Here on the TAG site we’ve already talked about how campus email is heading for the cloud.  Now, finally, thanks to IR, we have the news you’ve all been waiting to hear: the email system we’ll be switching to is (drumroll please)…

Microsoft Live@Edu.

There are a lot of details still to be worked out, but here’s what we know so far.

When is this happening?

• The target date for campus implementation is June 2011.

What’s changing?

• ALL campus email (faculty, staff, students) will move to the Microsoft Live@Edu platform.  Your email will be stored in the cloud rather than on a campus server (or your local machine).
• We’ll have more storage space for email- everyone gets 10GB instead of 200MB. Wahoo!
• Thunderbird will be gone.  We’ll be encouraged just to access email via a web browser, not via a desktop client.
• You’ll keep the same @scranton.edu email address.  People emailing you won’t notice anything different.
• Your old email can be migrated into Live@Edu, so you don’t have to worry about losing anything.  Details on migration procedures are still forthcoming.
• Oracle CorpTime will be gone (not that many faculty members use it anyway!). Campus calendaring will be integrated with our email.
• We’ll all get 25GB of space on SkyDrive, a cloud storage tool that you can use to access your files from anywhere.  But this isn’t replacing RoyalDrive – you’ll still be encouraged to back up your files to RoyalDrive, at least for the time being.
• We’ll get easy access to Microsoft Office web apps – so you can do basic editing on Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files even if you don’t have Microsoft Office installed on your home machine.
• Mac users will be able to use Live@Edu just like PC users.

Why is the University doing this?

• Our old email system was… well… old.
• Cloud storage for email is MUCH less expensive than our current, on-campus system – about 50% less expensive.
• Cloud storage is much more robust (and more secure) than storing email on your local hard drive.
• Microsoft Live@Edu gives us some extra features that our current email system doesn’t provide –  collaboration and productivity tools, calendar integration, etc.

Why not Google?

Google was definitely considered as an option, but after much debate, Microsoft Live@Edu was selected as the best enterprise tool that would accommodate the needs of most University users.  IR shared with us a few reasons why:

• Live@Edu integrates well with the campus’s existing systems – we already use a lot of Microsoft tools.
• Google is an advertising-based system, and there were some concerns about ads – both that users would have to see them all the time, and that user email content would be searched and indexed so that ads could be better targeted.
• IR wasn’t comfortable with Google’s track record on privacy issues.
• Google doesn’t tell users *where* their data is being stored.  For the University, it’s important that data be stored *within* the United States – especially data containing personally identifiable information.

But I like Google!

• Google fans can still forward their email to Gmail.  That said, we have to be a bit careful about this – the University has to comply with increasingly strict federal laws, like FERPA, that protect personally identifiable information.  IR is working with the General Counsel’s office to get a better feel for exactly what information makes up a student’s “educational record.”  We’ll post more about this as we get more information.

How can I find out more? How is this transition going to happen?

• Transition plans are still being made. Jim Franceschelli is heading the project management team and has promised to keep us up to date – and we’ll post information as we get it.
• Right now, the best way to find out more is to attend the IR Forum on Thursday, November 18, from 11:30am-1pm, at which IT Services will introduce Live@Edu to the campus community.  You’ll need to register with ITServices@scranton.edu.  UPDATE: If you missed it, see the slides from the Forum (ppsx).

How is TAG going to be involved?

We’ll be discussing this question at our next meeting! We have a few ideas so far, though:

• We’ll coordinate with IR to help them get faculty prepared for this transition.
• Jeremy and I have asked for access to some test accounts early in 2011 so that TAG members can get a feel for what barriers or significant changes faculty will be facing.
• Jeremy and I are thinking of doing some early training for tech-savvy faculty – maybe in April or May 2011. Let us know if you’d be interested in this – you’d likely get to switch over your account early!

Questions or concerns?

• TAG members will be compiling a list of faculty questions and concerns that we’ll do our best to answer and/or act on as the implementation plan proceeds. LET US KNOW what you’re thinking – either by commenting here or posting to the TAG Discussion List – and we’ll get back to you ASAP.