When Information Technology Services (ITS) administrators introduced the newly modified Webmail Beta email system last week, they hoped the change would draw a favorable response. But with more and more incoming students using external email clients like Microsoft Outlook and Gmail, many either have not noticed or are unaffected by the program’s new features.

With a number of upgraded components and new color schemes, the new Webmail offers a dramatically different version of the old email system. Additional changes include a new left-side menu bar, a Stanford email address search option as well as additional email filters and message options. Users can now also check their email through Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs).

ITS has been working throughout the year to develop upgrades to Webmail, and last week’s launch marked the culmination of their efforts.

“It was definitely an initiative that spanned our organization,” said ITS Director of Strategic Planning and Communications Nancy Ware. “We had individuals from across our organization working to make it happen.”

The upgrades came largely in response to input and feedback ITS had collected from students and staff over the years regarding problems with the old system, Ware said.

According to Residential Computing Network and Systems Administrator Ethan Rikleen, however, the upgraded system may not have the wide-ranging effects ITS administrators were hoping for.

“The way Stanford students check mail has really changed,” Rikleen said, referring to the increasing numbers of students choosing to automatically forward their email from Webmail to an outside service. He said he has noticed a spike in this trend over the past 18 months.

“The more students grow up using Yahoo! Mail and Gmail before they even get here, the more comfortable they become with it,” Rikleen said.

While they are increasingly popular amongst students, outside email services create a headache for administrators due to the greater anonymity they provide their users, Rikleen said.

Some students say their propensity to use alternative email options is driven largely by inefficiencies they see in the Webmail system.

“I’ve always encouraged my residents to move to Gmail or some other client-based system,” said Edwin Chiu ‘07, resident computer consultant (RCC) in Twain. “I’m glad they’re updating [Webmail] because the old system wasn’t well suited for day-to-day use.”

Preliminary student reactions to the Webmail changes have been largely influenced by the shift towards independent email services.

“Personally, I don’t see much of a change because I use Outlook and I don’t even see Webmail’s site,” said Betai Koffi ‘10.

While it remains to be seen whether the modifications in Webmail will lure back students who have shifted to other services, ITS continues to research communication strategies for the future but has not yet announced any additional upgrades.

“We’re not planning any [other] feature or function changes,” Ware said, “but we

constantly monitor all of our products and if we need to make changes to the existing

product we can.”