When Nana Amponsah needs to use e-mail, she doesn’t use Syracuse University’s e-mail service.

‘Nine out of 10, if I have anything sent anywhere, I use my Yahoo,’ said Amponsah, a sophomore electrical engineering major.

But after problems with SUmail last year, Information Technology and Services reports it has not received any calls related to ‘problems of a systemic nature’ since last spring.

Chris Finkle, ITS communications manager, said SU had problems last year when Microsoft would not immediately alert the university to problems with the e-mail system and then would not promptly fix the issue.

ITS investigated other e-mail options, including Yahoo and Gmail, but after noticing a change in Microsoft Outlook’s efficiency and response to problems, Finkle said SU has no immediate plans to change providers. 

‘The more time that goes by, the less interested we are in fixing something that’s not broke,’ Finkle said.

Microsoft Outlook was unable to comment.

In February, ITS reported problems with e-mails generated from Blackboard and listservs not being redirected from SUmail to other e-mail accounts. Also in February, Microsoft issues delayed e-mail sent by or to SUmail accounts. The problems resurfaced in the spring, Finkle said. 

‘There were no cases where mail got lost,’ Finkle said. ‘It just took a while to get where it needed to go.’

Finkle said he has heard other universities having the same problems with Microsoft Outlook. But he considers it a good sign SUmail was able to get through the high traffic periods of the end of spring and beginning of fall semesters without a problem.

Microsoft Outlook was initially selected because it could ensure the privacy of students, Finkle said. Previously, SUmail was operated through the MyMail service.

SU does not pay for the e-mail service, Finkle said, but does pay for the labor cost of connecting Microsoft Outlook to the SU network, such as applying the NetID system.

He said he thought Microsoft Outlook might have improved service because it is looking to expand its customer base and keep students past their college years. SUmail is available for two years after a member of the SU community leaves campus, he said.

Amponsah said her SUmail account has been fine for the most part, although she did have problems with e-mails sent from listservs in the past. She said she prefers her Yahoo account because she has had it longer.

Sapan Patel, a graduate computer sciences student, works in the computer support center for the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science. Patel handles problems SU students have in accessing or navigating their e-mail accounts. The central ITS office handles problems between SU and Microsoft Outlook.

Patel said sometimes there are problems when the system is updated, creating a delay. He said the system once shut down for an hour because of updates.

Despite trouble, Patel said he considers Microsoft Outlook to be one of the best systems available because of the applications and protection it provides.

SUmail applies anti-virus/worm and anti-spam filtering, according to the ITS website. Patel said there has not been an incident of a virus affecting the entire campus.

‘When you get infected, not only are you having a problem with your computer,’ Patel said, ‘it could affect more on campus.’

dkmcbrid@syr.edu

Published on September 21, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Contact Dara: dkmcbrid@syr.edu | @daramcbride