The move to Exchange will provide users with the ability to have their email and calendar integrated and accessible from a single software application.  Currently, BGNet users access their email messages with one type of client software and access their calendar using another type of software - Meeting Maker.  With the transition to Exchange, email and calendaring will be integrated and both will be accessible in the same application.  All account holders, including students, will have access to a calendaring solution with this transition.

For Windows users the recommended software is Outlook 2007, for Macintosh users it is Entourage 2008 or it will be available via the web with OWA (Outlook Web Access).  Following this move, which will include one year of previous meeting information and all future dates, the Meeting Maker application will no longer be available.  

Meeting Maker Migration to Exchange

Begins Thursday, May 15, 2008 at 5:00 p.m.

Data available in Exchange Monday, May 19 at 8:00 a.m.

Meeting Maker Migration FAQ

Details about the Meeting Maker Migration:

• The Meeting Maker software used at BGSU will be discontinued at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 15.  

• In preparation for this transition, all Meeting Maker account holders have been or will be scheduled for migration to Exchange prior to May 15 at 5 p.m.

• Meeting Maker will be shut down as of 5 p.m. on May 15 and ITS staff members will begin the process of migrating data from Meeting Maker to Exchange 

• All account holders may begin to access calendars from the Exchange system beginning Monday, May 19 at 8:00 a.m.

• Resource accounts (used to schedule rooms, equipment, etc.) will also be migrated during this timeframe.

• As a backup, it is highly recommended that account holders create a printed copy of their calendars as close to the May 15 date as possible.

• One year of past data in addition to all data moving forward will be migrated

• Events, notes, and invitees will be automatically moved to the Exchange system during the outage.

• Calendar entries will be migrated to Exchange and if account holders have already included events in their Exchange calendar, some duplication may occur.

• Proxy (calendar sharing) information is unable to be migrated and users will need to set up calendar sharing manually in Exchange.  Documentation on this process is available at:
  • Sharing Calendars in Outlook 2007 - http://www.bgsu.edu/downloads/cio/file47542.pdf  
  • Sharing Calendars in Entourage 2008 - http://www.bgsu.edu/downloads/cio/file49174.pdf

• Those using handheld devices to synchronize their calendars will need to make some modifications to their setup after the migration is complete.  Documentation on this process will be provided prior to May 15.

• Training sessions continue to be offered for calendaring as well as email.  Please see the CEE website for session and registration information.

• Documentation will be available at the Technology Support Center (TSC) Self-help pages:   http://www.bgsu.edu/its/tsc/self-help/page49918.html .

• Any Exchange migration (calendaring and email) related questions may be directed to the Exchange Project Team at ExchangeProject@bgsu.edu .

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