I sent out an e-mail to the group about this, but also wanted to submit it here so that we can discuss it. Please check out the article and comments about the Google vs. Exchange at http://slashdot.org/articles/07/02/22/1430256.shtml. See what you think about all of this.

An article at Slashdot.org notes the Google Apps Premier Edition (the pay-for edition for corporations released yesterday) has already “replaced Microsoft products at more than 100,000 small to medium enterprises.”  

I would also like to note that Google Apps Education Edition (the free version available to Concordia) has all the same features as the Premier Edition, except for the 10GB mailbox size.  It would not surprise me if Google upgraded the Education Edition to offer the 10GB size as well.

Google has released some major updates today for their Google Apps Suite. For a quick summary from Google please visit the New Features Page.

When I logged into the administrative interface this morning it had completely changed and was much more usable. The addition of Google Documents and Spreadsheets was the first major update that I noticed. We now have the ability to create and share Google Documents and Spreadsheets for the CSP domain.

That’s not the only feature that they have improved, however. Many of the new features address some of the concerns and questions that people have had so far. Here are the new features that I’ve found:

E-mail

Calendar

Within the csp.edu domain, all calendars are shared.

Outside of the csp.edu domain, users have the option to share their calendars.

Conference Rooms & Resources – “You can now add conference rooms and resources to your domain calendar.” For instance, “You can create resources users can schedule in their calendar such as conference rooms or projectors.”

Documents & Spreadsheets

Chat

User Accounts

“The Provisioning API allows you to programmatically manage user accounts and synchronize your Google Apps user base with your own user management system. This feature is available in English only.” Learn More

“SAML-based Single Sign-On (SSO) service allows you to authenticate user accounts for web based applications (like GMail or Calendar). For desktop applications (like Google Talk or POP access to Gmail), your users must continue to sign in directly with their Google Apps username and password.” Learn More

Domain Settings

Google is now providing a Technical Support line for Google Apps administrators 1-800-598-3901, as well as a Support Site, and a Google Apps Discussion Group.

Usage Statistics

We now have the ability to fully test the capability of Google Apps for CSP. Google has corrected an issue that was preventing us from using the temporary e-mail account that should be assigned to each of us. If you would like to test the full functionality of your Gmail account here is the process.

1. Log on to your Gmail account at http://mail.google.com/a/csp.edu

2. Click on Settings

3. Click on Accounts

4. Click on edit info

5. Change your reply-to address to your real CSP e-mail address (i.e. username@csp.edu)

6. On the Exchange Server we would then need to forward your CSP e-mail to firstname.lastname@csp.edu.test-google-a.com (NOTE: If you would like to continue receiving e-mail in Outlook at the same time, please let me know and I will check that setting for your forwarding)

If anyone would like to enable this functionality, just send me an e-mail, and I will get your forwarding set up.

I sent out an e-mail about the change in the system and the possibility of Google. I received 12 responses. Everyone is satisified with Outlook and there are some concerns with the change. I pulled out the main concerns. Here is the list:

Main Issues/Concerns (12 people responded)

Biggest message: People are satisfied with the current system.

1) Confidentiality of student messages (counseling center, disability services, financial aid)

2) Security/privacy issues around financial aid options.

3) Calendar feature – control over who can view it — necessary for confidential offices

4) Does Google automatically filter “Junk” and “spam”? Will it give us the option to select deliver if it filters out e-mails that really are not spam.

5) Need to be able to access the calendar and compose e-mails without being connected to the internet – especially for those people who are out of the office a lot.

6) Ability to keep folders to organize e-mails.

7) Calendar feature – necessary for appointment setting including shared calendars – all of the features of Outlook.

Ease of use

9) Transfer of information to new system – SMOOTH transition; ability to keep current files, etc.

10) If CSP goes with a new system, staff would like formal training on new system.

11) Not professional to get an e-mail from Concordia___@gmail.com which asks for money, tuition payments, etc. Would students and constituents even believe notification from such accounts?

12) Necessary function: Distribution Lists – contact lists

13) If there was an emergency such as pandemic flu, terrorist attack, etc. where the University would be shut down would it be able to handle the amount of emails and have some capability for emergency notifications? 

14) What exactly is it about the server that can’t support our use? Is it storage per person? Is it archiving? Is it the inbox capacity? Perhaps we could reduce the size amount per user; Auto archive more often to the hard drive to move more information more consistently off the network. Before looking at outside options, have we considered what we can do internally to fix this projected issue?

15) Helpdesk — It is our work study students who staff those positions. We then won’t be able to offer as many work-study jobs to our students.

16) How would it back up our stored information?

17) Does Concordia really need to buy a new bigger server or merely upgrade some components (hard drives, ram, processor, etc.)?  Where was the future scalability factor when the current server(s) were chosen for their purpose?  Does Concordia really want to expose important communication, data sensitivity, data retention, security, backup \ restore, and support to an outside agency?  And there will always be a need for support, whether it will be from Google or our own IT department, this portion is inevitable.Please respond to these concerns and issues. I have been asked to address this at the Bear Center staff meeting on Monday and also at the Student Services staff meeting next Wednesday.  If anyone know the answer to these issues, please let me know. We touched on some at our meeting, but others were not addressed yet.

Thanks.

Google may be free, but . . . I wonder about the cost of migration. . .

gMigrate will work OK for calendar (except for the problem with recurring appointment)

converting contacts to .csv for import seems straight forward

Moving email . . . Yikes!

Method 1 — turn on POP for revelation.csp.edu and then add the account in gmail?

Method 2 — convert .pst files to mbox format (using Outlook express or Thunderbird) and then upload using Mark Lyon’s Mbox & Maildir to Gmail Loader (GML) or gExodus – a graphical Gmail import tool

Method 3 — write a rule and forward mail to new gmail account

I have no idea what will happen to attachments with these methods.  And we haven’t yet begun to discuss the conversion from folders to labels.

Of course, I could keep using Outlook by POPing the gmail account (problematic at ASU with their single sign on system)  and buy the calendar sync program from companionlink.  But then I would have to maintain two very different ways of looking at and working with email (Outlook and the web client for Gmail).

It seems to me that going to gmail would require a very painful migration and then the end of working offline.

Bottom line . . . is the cost savings worth the migration headache, relearning how to do email and calendar, and the less robust functionality?

Does anyone know a way to attach a document to a calendar appointment?  I would miss this feature in outlook/exchange.

Calendars seem to have two basic levels of sharing, global (public) and individual, with some granularity on what is displayed.  Can a calendar be shared only in csp.edu gmail area?  Can accounts be set up initially with such sharing turned on to show availability but to hide details?

For our test, how do I find your csp.edu calendars? Email addresses don’t seem to work.

Hey everyone,

I threw out an email to some senators, asking for their opinion on switching to gmail, and here’s what I have received:

Google services are top of the line! I’m not much for change, but I do know they are very reputable and I think it would be good if “we” can save money.

Well concerning the email, I am not one for change and I think that our campus has a VERY hard time with change.  I personally would not like Gmail/Google, I have used this before and didn’t like it as much as I like outlook.  Outlook is simple and self explanatory and I kind of feel like since everyone already uses, nobody would want to switch.  However, in saving the school some money it may be worth it.  Would this effect the alumni this still use their outlook?  How would you inform these people and what kinds of issues are there going to be for current graduates etc.

I personally like my outlook and would not like to switch to an outside service.

I LOVE GMAIL AND THE GOOGLE CALENDAR!

Hmmmm

Well, a lot of people use gmail so I am sure it is good, but I think I would want to see how it is set up and if everything is easy to access and everything. Cuz I like right now that it is in the start menu and that it is my personal email and that it isn’t just a webpage.  So, I guess if we could see the set up I would know more if I liked it

I think that it is an amazing idea!

It doesn’t matter to me – as long as there is a calendar I can use

There ya go!

Can we do a global contacts list in gmail, similar to the current setup?