Technician
j
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Mail Calendar Documents Reader
Settings | Help | Sign out
Search mail
Search the web
N.C. State Compose Mail
« Back to Inbox
Inbox (1)
University to switch mail to Google
Starred Sent Mail Drafts
Report spam
Move to
Delete
Labels
More actions
n.c. state Will annOunce a transitiOn frOm Webmail tO Gmail
Chats
Adair-Hayes Crane
All Mail
Staff Writer
Spam Trash Chat Search, add or invite N. C. State Set status here Options
Archive
Add contact
N.C. State will officially announce a transition from the current e-mail service that the University uses to a service run by Google. The University, currently using Squirrelmail, plans to make a full transition to Google Mail, or Gmail, by the fall of 2010. Starting today, students will be able to log on to Google Apps and sign up for the beta version of Google applications using their unity ID and password. A number of advantages have been identified which makes Gmail an improvement over the traditional Squirrelmail system. According to Stan Martin, a computing consultant for OIT, Gmail will provide many more features for students. “The nice thing is that students will be able to keep their unity ID, but it will provide them with more than seven gigabytes of service which is huge compared to what we are able to provide and in the process we are going to be able to save some money,”
« Back to Inbox
Martin said. “The service will be terrific from the student perspective.” According to Martin the inspiration to switch to Google mail was driven by student interest. Last year faculty from OIT performed an extensive study where they spoke with students, ultimately resulting in strong support from students to move to Google applications. “It was driven by student interest in having more file space and a better user experience,” Martin said. Martin said Google Apps is a familiar interface for students and students from other universities who have transitioned to Google really enjoyed Gmail and transitioned easily. Rebekah Zabarsky, a sophomore in political science, already uses a Gmail account and said it is the only service she uses. “I never check my Webmail, I have my Webmail forwarded to my Gmail [account],” Zabarsky said. “It’s extremely effective and I’m a big advocate of Gmail.” Martin said OIT will be targeting specific groups of students with invitations to test out the beta to guaran-
Archive
Report spam
tee covering the basis of the student body when the University goes live with Google applications. Martin said OIT was aware of student frustration due to the lack of file space provided with Squirrelmail and they had been working to provide a better service for students. Gmail was the ultimate solution, providing more than seven gigabytes of service. “Applications like Google provide a lot more functionality in addition to just a better e-mail service,” Martin said. “We’re excited about the other kinds of features students will be able to have access to as well. That’s a bonus in addition to having a lot more file storage.” The additional applications that Martin refers to are Google Talk, Google Calendar and Google Docs, all of which will also be available through the service. Samantha Van Ollefen, a junior in biological sciences, said she is looking forward to the additional storage space. “I’ve run out of storage space multiple times and had to delete e-mails I didn’t want to get rid of yet,” Van
Delete
Move to
Features oFFered with Gmail: • • • •
Larger storage space Google Talk Google Calendar Google Docs
Students may go to www.google. ncsu.edu to request an invitation to the NCSU Gmail beta. source: google.ncsu.edu
Ollefen said. “It will be really nice to have extra space to keep everything I need.” Martin expects to go live with the beta during spring break and to have all students transitioned to Gmail by fall 2010. To request an invitation students may visit www.google.ncsu. edu. “I would encourage folks to go out to the site if they are interested in participating in the beta process,” Martin said.
Labels
More actions grAphics by biko Tushinde
OIT distributes 100 free language software licenses
an unusual public servant
University Libraries, Office of Information Technology hope to expand program access
“Rosetta Stone would just be a supplement for me to give me extra practice, since my goal is to be fluent in Spanish.” According to Kristine Alpi, director Jessica Neville of the Library of Veterinary Medicine, Science & Tech Editor Rosetta Stone Classroom was first obOn Jan. 18, 100 licenses to the tained by the College of Veterinary foreign language-learning tool Medicine international programs Rosetta Stone Classroom became for use in the CVM library, and later available for students, faculty and in the D.H. Hill library, in CD-form staff to download. As of Wednes- prior to the free software initiative. “Anybody could use the CDs, but day morning, all the licenses have been reserved and 42 people are on they had to use them on the library’s computers and couldn’t take them out a wait list. The Rosetta Stone software is of the library,” Alpi said. “We heard a lot of feedback a n i nteracfrom students tive program who wanted to offered in 24 use the program languages. online on their T hose w it h own computers. access to the We decided to online procontact the Ofg ra m on ly fice of Informaneed a comtion Technology put e r w it h and see what ophigh-speed tions were availInternet, one able.” gigahertz proA focus group cessor speed, Mark Darhower, professor in foreign of library and Flash Player, languages and literatures OIT staff looked a microphone at the options ofand speakers fered by the Roand a headset. Camille Sluder, a freshman in setta Stone company for universities. According to Mark Harben, security biochemistry and chemistry, said she wishes she had known about & compliance technology support anthe opportunity to sign up for the alyst, Rosetta Stone Classroom could potentially be offered to all University program. “I’m in level 201 of Spanish this students and faculty. “We decided to start off with a pisemester, and I enjoy being able to speak with my fellow classmates lot to see how much interest there and teacher in class,” Sluder said. was,” Harben said. “We didn’t want
“If your goal is to develop fluency or proficiency in a language ... there is no replacement for human interaction.”
AmAndA Wilkins/TechniciAn
senior Officer K.a. adams of the raleigh police Department K-9 unit commands Kito, his 9-year-old German shepherd, in front of the companion animals club on Wednesday. adams discussed the training they went through together and how he commanded Kito. He also demonstrated how the commands were delivered. adams and Kito have been together for five years and he shared stories of how they had tracked down fleeing criminals.
Save 25% on cost of your textbooks by buying used books at:
NC State Bookstores "The Official Store for NC State Textbooks."
recipients oF the 100 licenses: Faculty 16%
Staff 31%
Undergraduate Students 10%
Graduate Students 43%
To sign up for the Rosetta Stone wait list and to gain access to other free software offered by OIT, visit www.ncsu.edu/software. source: WWW.ncsu.edu/sofTWAre
to charge all students for the program straight out, but if there is enough response we can look at other options. The cheapest option for the most people is to get a site license for $40 per license.” Education and Technology Services paid for the 100 online programs given away over the past week at $75 per license. The licenses will be available to the students who registered for two months. “If the students like the program and need it longer we hope to be able to offer it to them again,” Alpi said. “It’s all an experiment right now.”
rosetta continued page 3