MCPS switches to Outlook

All Blair staff e-mail accounts switched from FirstClass to Outlook on Dec. 1 in accordance with a countywide transition that is set to occur over the course of this school year, according to an MCPS informational brochure entitled "Outlook at MCPS."

The county is changing e-mail programs for several reasons; foremost among them is Outlook's versatility and compatibility with other software and hardware now on the market and in use in MCPS, according to Cary Kuhar, director of the MCPS Division of Systems Architecture and Operation.

Other reasons for the switch include Outlook's rise as the dominant e-mail software among schools and businesses and its multiple advantages over FirstClass, said Kuhar.

To adjust to the switch, all staff members reported for training at three separate locations around the building on Dec. 1. MCPS representatives instructed teachers in how to log in, change passwords and receive and send e-mail, according to Jennifer Lamb, one of the representatives.

Although help from the MCPS representatives eased the transition to Outlook, steps taken by Blair also contributed to the success of the switch, said User Support Specialist Anne Wisniewski.

Despite the efforts of MCPS representatives and Blair technology staff, English resource teacher Vickie Adamson remained unsatisfied with the training. Adamson was part of a group of representatives from each department that went to an intensive three-hour training session and in the following week were responsible for helping their fellow department teachers with the switch. Even after the Outlook training, Adamson felt unprepared, since the MPCS representatives did not take into account the different learning styles of the teachers involved and did not go over the different formats of Outlook for Macintosh and Windows computers, she said.

Adamson's frustration with the switch extends beyond the training. "I don't necessarily see this as being a step up; I see it as a hassle," she said. "The timing, the effort, the energy - I can't justify it."

The transition will cost the county over $300,000 this year, which last year's MCPS budget appropriated, according to Kuhar. Approximately $9,000 of the cost is the annual licensing fee for the software. The greatest sum, $282,000, was paid to purchase new hardware to run Outlook's servers, followed by $25,000 for consulting services. Outlook's licensing fee is lower than FirstClass's $41,500 yearly charge, said Kuhar.