Out friends at OIIT sent along this this helpful FAQ list in preparation for the switch to Google on Monday. Take a gander. Please make sure you have changed your password in the Hub today. As is noted below, some 3000 folks have yet to do so. You will not be able to access your BPS Gmail account if you have not done so.
Also, by way of reminder, Brian Goolsby, our resident tech specialist, is offering email help sessions in the College and Career Center on the dates and times below. These sessions are for folks who need help getting going in Gmail. Feel free to email Brian with specific questions prior to a meeting session.
- Dec 9th and 10th - 2, 3, 4 blocks
- Dec 12th and 13th - 5 & 6 blocks
Pat
FAQ's
When is the official cutover to Google?
Friday night, around 6 PM, we'll be cutting off Exchange (the old email system) and officially switching over to Gmail. It is critical that you and your staff have reset your BPS password and have tested your login to your Gmail account BEFORE you leave for the weekend to ensure that you can access your email through Gmail this weekend.
How do I test my Google account?
Go to www.gmail.com and login with your full email address (jdoe@bostonpublicschools.org) and your new BPS password. If you can login successfully, you're ready for the switch. Please test your login before you leave for the weekend!
What should I do to get ready?
We've prepared a checklist of things to do during your first few days in Google, including instructions for setting up your iPhone and training materials and videos. You can access the checklist here: https://sites.google.
Do I have to change anything on my phone?
Yes, your old email settings will not work and you'll need to follow these directions to setup Gmail on your phone. https://sites.google.com/a/
Will my old email already be in Gmail?
We have been migrating email over to Gmail behind the scenes for the last few weeks and most staff members will login to their Gmail account with their email already there. The migration process will continue through the weekend and most people will have their email fully migrated over by Monday morning but there may be some users who still see emails trickling in through next week.
What about my archive in Outlook or Entourage?
Recent email that is on the server will be migrated automatically but local archives will need to be manually uploaded. OIIT staff will be assisting any user with a local archive to migrate those into Gmail. We'll have instructions to help you and you can also call the help desk. It may take a few days or weeks to get everybody's archive migrated but we'll get everything into Gmail for you!
What will be the top issues that I hear on Monday morning?
1. Password resets. We still have over 3000 people that need to reset their passwords so this will be an issue on Monday. Please direct staff to reset their password as soon as possible.
2. Login issues. Remind staff to login to www.gmail.com with your full address (jdoe@bostonpublicschools.org) instead of your BPS ID number after Friday; many staff members will try to login to the old system and not realize the switch to Gmail.
3. Missing emails. The email servers will be migrating emails 24/7 to get all emails into Gmail so some people may experience an empty mailbox when they first login. We have already migrating 2.9 million emails but we still have a lot more to go so some staff members may see emails migrating over through the week.
