Welcome

Saint Mary's faculty and staff are moving to a new email service, based on Microsoft Exchange 2010.

What's new?

The most noticeable change is that email will be more accessible to you, no matter where you are - at your desk, using a laptop on the road, on a computer at home, or even from some mobile devices. In addition, there's a new email interface for SMUport with additional features and much-improved performance.

Why are we changing?

SMU's existing email environment is old and cumbersome. It lacks modern functionality, and is separate from other tools such as campus calendar. Furthermore, because most users download their mail from the server to their office computer systems, that mail is not easily accessible when they're away from the office.

In considering a replacement for SMU's aging email system, ITSS gathered input from all sectors of the university, including a campus-wide survey to identify features that users feel are important to communication and productivity. It quickly became clear that access from anywhere was critical: users want to be able to work with their email from various locations and from various devices.

Many different solutions were considered in the course of this project, but it was felt that this solution offered the best financial and functional value to the university. This was confirmed by a focus group from across campus, which was formed in early 2010 to work with Exchange and assess its suitability for our environment. The migration is already underway with early adopters, and ITSS will work with remaining faculty and staff over the coming weeks to move them to the new email solution.

Want to know more?

See our answers to frequently asked questions for more details, or contact the ITSS HelpDesk at helpdesk@smu.ca or 496-8111.