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]