From 31st January 2018, the Angus Council schools-based email system will no longer be available and all school users will be using Glow accounts. Anything stored in this account will be deleted. Instructions showing how to transfer messages and calendars to Glow can be found here.
Now that all staff are using Glow mail, it is important to be familiar with the security information here.
Whose emails have changed?
All school-based staff who currently have a Glow account should be using their Glow account to send and receive email messages. Although the previous email system will remain active until 31st January 2018, this should not be used for sending email. An automatic reply showing the new email address should have been set up on this account to direct senders to the new account. It is recommended that users check this account occasionally to ensure that messages are no longer being sent there.
Why are we changing?
For most people, the previous system only allowed access to work emails from school devices. By moving to Glow mail, messages are accessible at any time on any connected device, either through the online web mail portal within Glow or by using the Outlook app which can be downloaded from the appropriate App Store.
School email attachments were previously limited in size, meaning that large files often caused the user’s inbox to be closed if the file size exceeded the limit. Storage capacity in Glow mail is 100Gb per person, meaning that bigger files can be shared without causing any problems.
This change has also allowed us to simplify the format of email addresses which will make it easier for everyone to use.
What does the Glow email address look like?
All Glow users have an email address in the format j.smith@angusschools.org.uk (with their user name being formed from their first initial and their surname). People with duplicate user names will have a number added (eg j.smith2@angusschools.org.uk). These user names are generated automatically by RM (the company responsible for Glow). Users will still log into Glow with their current user name (gw17surnamefirstname) but the email address will default to the new angusschools domain.
Pupils and staff joining Angus schools will retain the same email address throughout their time at school and there will no longer be a necessity to change as a result of moving schools.
How will we differentiate between people with similar email addresses?
The user’s school name no longer features in their email address but Glow makes it easy to identify people. Clicking on a user name displays whether the person is a member of staff or a pupil, along with details of their school. Where there are duplicate names, a number will be added to differentiate between users (eg j.smith2@angusschools.org.uk)
What happens if we need to use a .sch.uk email address?
Some sites require users to log in using an officially recognised school email address with .sch in the domain. The angusschools address is an alias of the existing Glow one which ends in @glow.sch.uk so this can still be used as an alternative if necessary. Mail sent to both addresses will be delivered to the user’s mailbox.
How will we know how to use Glow mail?
Glow mail uses an online version of Outlook which will be familiar to users of the current school email system. Further information is available in the Angus Glow Mini Help site which can be found here.
What will happen to the current school inbox?
The current school inbox has been replaced by a Glow account using the format schoolname@angusschools.org.uk. As with the present system, this will be a shared inbox and schools can specify which member(s) of staff have access to it.
Click on the links on the left-hand side of the page for more information or use the contact form on the right if you have any further questions.
