UCit Implements E-mail Service Improvements
by Maggie Brudnicki
For some time now, UCit has been aware that users of the institution's central email systems (UCmail and Bearcat Online) have considered their storage space inadequate. We have taken this concern to heart. By taking advantage of advances in technology and new tools we were able to increase these allocations, recently.
Improvements to existing services
- UCmail account storage for faculty and staff has been be increased from 50 Mb to 100 Mb.
- Bearcat Online student account storage has been increased from 15 Mb to 30 Mb.
- Bearcat Online staff and faculty accounts have been increased from 50 Mb to 100 Mb.
Understanding that these new capacity limits still are inadequate to meet the needs of a segment of the UC population we have researched options which will permit us to offer a new service that will provide basically unlimited storage to UC mail account users. This new capability comes with a cost to the institution and will be available to individuals who subscribe and agree to contribute to the cost of this new capability.
New e-mail archiving service
With the acquisition of specialized e-mail archiving software and the purchase of additional server and storage hardware, we can make unlimited e-mail storage available to subscription users. UCit will finalize the rules associated with how the new service will operate after the completion of a pilot program and with collaboration with the University's Records Management Department.
To use the base function of the archiving service, the subscribing user will not be required to perform any act. Nor will the subscriber need any software installed on his or her machine. The Outlook Client will download a form. The subscriber will still be able to see e-mail that is archived. Archived e-mail will be uniquely identified by a new icon next to the item name when it is displayed on the screen. Accessing and working with archived e-mail will be no different than the process currently followed to open or work with any other mail document, but the access time will be slightly (i.e., seconds) slower. We expect the cost per subcriber to be a one time set up fee of $60, with a monthly subscription fee of $6.
Secure e-mail
Another addition to the e-mail services, UCit has acquired a product that we will be installing soon to provide the ability to encrypt e-mail for the protection of personal and private information as required by HIPPA, FERPA, and other laws. Users will enable encryption by placing the word "Encrypt" in the subject line of the e-mail message. The e-mail recipient will have to log on to a secure web site to read the body of the e-mail. The exception to this will be if the recipient's e-mail system has the same product installed. This will apply to organizations such as the Health Alliance and UC Physicians. Because those organizations are using the same product as UC, e-mail messages will be encrypted as they leave the UC network and when they reach the destination network, the e-mail will be unencrypted and delivered right into the users' inboxes. UCit is working with various groups around campus to determine how best to deploy it. We will provide more information as decisions are made.
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