At long last, faculty and staff email is headed for Gmail.  More specifically, all members of the SMC community will soon be using Gmail hosted by Google rather than our locally-hosted Communigate email service (student email was migrated to Gmail more than two years ago).
 
The IT Services department is working closely with Promevo, a company that develops Google applications and specializes in Gmail migration projects, to determine a schedule that will balance communication, orientation and training needs against the desire to complete the migration before the end of April 2013.  Assuming that the tests we are currently running verify that such a timeframe is feasible, you'll receive additional announcements and information in the coming weeks as we begin copying faculty and staff email from Communigate to Gmail, with the oldest email being copied first.  It is important to note that you won't lose existing email in this process, and though you’ll have to make a few adjustments with respect to the use of Gmail, your email address won't change.

We in IT Services would like to thank you all for your support as we undertake this important migration project.  This is the first of many communications related to the migration, so please hold your questions for now and stay tuned for the aforementioned announcements and information!