The University of Cincinnati is making big changes to student email services. Recently, UC decided to use the client Microsoft Live Mail to handle all student email accounts. The new system, which is being referred to as BOL Live, is a version of Microsoft’s Outlook Live that has been customized to fit the needs of UC students. The transition to the new system will take place very soon and will change several things about RWC students’ email accounts. Currently, UC students and faculty BOL accounts use the aliases of username@email.uc.edu and must log in to accounts through email.uc.edu. After the transition, these accounts will be available only to students, not faculty. Student’s email address will change to username@mail.uc.edu, but according to the UCit Email Services website, all email going to old BOL accounts will be automatically redirected to new accounts.
So far, UC had a group of students try out the new system and provide them with feedback as to what needed to be changed and what questions students will have about the new accounts. After this trial was completed, UC worked to customize the system to fit the needs of students. UC’s College of Business students were the first to transition to the new accounts and are just the beginning a long transition process.
UCit hopes to have the new system up and running for all students by the end of Spring Quarter and plans on using the new system to set up new student accounts this summer at orientations.
UCit claims that students will be notified via BOL about the transition and how to set up and begin using BOL Live accounts. When the time to create new accounts does come, students can go to mail.uc.edu to set up accounts. As of now, students must use the Password Self Service application to create a new password and to log in to the new accounts for the first time.
Microsoft Live Mail is completely free to students and is a system that UCit hopes will better prepare students to use email systems that are similar to those that many will probably use after leaving UC. Live Mail has many benefits, as listed on the UCit Email Services website:
10G of email storage
5G of Office Workspace for collaborative projects
25G of storage space on Sky Drive
20 megabyte attachment file size limit
Ability to view faculty, staff, and student contacts
Extensive mailbox searching and document viewing capabilities
Premier anti-virus and anti-spam protection on email
Mail, calendar, and contact syncing
Ability to check other mailboxes via a single mailbox interface
For more information about UC’s transition to Live Mail, visit http://uc.edu/ucit/email/MS_Live.html.
To view a preview of Microsoft Live Mail, visit http://go.liveatedu.com/.