ITS ends HeelMail opt-in, begins forcible transition from Webmail

Today is the last official day to opt into HeelMail, UNC’s new email service that will change addresses to live.unc.edu.

About 18 percent of students have not yet opted into HeelMail, out of more than 27,400 student 4accounts, Information Technology Services officials said.

Tim McGuire, manager of ITS messaging systems, said accounts will be forcibly transitioned in batches over two weeks beginning Monday.

McGuire added that users will be able to move their data, like old emails and contact information, from Webmail to HeelMail up until the end of the semester.

All messages sent to Webmail will be forwarded to new HeelMail with no lag time, he said.

The response to HeelMail has generally been very positive, said Mike Barker, assistant vice chancellor for infrastructure and operations.

He said one of the main complaints is confusion with HeelMail’s added services, like calendar integration and a task list.

“Most of those folks are accustomed to using the mail and using a reading environment just for mail,” he said.

Faculty and staff won’t be using HeelMail because of information security issues but are also transitioning to a new platform called Microsoft Exchange.

HeelMail is stored on Microsoft’s servers across the country, while Microsoft Exchange, the faculty and staff email, is stored on servers within the University, McGuire said.

This distinction was made because faculty email often contains sensitive information protected by law.

“It’s not a secure versus insecure distinction,” Barker said. He added that HeelMail could not guarantee the level of protection that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act requires.

About 3,500 faculty and staff have not yet opted into Microsoft Exchange, which is also replacing Webmail, he said.

McGuire said some students who work for the University, such as student researchers, are also required to use Microsoft Exchange because they could come into contact with sensitive data.

Microsoft Exchange does not allow users to autoforward emails to another account.

John Miller, a blind graduate student, said he could not transition into HeelMail when he first visited the website because the menu was not compatible with his screen-reading software.

He said he contacted ITS and they eventually helped him with the problem.

“They have a specific thing for screen readers which alleviates a lot of my concerns,” Miller said.

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