What are we doing?
We’re upgrading from on-premise to Exchange Online. All student and staff email accounts will be migrated to the Microsoft 365 Exchange Online service, bringing significant benefits to staff, students and the University as a whole.
- Better integration with Office 365 applications, such as OneDrive for Business, SharePoint and Teams
- Improved features in mobile and web email apps
- Increased email storage space
- Enhanced security against phishing and other threats
- Continued access to email in the case of campus network disruption
- Improved resilience via the Microsoft global infrastructure
For the move to be as smooth as possible, we’ve outlined some key points below.
Sustainable cloud infrastructure
Microsoft has been carbon neutral since 2012 and is committed to being carbon negative by 2030, with the commitment by 2050 to remove all the carbon it’s directly emitted since its founding in 1975. Using Microsoft Azure is up to 98 per cent more carbon efficient than using a traditional enterprise data centre.
To learn more, visit Microsoft’s Azure global infrastructure page:
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/global-infrastructure/
Why are we doing this now?
An area where Microsoft is really pushing new features is in their Office 365 Email system. Some big changes have happened in the last few years with Email and we want to help you take advantage of these new technologies. Also, Microsoft’s Office 365 email acts as a gateway to opening a host of other Office 365 technologies which we want to share with you soon.
When will it happen?
We’ve been asking for early adopters over the last couple of months and we’ve been working with them to make sure the service and the migration go as smoothly as possible. Moving forwards we’ll be taking groups of staff in small batches in a phased approach to ensure we minimise disruption.
What will change?
Storage capacity
Exchange Online provides an improved email experience with an increased storage capacity of 100GB.
Focussed inbox
Focused Inbox separates your inbox into two tabs—Focused and Other. Your most important email messages are on the Focused tab while the rest remain easily accessible—but out of the way—on the Other tab.
Microsoft Viva
Microsoft Viva helps with data-driven, privacy-protected insights and recommendations to improve productivity and wellbeing.
Better Microsoft 365 integrations
By moving to Exchange Online we will gain access to new and exciting Microsoft 365 integrations. We will continue to work on documentation and training materials to highlight these integrations.
What do I need to do?
Be Secure. Be Aware of Phishing.
For the mailbox migration, there will not be mass emails from IT Services or Microsoft asking you to “validate” your account by selecting a link. Some examples of phishing attempts include:
- “We are migrating your account, please enter your credentials”
- “Click here to complete the migration”
- “Please validate your account”
Outlook desktop app
After your account has been migrated you will need to sign back into the Outlook desktop application using your University of Worcester credentials.
- Launch the Outlook application.
- Sign in with your University of Worcester credentials when prompted.
- You may be prompted to authenticate using Multi Factor Authentication.
Outlook Web App / Webmail
We recommend clearing your browser cache if you are experiencing any problems accessing or using Outlook Web App / Webmail.
Chrome: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/32050?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop
Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-clear-firefox-cache
After your mailbox has been migrated you will need to go to office.com then select the Outlook app to access Outlook Web App / Webmail. Once the migration project has been completed we will update the webmail link on the staff portal.
Outlook mobile app (Android/iOS)
If you’re using Outlook on a mobile device, you will need to delete and reinstall the Outlook application from the app store.
- Open your mobile app store. (For Android devices this is the Play store, for iOS it’s the App store.)
- Search for Microsoft Outlook.
- Select Outlook from the search results.
- Select Uninstall. Once you’ve removed the app you’ll be ready to reinstall.
- Choose Install.
- Open the Outlook app.
- Sign in with your University of Worcester email address and password when prompted.
- You may be prompted to authenticate using Multi Factor Authentication.
Your account may take several minutes to sync.
Guidance for iPhone Contacts
Some of the contacts you use on a day to day basis may be linked to your University of Worcester email account. If you notice some contacts missing, you will need to ensure you have installed the Outlook mobile app using the instructions above. Then follow the instructions below.
How do I enable my Contacts from the Outlook App?
This is a simple setting in the Outlook app that you can toggle on and off as required.
The option to sync contacts is located in the Outlook app Settings accessed from the menu below: –
Select your Office 365 Email Account from the list to see the additional settings as below:
Toggle the “Save Contacts” option on as highlighted above, you should now see your contacts on the iPhone under the Contacts app or when making a call.
However please note that the Outlook app will only sync contacts one way so if you need to add new contacts, they will need to be added via the Outlook app, if you create a new contact in the iPhone contacts app it will not sync into your Office 365 account.
Shared mailboxes & calendars
If a shared mailbox or shared calendar is no longer available or working as expected after your account has been migrated, the mailbox or calendar can be removed and then re-added to establish a new connection. If you require assistance with this, please contact the IT Service Desk on 01905 85 7500.
Out of office / automatic replies
Please note that when your mailbox is migrated your out of office / automatic replies will be reset. You will need to set up your automatic replies from within the Outlook app.
PST files
PST files are offline email archives and they aren’t stored in the server, they only exist as a local file on your computer. This means that it will not automatically be carried over, you will need to reimport the PST file in Outlook once your account has been migrated. If you require assistance with this, please contact the IT Service Desk on 01905 85 7500.
Please note: Exchange Online gives you access to an Online Archive which is superior to a PST archive in many ways.
Personal Contact Groups
Personal contact groups which you have setup aren’t migrated across to O365 and will need to be recreated once your account is moved. If these are groups you use regularly which may benefit your team sending too as well, you can request for a distribution group to be created by logging a request on the IT Service Desk portal.
Troubleshooting & Questions
Can I still access webmail via the staff portal?
After your mailbox has been migrated, the webmail link on the staff portal will not work for you. To access the Outlook Web App go to office.com then select the Outlook app. Once all mailboxes have been updated, we’ll update the webmail link on the staff portal.
Will this affect my email rules?
Yes. If a user has been migrated to Exchange Online then your email rules for them may stop working until your mailbox has been migrated. Once the accounts have been migrated the rules will continue to work as they previously did.
Can I use the native iOS or android calendar?
Native iOS and android calendar apps are not supported. You will need to use the Outlook app to manage your work calendar. The Outlook app can be installed for free via the App store on iOS and the Play store on Android.
Mobile Device Contacts (Android/iOS)
If you used the native mail client on your mobile device you may need to add the contacts back onto your phone through the Outlook app, if your contacts were synced to your email account. To do this you will need to:
- Add your O365 email account to your device, using the Outlook app. Following the instructions here: https://it.wp.worc.ac.uk/ask-a-question/ms-outlook/adding-o365-to-phone/
- Sync your Outlook contacts to your phone contacts by following the instructions here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/how-do-i-save-my-outlook-contacts-to-my-ios-contacts-app-51b8450f-2f07-41ab-96ea-afc0de7e6529
Is IMAP supported?
IMAP is not enabled on Exchange Online, this means some email clients are not supported. Please access your staff mailbox using the Microsoft Outlook application or go to office.com to use the Outlook Web App.
Outlook seems slow after migrating to Exchange Online. Is there anything I can do?
Check if you Cached Exchange Mode disabled in Outlook. If you are experiencing latency with Outlook, you should use cached mode.
Cached Exchange Mode enables a better experience when you use an Exchange account. In this mode, a copy of your mailbox is saved on your computer. This copy provides quick access to your data, and it is frequently updated with the server that runs Microsoft Exchange.
Please see the full instructions available from Microsoft to enable Cached Exchange Mode, summarised below:
- Click File > Account Settings > Account Settings.
- Click the Exchange or Office 365 account, and then click Change.
- Under Offline Settings, check Use Cached Exchange Mode.
- Exit, and then restart Outlook.
Calendar sharing is not working as expected
Shared calendars between migrated and non-migrated Exchange accounts may not function as expected. You may have limited ability to see the full details of a shared calendar, instead seeing only free/busy information. The issue will resolve as Exchange resources migrate to Exchange Online.
What happens to my online archive?
Your online archive will move to Exchange Online as part of your migration.
I keep getting an email bounce back for someone I’ve emailed before?
If you’re receiving a ‘Failed to send’ for someone you’ve emailed before, go into Outlook and clear your Autocomplete List, then try composing the email again. You will need to retype the recipients in the To: field.
If you still have issues with bounce backs, please contact us via IT Service Desk.
Can I request an earlier migration?
Yes, contact us via the IT Service Desk and we will do our best to move your migration date forward.
Further information
For more instructions and guides, please visit our Email FAQs.
If you have any further questions or queries regarding this project, please contact us via the IT Service Desk on 01905 85 7500, live chat or the self-service portal.