To the members of the Email working group:
 
Please review the draft recommendation regarding a proposed strategy
for implementation of electronic mail services.  Please make comments
to me by Friday, Feb. 23 (one week from today).  Assuming that we can
reach consensus, I will take this to the MCIS Management Team meeting
on Monday, Feb. 27.  Please feel free to email back to this list if
you wish to generate discussion among the members, or to me directly
at [log in to unmask]
 
Thank you for your input.
 
Debi
 
 
 
 
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date:          Thu, 16 Feb 1995 12:26:59 -0400 (EDT)
From:          [log in to unmask]
Subject:       DRAFT e-mail recommendation doc
To:            Debra Hust Allison <[log in to unmask]>
Cc:            [log in to unmask]
Reply-to:      [log in to unmask]
Organization:  Miami University (Ohio USA)
 
 
 
                              D R A F T
 
 
     The Electronic Mail Working Group respectfully recommends the following
strategy for the deployment and support of electronic mail services for
Miami University students, staff and faculty:
 
Directions:
 
(1)  Mail should continue to be supported (at Level 1) on all
     centrally-managed, multiuser platforms.
 
     These platforms presently include the IBM VM/CMS system (MiamiU) and
     the DEC OpenVMS system in Oxford (MiaVX1).  All Miami students, staff
     and faculty are automatically provided accounts on these systems.
     Access to these systems is available through the campus network and
     via dial-in modems.
 
(2)  Mail to each client's desktop / laptop, adhering to POP3 standards,
     should be the University's strategic goal, and migration to desktop /
     laptop mail delivery should be strongly encouraged and supported to
     the greatest extent possible.
 
     Desktop / laptop mail is available to any Miami student, staff or
     faculty member whose desktop or laptop Macintosh or DOS / Windows
     compatible computer has an appropriate connection to the campus network.
 
     Desktop / laptop mail uses a client / server architecture which allows
     client software on the desktop / laptop computer to connect to a server
     computer elsewhere at the University, to receive and send electronic
     mail.  Various existing platforms throughout the University -- the
     IBM VM/CMS system (MiamiU), the DEC OpenVMS system in Oxford (MiaVX1),
     Novell servers running NetWare version 4.x, and others -- are capable
     of serving desktop / laptop mail to POP3 standards.  This capability
     is presently implemented (on a test basis) on MiaVX1, the MUServer1
     Novell server, and other platforms at Miami.
 
     A commercial software package is recommended for Level 1 support at
     Miami:  Eudora by Qualcomm, for the Macintosh, DOS and DOS / Windows
     platforms.
 
(3)  Mail to the desktop / laptop which does not support POP3 standards
     should be strongly discouraged and gradually discontinued across the
     University.  Such mail includes commercial Microsoft Mail software
     (by Microsoft), and early versions of noncommercial Pegasus Mail
     shareware (by David Harris of New Zealand).
 
     [Microsoft Mail is no longer being developed or supported as a separate
     product by Microsoft Corporation.]
 
(4)  The Electronic Mail Working Group should continue to monitor the
     development of POP3 compliant products for possible consideration
     for use and support within Miami University.
 
(5)  The Electronic Mail Working Group should also monitor development of
     the Interactive Mail Access Protocol (IMAP) and IMAP-compliant products
     for possible future consideration.
 
Implementation:
 
(1)  POP3 server capability should be implemented (on a test basis) on the
     IBM VM/CMS system (MiamiU) during Spring Semester 1995.
 
(2)  Testing of POP3 server capability on MiamiU, MiaVX1 and MUServer1
     should be continued and extended through the Spring Semester and summer
     of 1995.
 
(3)  The Network Services Plan Working Group and MCIS Technical Services
     should consider and make recommendations regarding appropriate
     platforms for serving POP3 mail service.
 
(4)  Necessary licensing arrangements for University wide use of Eudora
     should be made and in place no later than 15 May 1995.
 
(5)  New network installations should include Eudora configuration *as a
     standard component* effective 15 May 1995, and continuing thereafter.
 
(6)  Existing users of products other than Eudora or POP3-compliant Pegasus
     Mail should be migrated from their present products to these new
     products in as timely, but as orderly, a manner as possible.
 
(7)  Support for Microsoft Mail, non-POP3-compliant Pegasus Mail, and other
     desktop / laptop mail products should be officially withdrawn no later
     than 30 June 1996.
 
 
Draft 1995 Feb 16 (Thu) / jbh
(with thanks to kac for last minute reality check)
 
 
--
                             John B Harlan
           Campus Wide Information Systems (CWIS) Coordinator
                      Miami University (Ohio USA)
                   http://WWW.MUOhio.Edu/~HarlanJB/
  [log in to unmask]     (513) 529-1496 fax     (513) 529-5330 voice
 
Debra Allison
Assistant Director for Client Services
Computing & Information Services
Miami University
Oxford, OH  45056
(513) 529-5322
Fax: (513) 529-1496
Internet: [log in to unmask]