Hi everyone, I wanted to add my two cents into the Google/Exchange conversation: the Field Museum (Chicago) switched from Exchange to Google Apps (it is free for non-profits) in early March. We have been pleasantly surprised at the robust functionality of Google's calendar/scheduling and tasks. We are able to do everything we could do in Exchange. We are interfacing with our Active Directory and feel that Google offers us a better version of Exchange's GAL. The POP and IMAP functionality allows users to be flexible with the software they use. The enterprise version for non-profits is much better than the free gmail version. I'd be happy to talk with anyone about our experiences.
On another note, I will be leaving the Field Museum in mid-June, and moving to Rochester, NY. I will be pursuing an independent consulting career, with a focus on helping IT Directors and CIOs at Museums, Universities, and non-profits. I would love to help you out with some of your needs - I completely understand that we are all short-staffed and under-funded. I can help with strategic planning, budgets, grants and proposal writing, board relations, IT organization and direction, and project management. I hope that you will keep me in mind and call on me if I can be of service. You can reach me at BrubakerConsulting at gmail.com. I'd be happy to provide you with my resume if you'd like - let me know. Lastly, my departure from the Field Museum leaves an open position here. If any of you are looking for a new challenge and don't mind the "Windy City" then I would strongly encourage you to apply. I have been very happy in my position and feel that it is a wonderful opportunity. I would be happy to talk with you more about this and/or put in a good word for you if you apply. Please feel free to contact me about this. You can apply online through the Field Museum's website or at http://www.bfound.net/detail.aspx?jobId=61996&CoId=45&rq=2. (note that we also have an opening for a Network Manager: http://www.bfound.net/detail.aspx?jobId=61989&CoId=45&rq=4 let me know if you're interested in this....) All the best, Julie __________________ Julie P. Brubaker Director of Information Technology The Field Museum 1400 South Lake Shore Drive Chicago, Illinois 60605 312.665.7201 jbrubaker at fieldmuseum.org ***Please consider the environment before printing this email.*** On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 11:08 AM, Ari Davidow <aridavidow at gmail.com> wrote: > If you are not using any other features of Outlook (and I am thinking > mostly > about the ability to schedule meetings which is a major sanity check in > our > small organization--how much more so in larger ones?) than gmail has a lot > of advantages over Outlook. But we have found that our staff hate using > google apps--they simply won't use it as a replacement to office, and that > they reject the overall set of applications (google calendar, gmail, > google > apps). > > At the same time, I fully agree with the proposition that museums should > not > be worrying about maintaining an Exchange server and the like. We > outsource > those services (indeed, all IT server, backup, helpdesk stuff) to a local > company. If that is an option, it may fit staff preferences and needs, at > this time, better than using the Google tools (or, to consider a somewhat > more advanced, but still uncompelling free alternative, Zoho). > > A year from now, I am hoping to answer this question differently. > > ari > > On Wed, Apr 16, 2008 at 10:43 AM, Leonard Steinbach < > lensteinbach at gmail.com> > wrote: > > > 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 >
