DavisMail is gaining two major improvements this month:

• Google has released Google Apps+ (GA+), a new structure for Google Apps for Education that will allow UC Davis to integrate dozens of additional apps, such as Blogger and Picasa, into DavisMail.
• Google has more than tripled mailbox sizes, from 7.5 gigabytes to 25 gigabytes.

To complete the GA+ integration, all DavisMail customers will have to sign a terms of service agreement for the additional apps. About 7,500 customers with "conflicting accounts" will also need to choose a new, non-UC Davis email address to access their personal Google accounts; the IT Express Computing Services Help Desk will email them more information.

No action is needed to enjoy the larger mailboxes. They are already in place. Google has increased mailbox quotas several times since it started Gmail in 2004, and this expansion is simply the largest and the latest.

Move to GA+ starts Aug. 22

DavisMail is the campus email service for students. It runs on Google's Gmail service and includes access to Google Apps for Education's core apps, which include email, chat, documents, and a shared calendar. Moving to GA+ greatly expands the Google Apps for Education lineup.

Google is requiring all universities and colleges that use Google Apps to migrate to GA+ soon. UC Davis plans to move all DavisMail customers to GA+ during Aug. 22 to Aug. 30.

More than 65,000 DavisMail accounts exist, and most belong to students or recent alumni. Approximately 200 faculty have DavisMail accounts--the legacy of a Gmail pilot for instructors two years ago--as do about 300 staff employees. Most faculty and staff use Geckomail or uConnect for central campus email services.

The campus will email info rmation about the change to DavisMail account holders, and to the 5,000 alumni email accounts in the "@alumni.ucdavis.edu" domain that will also move to GA+.

The change to GA+ is separate and coincidental to the work of the Campus Email Committee, which has been looking at options to replace Geckomail for faculty and staff. The committee has not yet widely released its recommendations.

Also, despite the similar names, the move to Google Apps+ is not part of Google's new Google+ social networking service. For now at least, Google+ will not be part of Google Apps for Education.

What each DavisMail customer needs to do

Approving the terms of service can be accomplished quickly. The first time DavisMail customers log in after the campus moves to GA+, they will see a screen with a button prompting them to agree to the terms. Click "I accept," and the task will be finished.

IT Express created these help documents to assist with the transition:

• Conflicting Account for Google Apps+
• DavisMail Google Account Transition
• Google Applications Supported by UC Davis

Please direct any questions or comments to IT Express at 530-754-HELP (4357).