UITS unveils e-mail system

By the end of the day Thursday, a new University e-mail system will have moved student computing into modern times, after University Information Technology Services unveils a new Web-based messaging system. \nThe new system, called Webmail, is accessible from any computer via the Internet, UITS data telecommunications director Terry Usrey said. While PINE, the current e-mail system, will keep running, Usrey said Webmail provides students with several advantages. \n"You can handle attachments really easily, and you can use a regular editor, cursor control and a mouse for composing and editing," Usrey said. "and you don't have to have any software."\nUsrey said if there are no complications with the program, Webmail should be usable today. If there are problems, he said only one day would be needed to fix most issues.\nHe emphasized that the PINE system will not change, but Webmail will give students another option for checking e-mail. To access Webmail, students with a PINE e-mail account can log in at webmail.indiana.edu.\nSue Workman, of the office of the vice president for information technology, said the system provides students with increased options. \n"This is a real benefit to our students to be able to access their mail anywhere, with a more user-friendly format," Workman said. "And one that's more up-to-date with where messaging is going for the general purpose user."\nPINE, created by the University of Washington 11 years ago, has become outdated in the face of more sophisticated computers. Because PINE requires a specific program to access e-mail, it was not accessible from every computer. \n"We've been hearing from students, faculty and staff for quite some time that people were not satisfied with PINE," Usrey said. \nSophomore David Veatch said he has been using the Webmail pilot program since the beginning of the school year. Last year, Veatch used Microsoft Outlook instead of PINE because he said it was easier to navigate. \n"I hate PINE because it does not use a graphical-user interface -- it's all keyboard-driven," Veatch said. "It's ugly to look at. It's really unappealing to the eye."\nFor the last 18 months, Usrey said UITS has been working to implement the new system. A pilot program has been testing Webmail with a select number of users in its pilot program. UITS had projected the completion of the project to be around this time, Usrey said, so the system is right on schedule. \n"The reliability and stability of the e-mail is vastly superior to what it was last year," Usrey said. \n"We're just really trying to be responsive and provide a service people are satisfied with"