Campus Initiates Plan to Improve Email Architecture

A multi-phase, multi-component plan is underway to improve the UC Davis campus email architecture. The existing architecture, which was developed in the 1990s, is beginning to show signs of aging amid the changing needs of email users and the proliferation of viruses and spam. As a first step, in Spring 2005, IET released a Request for Information (RFI) to survey the email architecture and ???hygiene??? (virus and spam) solutions marketplace. Based on findings from the RFI process and consultation with the Gartner group, two requests for proposals are in development. The first RFP is for a commercial anti-spam/anti-virus system. The second is for a commercial email storage and access system (including Web email). Shortly after the RFI process was completed, Microsoft introduced the MSN College and University Program, a new program that provides Web-based email (Windows Live Mail) and virus/spam filtering services for students. The RFP process is pending investigation of this new option, and its implications for the development of a campus email architecture strategy.

As part of the overall improvements, Information and Educational Technology (IET) plans to centralize Exchange services for faculty and staff. Campus Events and the Office of Administration are the first departments to migrate to Exchange, which should be complete by June 2006. Additional information will be posted on email.ucdavis.edu as it becomes available.