Communications for companies and individuals across the world have vastly improved because of Email.  Electronic Mail (Email) has revolutionized communications and created a new market for businesses.  Numerous software packages, and service providers exist giving users many options to choose from.  Companies, and educational institutions sometimes transition into new systems, in hopes of streamlining and simplifying usage.  George Mason University is a example of a large institution that is using multiple software packages, and is currently in the process of moving to one universal email system.

George Mason University (GMU) provides numerous offerings for its different audiences.  Many of the email applications, which they offer require user accounts on various servers.  Servers are computers installed with Network Operating System (NOS) software, such as UNIX, VAX, NOVELL, and Microsoft NT.  This software allows for large numbers of user accounts to be created and stored on the system, as well software applications, and files.  Servers also have the ability to be accessed by many users at one time, from desktop computers.  Students are offered user accounts on a VAX, as well as a UNIX system.  These servers offer email applications such as:  mail, elm, and pine.  Faculty and staff of the University also have access to accounts on these two systems, but they also may have accounts on NOVELL or Microsoft NT.  These servers only offer propriety email packages; specific software which only runs on the specific server NOS.  NOVELL offers GroupWise as their email package, and Exchange is run on Microsoft NT.  GMU not only supports user accounts on the NOS servers, and the email software that runs on them, but desktop email software applications.  Eudora is an email application, which requires the individuals to install the software on their own computer.  It provides the user with the ability to connect to a single account, or many accounts on servers to collect and send their mail.  There are still other email applications in use, because individuals have other email access preferences (e.g. hotmail, yahoo, etc).

The use of multiple email clients creates many concerns.   Some of the technical concerns are:  accessibility by users; storage of files; and the communication between the various systems (translations or protocols).  The budget has to allow for the maintenance of hardware, upgrades of the many software packages and their licensing.  The collaboration between the different Information Technology (IT) professionals is integral for the successful operation of the system.  Field technicians are responsible for addressing hardware and software problems on campus computers.  Server administrators maintain the servers operational, and the software on them current.  Email administrators are responsible for the account creations and maintenance of the email systems.  The support staff spends a great deal of time directly with clients troubleshooting the problems they experience on the various systems.  Without the proper communications the quality of support can become an issue.  This would affect the quality of the training groups like Learning Resources Office (LRO), Student Technology Assistance & Resource Center (STAR), and Instructional Resource Center (IRC) would be able to provide for the students, faculty, and staff.  The users have the task of obtaining accounts on the various system(s), and then the process of learning the email applications on the system(s).
There is a lot of money involved in such a large-scale offering.
 
GMU created a task force to assess the needs of the university, and test out numerous email packages.  The task force assembled included some of the IT professionals which would have to create and maintain the system, as well as staff and faculty volunteers throughout the University.  This group looked at the needs of the academic environment.  They also consulted with local Universities to discover what issues their current systems had, and what solutions they were looking at.  With the needs assessment created between the task force with input from the other Universities they decided on five email packages for preliminary testing.  Individuals on the task force along with persons they recruited spent a few weeks playing with: GroupWise, Exchange, Pine, Netscape, and a fifth package.  The packages were rated on user friendliness (simplicity), and features.  University Computing Information Systems (UCIS) then identified the hardware requirements, licensing, and cost for a feasibility analysis.  From the recommendations of the test group, and the analysis they determined which email software package GMU would transition to.

Netscape was selected as the package that GMU would transition to.  Georgetown University and Marymount College also choose Netscape as their email packages.  One of the reasons Netscape was chosen, because it offers web connectivity.  This grants the users the ability to access their email from any system, which connects to the World Wide Web (WWW). In addition Netscape Messenger can also be setup to connect to the mail server.  By connecting to the mail server the computer copies down the account information, and email.  Netscape also offers a Calendar option that requires a separate installation.  The calendar is stored on the mail server.  It allows the user the ability to make their calendar viewable to all other persons on the system, and grant them the ability to schedule appointments with each other.

GMU named the new mail system Mason Enterprise Messaging Online (MEMO), and began work Netscape representatives’.  The purchase of equipment and software had to be completed so that the setup and installation process could begin.   Collaborative work with Netscape, and Georgetown University provided guidelines for the installation process, and assisted in troubleshooting problems.  Problems with the actual software package have been discovered which had not been discovered with the earlier demos.  New needs assessment are made, and directed to Netscape.  GMU and Georgetown also attempt to develop methods to remedy small problems.  Georgetown transitioned first, and was able to provide feedback from their student population.  GMU became aware of problems prior to the implementation and was able to then alter their plan, and make some changes.  They aware of problems, such as, the inability to create groups in the address book, and therefore are better prepared to deal with complaints from students using the web interface.  Alternative means have been found for a few of the limitations, like the fact that the web interface does not provide the News feature.  Students configured this option in old PINE package, now have information on how to access news groups on their existing Mason accounts.
 
A new MEMO task force was created in the summer of 2000 to discuss concerns, and timelines. These meeting occurred while technicians setup the system, and created early accounts for volunteer testers.  With input from the testers pre-liminary documentation was developed, and posted on the web with limited access to the MEMO task force and volunteer testers.  Announcements were put out to inform the community that MEMO would be implemented being in fall 2000.  The calendar for rollover of users was developed, revised, and posted listing each support service, administrative service, and the individual colleges.

In the fall of 2000 the transition began.  UCIS began meeting with technical coordinators from each department to discuss the schedules for departmental rollovers, and current issues.  The technical coordinators are liaison, which receive information and training during monthly meetings, which are scheduled to continue through the duration of the transition.  They obtain documentation outlining the information they need to communicate with the faculty and staff members, along with instructions on changes faculty and staff must make prior to the transition to reduce the risk of information loss.
Technical coordinators were the first to receive training on the use of MEMO on both the web interface, and Messenger Client.  LRO developed the training program to outline both the Web interface, and the Messenger.  Preliminary training sessions were offered to those people who helped with the initial testing of the software package, and technical coordinators.  This provided LRO the feedback they needed from people who already had experience with the system, and had encountered problems.  The training was redeveloped twice and re-offered to the same groups.  In early November of 2000 the finalized training began to offer the training to the general faculty and staff that have been migrated.  The training sessions are to be provided continuously to faculty and staff for the next year.

MEMO provides two interfaces: the Web Client, and the Messenger Client.  Both of the clients are GUI (Graphical User Interface), which means that they resemble the windows environment.  Most students previously used PINE on the UNIX system.  This was unfriendly to use, because of its text-based interface, and difficult to master because it was command line oriented.  GUI interfaces like windows are point and click, easy to use, and quick to learn.

Use of the Web Client is encouraged while using university computer systems in a shared environment.  This means that if it isn’t your private computer, then it is secure to use this client.  The Web Client runs on any web-browser (e.g. Netscape, Internet Explorer), and can be accessed from any computer connected to the Internet, anywhere in the world.  Currently the features on the Web Client are limited.  Features such as changing your password, or setting up forwarding have been simplified.  Clicking on ‘Options’ from the menu lists password, and forwarding can be found under settings.  All that is required is to type in a box the information.  To undo the changes the user goes back and deletes the entry, or places a new one.

Using the Messenger Client is suggested when on their home, dorm, or personal office computer.  It is not recommended to use Messenger in the lab, or shared computer environment.  The client stores copies of the personal email on the desktop system once setup to download the mail.  It may potentially allow other people access to the account if the individual doesn’t disable the ‘remember my password’ feature.  Advantages of using the Messenger are all the additional features it offers, including full access to the GMU directory account holders.  This feature allows persons on the MEMO system to look up the email address of a GMU person, or to look up the name of a GMU email address.  Messenger also allows for group lists in the address book, which the Web Client does not.

To use the Messenger Client the user is required to configure the settings.  The user is required to select ‘preferences’ from the view option on the menu.  The information for ‘identity’ and ‘mail servers’ will need to be completed.  Messenger should be setup to connect using IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol), which is the way the software communicates with the server.  IMAP allows can grant access to multiple servers.  This means the user may retrieve their MEMO email, as well as their hotmail email at the same time on both accounts.  IMAP does not ‘download’ your email; it creates copies on your local system of the email on the server you connect to.  The original messages remain on the server, and can be accessed later through the Web client if a person is away from their computer and needs to refer back to a message they received.  On Messenger even if you are not connected online, you can work with what is currently in your account.  It is suggested that POP (Post Office Protocol) not be used.  POP does work, function by downloading the email in an unsecured fashion.  It does not leave copies on the server, which makes that mail only accessible on the local system.

The transition has begun for faculty and staff; only new and transfer students have been placed on the new MEMO.  The rest of the student population will be migrated over once the faculty, staff, and administration has been completely transferred.  The schedule to begin full migration of students is for fall 2001.  Students will be given the ability to migrate themselves over to the new system prior to their scheduled date.  This means that their account will be created, but they will have to move their PINE email and folders to MEMO.  This can be done with the instruction provided on the web (http://mason.gmu.edu/migrate/netmain.html).  They walk you through set by step.  The UCIS Support Center has staff that can also help walk students through from home, and troubleshoot problem they may encounter.  If students don't migrate themselves, they eventually are migrated by the email system administrators.

The complete migration of the whole university will take close to two years.  Solutions have been found to existing problems, but new problems are discovered as the transition continues.  Some of these will be resolved when an upgrade is done to the current web client in the fall of 2001.  Training and continually updated documentation will help address a lot of the questions.  The transition to MEMO will alleviate the issues of support, because of the reduction in email packages and servers.  Standardization will resolve: confusion and the need to learn multiple email packages; questions on how to send an attachment; or differences in the format of an email from one system to another.  The physical transition to MEMO will take a long time, as will the adjustment of students, faculty, staff, and administration to the new offerings and limitations.