June 4, 2008

Starting at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 6, 2008 until Monday, June 9, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. you will not have access to the FISD email system as this move takes place.   

Items that were in your GroupWise Inbox will be moved to the Outlook Inbox.  Calendars will be moved as will address books.  Rights and permissions will have to be re-established by the owner to share the information.  Rules will have to be re-created as well.  

Beginning on June 9, 8:00 a.m., we will be using Microsoft Outlook for our email system.  For a few weeks, until we can re-image all the district computers, you will access the FISD email system through a web browser, such as Internet Explorer.  Attached is a pdf file that explains how you will log in starting on Monday, June 9, 8:00 a.m. as well as an FAQ sheet.   Many of you have already used Outlook on your home computer and we hope that the transition will not be a difficult one.  There are many advantages for us to make the move from GroupWise to Outlook:

• The ability to combine email, a contacts list and a personal calendar/diary in a single software package will make life easier.
• Exchange and Outlook are widely used in the business and home, giving better compatibility between the district and outside users.
• Outlook is part of Microsoft Office.
• Outlook has a web version (Outlook Web Access or ‘OWA’) that includes almost all features of the version supplied with Office. You can get the same integrated access to your email and diary from anywhere with an Internet connection.
• Exchange is widely compatible with handheld and portable devices (PDAs, smart phones etc.), enabling greater mobility using wireless or mobile phone connections.
• The new mail servers will have greater capacity, essential as the district continues to grow, and their design will allow future expansion as required.