New email and calendar system on track for 2015

McMaster is on track to replace the UnivMail email and Oracle calendar systems used by many faculty and staff members in 2015.

A pilot project this past fall successfully converted a sample group of employees to the new system. Additional employee groups will be converted in the coming months. The initial focus will be on converting users who have Oracle Calendar accounts.

The new system will be called “MacMail” and will use Microsoft Exchange Server, a calendaring, e-mail and contact management server. It will be compatible with many common email clients, but will offer additional functionality to those who access it through Microsoft Outlook or via a web-based interface. (MacMail will be based on the Exchange system that the Faculty of Health Sciences already uses. Faculty of Health Science Users already on Exchange will not need to switch.)

Switching to the new System

The MacMail project team works collaboratively with the local IT support group and/or manager to schedule individual email migrations. Each user will receive notification with instructions two weeks, one week, and one day prior to their migration.

During migration, a user’s existing email on UnivMail will be copied over to their new Exchange account. Following migration, users have immediate access to their email via Outlook Web App https://macmail.mcmaster.ca . Email clients need to be reconfigured to find the new server. Based on the pilot conversions, users should experience only a minor interruption in email service during their switch.

Information on migration preparation, along with a wealth of learning resources and other information about MacMail, is located on the project’s web page http://macmailhelp.mcmaster.ca

Questions and requests for additional information should be directed to: exchangeproject@mcmaster.ca

WARNING

McMaster employees often receive malicious “phishing” email messages purporting to be from “IT” and suggesting that, due to an email upgrade, the recipient needs to follow a link and submit their personal information. These are fake messages. All message related to this project will only direct users to “mcmaster.ca” web addresses.