After a six-year run, TUmail is on its way out.
The in-house e-mail system is going to be replaced with Google mail this week.
Sheri Stahler, associate vice president for Computer Services, said it is more cost efficient to use Google mail instead of upgrading TUmail.
“It would cost at least a million dollars to upgrade the system that is at Temple,” Stahler said. “We’d have to purchase the storage.”
With the current system, space is limited and students find their inboxes filling up fast. The switch gives students unlimited space and capabilities. All of the newest Google applications will be available to students.
At 10 p.m. Wednesday, the transition to Google mail will begin. Students’ inboxes will be forwarded to the new Google mail page and contact lists will be e-mailed. Computer Services estimates that the process will take two to three days for the full transition.
To ensure a smooth switch, Computer Services enlisted 16 students for pilot groups to test the system.
Darren Moses, a student worker for Computer Services, was part of the pilot groups.
“It’s great. There’s a lot of space, and most people use Gmail, anyway,” said Moses, a sophomore psychology major. “For people who aren’t used to Gmail, it’ll take a little getting used to.”
He said it takes some time for the old messages to be forwarded to Gmail. In his case, the transition took about two hours.
The mid-semester change is meant to troubleshoot any problems students may have.
“We didn’t want the students to be away when we made the changes,” Stahler said.
If students do encounter problems with the new system, they should contact the Help Desk before contacting Google.
Faculty and staff members, whose e-mail system is Microsoft Exchange, won’t be moving onto Google mail. The change will be made after all students have been switched to the new system. Google mail is free for students but not for the university’s faculty. Almuni with TUmail accounts will also switch to Google for free.
“Exchange is a very good system for administrators,” Stahler said.
Moving everyone to Microsoft Exchange would have been very expensive, she said.
“We’d be spending a lot of money for things we can’t keep up with,” she said.
Getting to e-mail will still be available through Temple’s Web site and the TUmail login page. E-mail addresses will remain the same and still end with “@temple.edu.”
Those who have their Temple e-mails forwarded to another e-mail addresses will have to reset forwarding preferences.
Stahler said students should wait until all their mail has been forwarded to Google mail to reset forwarding options to other e-mail addresses.
After deciding to look for a new e-mail system, Stahler said the number of universities using Google mail pushed Temple to make the jump, as well.
“When we began the process, we had a list of 50 recognizable universities. Google says there are hundreds,” Stahler said. “One of the really important reasons is that we just can’t keep up with the technology.”
LeAnne Matlach can be reached at leannematlach@temple.edu.
I do not think it is acceptable that since I am an employee as well as a student I cant use gmail I must endure limited space with the old version of tumail.temple.edu