I have been strongly urging cultural institutions, especially those with minimal or overworked, overstretched technology staffs to give serious consideration to moving to G-mail under their education/non-profit organization program. Many colleges/universities have been going, or are considering going, this route, with Arizona State University among the leaders in this. (they have been a bit radical in some other technology approaches as well). The academic sector may prove a good role model in this.
I wont recapitulate the full apps program<http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/org/index.html>but the increased storage capacity, sophisticated spam filtering, easy access to other google apps , migration assistance, retention of institutional email addressing, ease of remote access, become compelling cases for evaluation. Undoubtedly one factor would be the extent to which specialized features of Exchange used by staff can not be easily replaced. I have long posited that, generally speaking, the core competency of museums is not the management of complex systems, but the creative use of them and that museums should be vigilant in periodically reevaluating where there time and costs are dedicated. For some museums, internal email management may be appropriate, but for many it probably no longer is. In an era of increasing emergence of webware as an effective application strategy, legacy, in-house systems will come under increasing scrutiny. I think Email is a start. <http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/index.html> On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 9:32 AM, Chuck Patch <chuck.patch at gmail.com> wrote: > I'd be interested in learning what led you to consider this option. > > Chuck Patch > > On Tue, Apr 15, 2008 at 2:05 PM, Stan Orchard <stanorchard at mac.com> wrote: > > > I'd love to see any comments here on the list. Thanks! > > > > On Apr 15, 2008, at 11:07 AM, Nancy Pinn wrote: > > > We are taking a look at switching from Microsoft Exchange to Google > > > mail > > > for our email services. I am curious if any of you have made this > > > switch or have given it any serious consideration. Any thoughts you > > > would care to share will be appreciated. > > > > > > > > > > > > Please feel free to communicate with me directly at > > > npinn at thewalters.org > > > or calling me on 410-246-8339. > > > > > > > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > > Nancy > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Nancy C. Pinn > > > > > > Director of Information Technology > > > > > > The Walters Art Museum > > > > > > 600 North Charles Street > > > > > > Baltimore MD 21201 > > > > > > 410-547-9000 ext 339 > > > > > > 410-246-8339 - direct dial > > > > > > 410-244-5870 - fax > > > > > > www.thewalters.org > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum > > > Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) > > > > > > To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu > > > > > > To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: > > > http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l > > > > _______________________________________________ > > You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum > Computer > > Network (http://www.mcn.edu) > > > > To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu > > > > To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: > > http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l > > > _______________________________________________ > You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer > Network (http://www.mcn.edu) > > To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu > > To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: > http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l >
