A: BGSU is moving to an entirely new e-mail and calendar system, called Microsoft Exchange, and using new, more powerful tools to send, receive, and store this information. Migration is the process of moving each person’s existing address and information to the new system. Once everyone’s account is migrated, the old system will be shut down. The target date for completing this transition is June 30, 2008.

A: The Exchange Project Team will send an e-mail message to your BGNet e-mail address informing you of the date on which your e-mail account will be migrated.  A reminder e-mail message will be sent to your BGNet e-mail account two days before your account will be migrated.  

A: On the day that your account will be migrated, Information Technology Services (ITS) will “disconnect” your e-mail account/address from the BGNet e-mail system and immediately “connect” it to the new BGSU Exchange system. This change will be made behind the scenes, by a technician in ITS.  (You might compare this to getting a new phone but keeping the same phone number.)

From that instant forward, all new e-mail messages addressed to you will arrive in your new inbox in the BGSU Exchange system. You will be able to send and receive new e-mail messages online immediately through the Outlook Web Access (OWA) program--no matter where you are in the world, what type of computer you are using. Just open an Internet browser, go to mail.bgsu.edu, and enter the same username and password you have always used to log in.

A: Outlook Web Access (OWA) is the online companion to Microsoft Office Outlook.  It will replace the WebMail access provided for the BGNet system.  Using OWA allows the user to access their e-mail and calendar from any location where they have access to a web browser.  There are two versions of OWA available:  OWA Light and OWA Premium.  For further information about OWA please see:  http://www.bgsu.edu/its/tsc/self-help/page46612.html.

A: All your old e-mail will be moved to the new system.  E-mail that is on the BGNet server can be transferred automatically.  E-mail that you have downloaded to your desk computer can be moved manually http://www.bgsu.edu/its/tsc/self-help/page46342.html.  You will still be able to read your old e-mail messages online via WebMail (webmail.bgsu.edu) until July 14, 2008.

A: In most cases the attachments will transfer just fine. Depending on what software you have used to manage your e-mail in the past, you may find that attachments you have downloaded and saved on your hard drive are no longer linked to their original files.

A: No. When your e-mail messages are moved, your inbox and any other folders you have created will be transferred intact.

A: If your new e-mail account is displaying your full legal name and you would prefer to use a shortened version, you can change this online.  Log on to MyBGSU and look in the left sidebar under MyServices, under the heading Misc., for the Email Display Name Change form.  Appropriately completed forms are processed weekly with the change being effective on the Monday following the request.

A: The chart below outlines what will and what will not transfer.  Items that will not transfer are mailing lists, contacts, e-mail signatures, and rules/filters. You can recreate mailing lists by selecting the individuals from your address book, or copying and pasting the whole list at once from a file, depending on which software you are using. See the self-help site at http://www.bgsu.edu/its/tsc/self-help/page46342.html for more information.

A: If you have Microsoft Office installed on your home computer, you can set up Outlook (Outlook 2007) or Entourage (Entourage 2008) to access your Exchange account. You can also use other e-mail management programs, but there may be some Exchange features you will not be able to access. See the self-help documents at http://www.bgsu.edu/its/tsc/self-help/page46342.html for instructions.

A: Yes, all Exchange accounts will have integrated e-mail and calendaring. For documentation on using the calendar, please see: http://www.bgsu.edu/its/tsc/self-help/page49918.html

A: If your account has already been moved and you have questions about using the new e-mail system, see the self-help information for OWA users at http://www.bgsu.edu/its/tsc/self-help/page43324.html, or the self-help information for PC (Outlook 2007) users at http://www.bgsu.edu/its/tsc/self-help/page48700.html, or the self-help documentation for Macintosh (Entourage 2008) users at http://www.bgsu.edu/its/tsc/self-help/page48666.html.

Users may also contact the Technology Support Center (TSC) at 2-0999, tsc@bgsu.edu for assistance.