UCS will begin supporting two e-mail clients. Messenger Express will be phased out and replaced with Communications Express and Microsoft Outlook 2003. Communications Express is a web-based e-mail/calendar application and Outlook 2003 is a client-based e-mail/calendar client. Both applications play well together. Data stored using either applications will be accessible by the other.
Both applications will be available as each client is migrated to the new domain.
Joe's and Travis's blog has additional information on the new mail system.
We are ready to move forward on this, with the exception of a global address book within Outlook, which will be coming soon. So stay tuned :)
Great. I do not care for Messenger Express. When will this take place? Our office shares the calendar program so we would want to coordinate the change in software.
Will personal addresses and group mailing lists in Messenger Express be migrated over to the new programs?
Jim
We do have a global address book within Outlook now, and are working on shared calendars.
Personal Address books and groups can and will be migrated to the new email server. Both the groups, and addresses will be usable via Outlook.
We need to make sure that all of our email archives in messenger express are saved/migrated to the new system. Is that possible?
Bill what email clients does OSU use? I know they switched a little while ago and I have heard terrible reviews of their present "new" email system. I hope WOU is not following in their tracks? thanks philip
Yay! I use MS Outlook at home to organize my life and it will be extremely wonderful to have it here. Thank you!
Will IMAP access still be available?
(yes, I know that I might not have access to certain cool functions like calendars or global address books.)
Thought I'd do a little blogging on this subject too. Answered some questions and gave some technical info too. Travis' Blog
Hi--Will those who use the web to check their mail (like me in Honolulu!) be able to use Microsoft Outlook. I am used to using it at the Hawaii Wellness Institute where I work and find it easy and convenient. I also have it loaded on my home computer.
Roshani:
Please see my answer to Pete below. There is a link to a blog entry that will help you configure Outlook in Hawaii.
Can we use Mozilla Thunderbird at work and home also? Right now I can't send emails from home using it.
Pete:
I would like to be able to provide support for any e-mail client you would like to use. There are several reasons UCS can only support Communication Express and Outlook 2003:
WOU employs the smallest IT to staff ratio in the Oregon University System. (WOU – 18 FTE, SOU – 26 FTE)
When upgrades are required, it is important that your archived e-mails, address book information and calendar data are migrated in tact. This can only be guarantied if the client is using Messenger Express, Communications Express or Outlook 2003. Any other e-mail software will be at your own risk.
Please see Travis’s Blog for e-mail details.
I have created a blog entry that includes instructions for setting up Mozilla Thunderbird at home. These instructions will be useful for setting up any non-supported e-mail client.