I’ve posted an email migration overview, along with a more detailed presentation, explaining the upcoming switch from Exchange email to Google email. Further, you can find instructions for manually migrating emails older than 180 days, or for configuring Outlook to access Google mail. That said, there are still some questions that have come in from users relating to the email migration. For the benefit of all, here are questions and answers:
Q: I did not see any information about how to maintain folders that I have made and organized in outlook. I understand that emails from the last 180 days will be kept, but what if they are kept into folders? Do the folders just magically reappear in the new system or do I need to do something special?
A: Page four of this file (http://innovation.iowacityschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Email-Migration-Overview.pdf) shows what is migrated and what is not. Folders will be migrated, although subfolder structures will not. For instance, if I have a “support requests” folder in Outlook, I’ll have the same emails inside an “Invoices” folder after the migration to Google. If I have an “email support” folder nested within the “support requests” folder, the “email support” folder will be migrated, but it will not be nested underneath “support requests” in Google. You can create that nesting structure within Google, but the migration won’t recreate it automatically.
Q: If some staff stick with outlook, can calendar invites work between gmail and outlook?
A: Yes, the calendar functionality won’t be affected by whether a user is using Outlook or not. Outlook is just the client, the calendars themselves will be hosted on Google’s servers after the transition. As such, anything I do in Outlook – creating an invite, for instance – is really just completing that function within the Google calendar system.
Q: I have a Mac Book Pro with several contact lists set up on it. Will these be transferred over to gmail also? It is a district Mac.
A: Unfortunately, there is no tool for migrating emails/contacts from the Mac version of Outlook to Gmail. That said, you can export contacts from Outlook and import them into Google using the instructions here: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Transfer-contacts-between-Outlook-2007-and-Google-Gmail-ad6f9f07-945b-4bfa-b603-11a3bcfcd892#bm2
Q: I was watching your video regarding keeping Outlook and took my machine off the docking station to check the computer ID and then as things were coming back on, I thought my download didn’t work so started the video over and the downloaded the item a second time as it turns out. But through this confusion I did not enter the email address on the little gmail box so I can’t get the window at the 4:30 mark of your video. Do I need to uninstall the downloads or start over again?
A: You should be able to just run the install process again to redo the installation and get the login window; if you do not, you can search your program list from the start menu for either the Google Apps Sync (for outlook configuration) or GSuite Migration Tool (for migrating old emails), and launch them from there. If neither of those approaches work, I’d recommend a call to Helpdesk (x4357) to complete the installation manually.
Q: I just completed the migration of older email from my desktop computer. Do I have to do the same thing from my laptop? Seems if I migrate, again, from a different device….I will get duplicate email. I should be good, right, since I can access Gmail from any device?
A: Yep, you should only need to migrate from one device. As long as they’re both accessing the same email account, migrating from one should bring all of your data over.
Q: Will I have any issues getting email on my district provided ipad?
A: You’ll need to add your Google account to your iPad, or to any other mobile device, in order for it to receive email once we make the transition on April 27th. Within your email account settings (varies by device and application), you can click “Add Account” and choose “Google” or “Gmail” account. Your username is your full district email address (lastname.firstname@iowacityschools.org), and your password will be the same password you use to log in to district computers. You can complete this process before we make the transition or afterwards.