IMPORTANT: Update on Email Change #1

Greetings All,

This is a very important message, please read it carefully.

First, let me thank the faculty and staff for providing input directly, through the staff council and the Academic Technology/Library Committee on the proposal to migrate from our in-house Exchange email system to the cloud. While there was general consensus that the move to the cloud was beneficial in the areas of service and costs, there were discussions about privacy, ownership and which cloud service may be best. There was agreement, we needed to make a move to protect ourselves from further loss of service because of the fragility of the current e-mail system.

With this input, we have moved forward to implement LIVE@EDU as proposed and addressing the questions raised. We have however, committed to continue to review cloud options for a system that could provide more opportunities for our community. Since LIVE@EDU does not change our user interfaces, it is the most expeditious, and safest choice at this point.

On Tuesday (two days ago), we created new email accounts for everyone. We are in the process of testing these accounts to make sure they work as we expect (and by that I mean just like your other one); we are branding the site with UVI information and testing processes to easily add these accounts to everyone’s desktop and phone and any other device that you currently use to access your email.

The steps we will take include:
1. Make sure everyone can access their new account
2. Make sure that the accounts are accessible from desktops and mobile devices
3. Move emails, calendars and contacts from the old account to the new account
4. Schedule a cut over to have your new emails delivered to your new email inbox
5. Make sure all accounts are working as expected and all important data is moved or archived
6. Take the old exchange server offline

We plan to start this process with STAFF over spring break to make sure that we identify any issues that may arise and to take advantage of the extra bandwidth we will have available (with students off-campus) to move data to the cloud. This process will include someone coming to your desk to help you backup your files; reduce the size of your mailboxes and add your new email account to outlook and your mobile devices. We will share a schedule as soon as we can. This same process will be used for faculty upon their return and as their class schedules permits. If there are any faculty members that want to start testing their accounts over spring break, please let me know I can send you documentation about the migration process.

Things to remember:
1. Your email address will stay the same. It will not change. So I will still receive all of my email at tkoopma@uvi.edu. I will ALSO be able to receive mail at Tina.Koopmans@uvi.edu
2. Your email will be accessed through Outlook or whatever mail client that you use just like it was before. If you are using Outlook2003, we will need to upgrade your client. If you are using Entourage2008 on your MAC, you will be able to migrate to Outlook2011.
3. Your email will be available on the web just like it was before, except with an updated interface.
4. You will have a separate password for your new email until we make it part of the single sign-on environment. This may take a few weeks.

Prior to the cutover, we will schedule meetings on each campus to address any questions you may have.

Please look for additional emails with this subject line to make sure you are up-to-date on the migration.
Feel free to send me any questions you may have.
Tina