We're racing towards the finish line now!
The new Dolphin Email powered by Google will launch on Monday, August 23. The team is putting the finishing touches on its launch preparations.
A lot of messaging has been going out in the last few weeks: emails to current students, alumni, and others impacted by this change.
We've also been dialing in our provisioning process. When it's complete, email addresses for new students and new alumni will be created 2x per day in the new Dolphin Email.
This project has had some interesting side effects on processes and systems at the University. For example, before we started this project, there was no formal definition for what an alumnus/alumna was. Once this was developed, it was implemented programmatically within our system of record (CI Records) to generate a list of alumni that the Gmail provisioning system could use.
Another side-effect was that we worked out some new processes for our identity management. This was important for all the new users (alumni) that we would have in the system. For example, if an alumni didn't know their user name to logon to myCI (our campus portal/single-sign-on), how could they obtain it? They need to have it in order to logon or to reset their myCI password. Who would provide their Dolphin Name to them, and how would the organization verify the identity of an alumnus/alumna requesting their user name?
Fortunately, these and other issues have been worked out during the course of our weekly meetings (since March), email correspondence and many informal conversations.
In any case, we're very excited about the launch, and look forward to this new service.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
(Editor's Note: this email was sent to students via Dolphin Email on 8/5/2010)
Google Apps is being used by thousands of schools, including more than 30 institutions of higher education. Gmail, as part of Google Apps for Education, provides greater storage capacity, a secure and stable infrastructure, and a user interface that is familiar to many students.
Important Dates and Changes to Student Email:
On Monday, August 23, 2010, the new Dolphin Email powered by Google system will go live, replacing the previous system. You will be able to logon your Dolphin Email through myCI (http://myci.csuci.edu) just as you do now, but you will need to begin using your new Dolphin Email address immediately.
Your Dolphin Email address will change from "@dolphin.csuci.edu" to "@myci.csuci.edu". So, if your old Dolphin Email address was pat.jones123@dolphin.csuci.edu, after August 23, your new Dolphin Email address will be pat.jones123@myci.csuci.edu.
Messages sent to your old Dolphin Email address will be automatically rerouted to your new Dolphin Email account. However, you’ll need to notify your contacts to begin using your new Dolphin Email address immediately.
You will continue to be able to forward your new Dolphin Email to any external/personal email account. Forwarding instructions are now available in the Dolphin Email Migration FAQ at http://www.csuci.edu/it/email/gmail/faq.htm.
You old Dolphin Email messages & mailbox content will not be migrated into the new Dolphin Email system. Students will be able to use Google's available migration tools to move their existing messages into their new mailboxes. Please read the Dolphin Email Migration FAQ at http://www.csuci.edu/it/email/gmail/faq.htm for instructions.
We look forward to these exciting changes and providing enhanced email features through our partnership with Google. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to visit the project web site at http://www.csuci.edu/it/email/gmail or contact peter.mosinskis@csuci.edu.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
(Editor's Note 7/29/2010: the launch date has changed to Monday, August 23, 2010 (was Friday, August 13). The message below has been updated to reflect this change.)
(Editor's Note: this reminder message was sent via Dolphin Email on 7/20/2010).
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In about 4 weeks, the University will be migrating the Dolphin Email student email system to use Google Apps for Education and Gmail, in preparation for the fall 2010 semester. News and latest information on the project can be found at: http://www.csuci.edu/it/email/gmail
Google Apps is being used by thousands of schools, including more than 30 institutions of higher education. Gmail, as part of Google Apps for Education, provides greater storage capacity, a secure and stable infrastructure, and a user interface that is familiar to many students.
Important Dates and Changes to Student Email – New Cutover Date
The cutover from the existing Outlook Web Access system to Dolphin Email powered by Google will take place Monday, August 23, 2010 (was previously Monday, August 16). On that date, you can continue to logon your Dolphin Email through myCI as you do now, but you will need to begin using your new Dolphin Email address immediately.
Your Dolphin Email address will change from "@dolphin.csuci.edu" to "@myci.csuci.edu". So, if your old Dolphin Email address was pat.jones123@dolphin.csuci.edu, after August 23, your new Dolphin Email address will be pat.jones123@myci.csuci.edu.
Messages sent to your old Dolphin Email address will be automatically rerouted to your new Dolphin Email account. However, you’ll need to notify your contacts to begin using your new Dolphin Email address immediately.
You will continue to be able to forward your new Dolphin Email to any external/personal email account. New instructions will be provided on the Dolphin Email help pages in August.
Existing Dolphin Email will not be migrated into the new Dolphin Email system. Students will be able to use Google's available migration tools to move their existing messages into their new mailboxes. Links to these tools will be provided on the Dolphin Email help pages in August.
We look forward to these exciting changes and providing enhanced email features through our partnership with Google. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to visit our web site at http://www.csuci.edu/it/email/gmail or contact me at peter.mosinskis@csuci.edu.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Over the past few weeks, a select group of students, alumni and University staff have been testing the new Dolphin Email powered by Google system. So far, it appears to be working well.
The planning team continues to meet weekly to discuss issues related to the project. Here are some important updates:
- One domain to rule them all: the University will have a single Dolphin Email domain, which will include both current students and alumni. Email addresses for both current students and alumni will end with "@myci.csuci.edu". This will enable students and alumni to have a seamless experience.
- A student directory...finally! After weighing several options, the planning team has recommended creation of an web-based, opt-out student directory, to enable students to find each other's email addresses more easily. Development of the directory is in progress, and we anticipate its launch within myCI in November 2010.
Friday, May 28, 2010
(Editor's Note 7/29/2010: the launch date has changed to Monday, August 23, 2010 (was Monday, August 16). The message below has been updated to reflect this change.)
(Editor's Note: this message was sent to all currently enrolled students via Dolphin Email on 5/12/2010)
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During the summer the University will be migrating the Dolphin Email student email system to use Google Apps for Education and Gmail, in preparation for the fall 2010 semester. News and latest information on the project can be found at: http://www.csuci.edu/it/email/gmail
Google Apps is being used by thousands of schools, including more than 30 institutions of higher education. Gmail, as part of Google Apps for Education, provides greater storage capacity, integration points with key campus systems, a secure and stable infrastructure, and a user interface that is familiar to many current students.
Important Dates and Changes to Student Email
The cutover from the existing Outlook Web Access system to Dolphin Email powered by Google will take place Monday, August 23, 2010. On that date, you can continue to logon your Dolphin Email through myCI as you do now, but you will need to begin using your new Dolphin Email address immediately.
Dolphin Email for current students will change from "@dolphin.csuci.edu" to "@myci.csuci.edu" So, if your old Dolphin Email address was pat.jones123@dolphin.csuci.edu, after August 23, your Dolphin Email address will be pat.jones123@myci.csuci.edu.
Messages sent to your old Dolphin Email address will be automatically rerouted to your new Dolphin Email account.
You will continue to be able to forward your new Dolphin Email to any external/personal email account. New instructions will be provided on the Dolphin Email help pages in August.
Existing Dolphin Email will not be migrated into the new Dolphin Email system. Students will be able to use Google's available migration tools to move their existing messages into their new mailboxes. Links to these tools will be provided in August.
We look forward to these exciting changes and providing enhanced email features through our partnership with Google. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to visit our web site at http://www.csuci.edu/it/email/gmail or contact me at peter.mosinskis@csuci.edu.
Regards,
Peter Mosinskis
A&IT Project Supervisor
Division of Academic & Information Technology
Thursday, May 13, 2010
We've had lots of activity on the Dolphin Email Migration Project over the past two months!
A survey was published in April to gauge current students' satisfaction with the existing Dolphin Email system. We learned that most students that responded are using it weekly, and that they don't forward to other email addresses! Also, a little over half of the respondents already have a Gmail account.
Two test domains have been configured in Google Apps for Education by our email system administrator: one domain for current students, one domain for alumni, to replicate our proposed production configuration.
The rules for who will get accounts accounts is about 80% complete:
- Current CI students will be provisioned with new accounts in Dolphin Email powered by Google according to existing business rules.
- Alumni will be provisioned in the Alumni Dolphin Email system according to a new set of rules which answer the question "who is an alum"?
Single-sign on (SSO) and provisioning configuration is in progress, and is expected to be 80% (or more) complete for the beginning of testing on June 2nd.
A marketing meeting is planned for 5/25 to discuss further marketing for the project. Students were sent an email this week to notify them of the upcoming changes. Updates to brochures and signage, as well as further email and Web marketing will be discussed.
Updates to the project Web site, including a detailed FAQ, are in progress. Student Affairs has also drafted a policy and procedure (currently under review) for what kind of content the University should send to students using this system.
Stay tuned! If you have any questions, please contact IT Project Supervisor Peter Mosinskis at peter.mosinskis@csuci.edu.