Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs):
Why is Illinois Tech moving away from Google?
Google historically offered educational institutions free and unlimited storage. This changed in 2022 when Google changed their terms where they no longer offer unlimited storage. After careful consideration the university has decided to move to Microsoft 365. This transition is a part of our larger digital transformation that aims to enhance productivity, optimize costs, expand our global reach, ensure scalability, and foster academic excellence and student success at Illinois Tech.
When will we be moving to Microsoft 365?
The Implementation timeline may change. Should that happen we will update the community and make updates here.
- 7/15/2024 - Alumni email forwarding service enabled
- 8/2/2024 - Alumni email accounts suspension
- 12/27/2024 - Email, chat, and video conferencing functionality will be conducted from Microsoft 365 from this date forward.
- 5/2025 - Illinois Tech will formally change the email domain for students to @hawk.illinoistech.edu and for employees @illinoistech.edu.
What is Microsoft 365?
Microsoft 365 or “365” is the name for Microsoft’s cloud-based software suite. Microsoft 365 includes, but is not limited to, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, Outlook, Power Automate, PowerBI, etc. Microsoft offers both web and desktop versions of their productivity suite.
When will the email change go into effect?
The email change will go into effect December, 27, 2024. All active accounts will be migrated to Microsoft 365.
Will my email address change?
In conjunction with rebranding to Illinois Tech a universal email domain across all colleges will be enabled.
- All students will use the @hawk.illinoistech.edu domain
- All faculty and staff will use the @illinoistech.edu domain
- Your usernames (the part before the @ symbol) will remain the same
- You will continue to receive email on your username@iit.edu or username@subdomain.iit.edu. Sending will be restricted to illinoistech.edu domain only
Will my data be migrated from Google to Microsoft?
Please see "Overview of Changes and Impact to the Community" for detailed information about the migration of your data.
Am I responsible for migrating my data?
You are not required to move data from your Google Drive or Calendar, however there are some exceptions to what will be migrated within those areas. OTS will be migrating both email and drive data using tools available to us via Microsoft.
- Google Calendar: Everything from your Google Calendar will be moved into Microsoft Outlook except spam and deleted emails.
- Concerning the contents of what will migrate from your Google Drive, please see File Migration for what will and will not migrate.
As part of Google storage reduction, I downloaded several GBs worth of email, will I be able to move that email into Microsoft?
We are currently working with Microsoft our options. We will update this section once we have more information.
How will I access my files moving forward?
Illinois Tech will be using OneDrive for individual storage and SharePoint/Teams for shared storage. Instructions will be provided soon.
Will storage quotas be enforced and how much?
Given storage limitations a quota will be enforced. Our team is still determining the storage limit given our total allocation. We will inform the community once the quota is determined.