact the Service Desk.
- Hard Token Instructions
- Soft Token Instructions
How to use the MNIT’s Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) service
MNIT offers network services for agency’s that have small offices and home offices (SOHO) across the state, typically for call center staff.

SOHO services from MNIT use the state’s Network for Enterprise Technology (MNET), local internet, a MNIT-managed router, and if needed, a state-provided computer and Voice over IP phone. These connections provide secure access to the agency’s internal networks and applications that employees need to do work, whether at a central office, a branch office or home office.

If you are just setting up with SOHO services, your MNIT-provided router comes complete with setup instructions. We’ve also included links to all the instructions below if you need digital copies.