Live Mail FAQ
USciences Live Mail Web e-mail made easy for all
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia Adopts Windows Live @ edu to deliver Next Generation Communications Platform to Students
What features and products are included?
The USciences Live Mail program includes:
- Windows Live Hotmail, Microsoft's new "Web 2.0" e-mail system with an intuitive desktop look and feel
- A Web-based calendar that allows other students to see when you are available and schedule appointments with you
- Contacts management
- Windows Live Messenger instant messaging and file sharing, including multi-way instant messaging features to communicate in real-time and share files with schoolmates and members of your study team
- Windows Live Spaces, where you can establish your personal Web presence, including a blog, photo-sharing, and other Web publishing features
- Mobile access to your e-mail through the mobile browser on your cell phone or PDA with wireless data access
- Offline access to your mail from Windows PCs using the beta version of Windows Live Mail Desktop. Live Mail Desktop also allows access to multiple e-mail accounts -- including Gmail and AOL mail -- and can include RSS feeds to your favorite blogs and news sources together with your e-mail.
- More to come. The participating schools plan to work with Microsoft to continue to enhance the Live platform. See http://ideas.live.com for some of the products Microsoft is working on as part of its Live initiative.
How large is the e-mail quota (storage space)?
Windows Live Mail currently provides 2,000 megabytes (2 gigabytes) of storage for e-mail and calendar content. This should be enough for all of the important e-mail you receive while a student at the University.
Do I need to use a Windows-based PC? Do I need to use Microsoft Internet Explorer?
No. All the Web-based services included in the USciences Live Mail can be accessed from Windows, Mac, or Linux using Internet Explorer or Firefox.
The only exceptions are Live Messenger, which is available for both Windows and Mac OS 9 and OS X; the FolderShare Satellite sync software, available for Windows and Mac OS X; and the Windows Live Mail Desktop Beta application, which is only available on Windows. Students may use POP to access their Windows Live Hotmail via e-mail clients on the Mac or other non-Windows computers.
What happens to my e-mail, contacts, and calendar once I graduate?
One of the advantages of USciences Live Mail is that you won’t have to abandon or export your e-mail, contacts, and calendar items when you graduate from the University. If you choose to do so, you can continue to use USP Live Mail services after you graduate.
Once you are no longer a full-time student at the University, the standard Microsoft Live Mail advertising will appear in the interfaces for your e-mail, calendar, etc.
Will my account expire?
You can keep your USciences Live e-mail account for as long as you wish, even after you graduate. You will simply need to log in at least once every 365 days. After that, the contents of the inbox will be deleted, but the account itself will remain, and the inbox will regenerate the next time you authenticate.
Does USciences Live Mail include SPAM filtering?
Yes. The SPAM filtering included with USciences Live Mail takes advantage of SPAM reports from all 270 million Hotmail and Windows Live users.
What will my e-mail address be?
Your e-mail address will be your first initial last name@mail.usciences.edu:
(SSO = Single Sign-On )
- Jdoe@mail.usciences.edu
- Yle@mail.usciences.edu
- Mbrown@mail.usciences.edu
Will the password be the same as my university password?
No, the Live Mail system will require you to create a new password just for that system. Your initial password will be provided to you by the University later in the summer.
Will I be able to share my calendar with others?
You will be able to share your calendar with other Live Mail users, but not with users on the University’s system. Microsoft and the University are discussing ways for this integration to be made in the future.
How will I reset my password if I forget it?
Visit the Live Mail password changer
Will someone from Microsoft be reading my e-mail?
No, Microsoft will not read your e-mail. See Microsoft’s statements on this at http://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/default.aspx and http://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/fullnotice.aspx
While an automated process indexes your e-mail content for fast search retrieval, no humans at Microsoft will be looking at your e-mail.
How can I set up a USciences Live Mail account?
Information on how to set up your Live account and forward your University mail will be provided late in the summer.
Will student feedback continue to shape this service in the future?
The University plans to continue working with Microsoft to develop additional Web-based services that will provide a rich environment for communications, teamwork, and information sharing (some of which are in beta at http://ideas.live.com/). The students who choose to use USP Live Mail in 2007 will be a valuable source of feedback for USP and Microsoft. To develop a communications suite that meets the specific needs of USP students, the schools will solicit feedback on features and possible enhancements from student users and will work with Microsoft to implement additional functionality in the future.
What if I have comments or additional questions?
Contact the school's Student Help Desk at 215-596-7611. Or send an e-mail to ithelp@usciences.edu.