Hosted Email Project - Summer 2010

Google has been adopted as the provider for the hosted student email service to replace Birkbeck's in house student webmail service. For students starting in 2010, a Google Apps account is created automatically, and those students wishing to use the service as their default mail service for College communications can change their contact email address from the preferences via MyBirkbeck. For continuing students and others using Birkbeck's services, Google accounts will be created during the Autumn Term, allowing the transfer of email if required, before the in house service is withdrawn in May 2011.

The default format for email address is <username>@mail.bbk.ac.uk. <username>@students.bbk.ac.uk will continue to work.

While no restriction has been placed on the use of other GoogleApps at present, only the mail service is supported. Further development is expected during 2011.

Login to the Birkbeck student email service, provided by Google.

Background to the Project (from Spring 2010)

The systems currently used to provide Birkbeck’s student Webmail service are coming to the end of their useful life and are due for replacement by 2011.

The webmail service has been in place for 5 years, and is offering web based access to students electing to read their email at Birkbeck, along with access via POP and IMAP email clients.  In addition several hundred staff use the service in preference to the recommended staff email service (based upon Microsoft Exchange).

In common with many Higher Education institutions, we are expecting to take advantage of  the hosted email services provided by Google or Microsoft Live. Both are currently offering hosted email solutions as part of a suite of applications provided free to Higher Education. Some key points about the services are:

•  The services *are* free, with only development and support costs to be borne by the institution.
•  There is no advertising to enrolled students or staff.
•  Birkbeck email addresses are used, and the service remains a Birkbeck service.
•  POP and IMAP can continue to be supported, along with off-line working.
•  Mailbox sizes are far in excess of anything which could be offered locally (currently around 7Gb).
•  Other applications are readily available (on line document authoring, calendars, filestore, collaborative tools).
•  The services are subject to continued development and improvement.

We are currently examining the technical merits of the offerings, as well as privacy issues and legal implications, and would also like to hear from people who have used GoogleMail/GoogleApps or Microsoft Live and to invite comments on what is liked or disliked about these services.

A message has been sent to the students, staff and others who have used the service since the beginning of March 2010, to both inform them of the proposed changes and invite comments. Comments from others are also welcome, and please forward these to Dave Willcox, Infrastructure Manager