ITS is pleased to announce our upcoming migration to Office 365. Read on to find out how this transition will benefit you!
What is Office 365?
Office 365 is Microsoft’s new cloud-based email and desktop application service. It combines the functions of Outlook, Word, Excel, and other MS Office products into a web-based, cross-platform system – with a huge mailbox! This is the same service currently used by the Ithaca campus.
When is this happening?
The migration will begin in January 2015. It will be completed department-by-department. You will receive notifications prior to your department’s migration.
What’s in it for me?
Way more email storage! Office 365 offers a much larger mailbox. Each user gets a 50GB active mailbox – up from the current 5GB – and as much archive as you need. This enhanced email system is modern and fast, and offers multi-site disaster resiliency.
Will ITS need access to my computer?
Nope. In most cases, ITS will not need to visit users or computers. We will perform most migrations remotely during off-peak hours to limit disruption.
Will I be able to use my email throughout the migration process?
Yes. While there is a slight chance that you may experience a very brief email/calendar outage, it should resolve itself within minutes.
Will I receive the Office 365 update on my phone?
Yes, if you are using a device that ITS supports. Our current set of recommended smartphones is available here. Please be aware that Office 365 does not support BlackBerry smartphones. ITS has been in contact with most BlackBerry users to ensure a smooth transition. If you use a BlackBerry and you have not been contacted, please call our help desk to talk about your options.
My version of Outlook is old. Will I still be able to access email after the migration?
This depends on what version of Outlook you have. After the migration to O365, users who have Outlook 2007 (Service Pack 2) or earlier for Windows, or Outlook 2008 or earlier for Mac, will no longer be able to connect to Exchange via the Outlook client. However, you will still have access to email via owa.med.cornell.edu, which will use the improved version of Webmail. Please ensure that you are running Mac Mail 10.6 or Outlook 2011 at minimum for Macs, and Outlook 2010 minimum for PCs.
How do I know which version of Outlook I have?
On a PC: 1.) Open Outlook 2.) Under the Help menu click About Outlook.
On a Mac: 1.) Open Outlook 2.) Under Outlook on the menu bar click About Outlook.
Are NYP users migrating too?
No, NYP is not migrating to the Office 365 service at this time but they may in the future. While we are working with NYP to link our systems so that there are few practical effects of this change, there will be some new limitations on delegation and calendar sharing across institutions. ITS will release more detailed information about this change in the coming weeks.
Do I have to do anything to prepare for the migration?
If you have email rules saved in Outlook, you may want to create a backup prior to the migration. All the email on the server will migrate automatically, so other than that, no action is required on your part. Any mail you have already archived locally will not be affected.
Where can I find more information about Office 365?
Find out more about Office 365 on Microsoft’s website.