The University of Iowa is preparing for a major upgrade to its IT service experience as it transitions from the long‑used Cherwell platform to the modern, mobile‑friendly Halo IT service management system. The change will take effect Feb. 2, when the Halo platform goes live for campus users.

University IT leaders say the shift is designed to deliver a more responsive, intuitive, and streamlined experience for faculty, staff, and students submitting IT service requests or reporting technical issues. While the underlying platform is changing, the process for accessing help will remain familiar.

Users will continue to access the service portal through service.uiowa.edu, the same URL currently used for Cherwell requests. While self‑service ticketing remains encouraged, it is not replacing person‑to‑person support. Users can continue to contact the Help Desk or departmental support teams if that is their preferred approach.

A familiar interface—with notable improvements

From a user’s perspective, the new Halo portal will feel similar to the existing Cherwell interface, though cleaner and more responsive. One visible change: the previous “Need Something” and “Having a Problem” buttons are being replaced by a single “Request Help” button that routes users to the service catalog.

To help the campus community adjust, UI IT staff are developing an end‑user video tutorial. 

Why Halo? A more modern, mobile‑ready system

Project leaders expect the change to create a better experience for both end users and technicians.

Halo’s web‑based architecture brings enhanced responsiveness and full mobile friendliness, making it easier for users to submit requests on the go. The new system also offers improved backend functionality that will allow IT teams to provide faster and more efficient support.