Any LGFL Schools use Google Apps?

[fiza]

Have any LGFL Schools moved away from the LGFL provided staffmail, Londonmail and Office365 offerings to go completely Google?

 

We are looking at Google Apps for Education - so much functionality there but currently we are tied in with Staffmail and Office365.

[fiza]

*bump* no one?

[psydii]

I think I know someone who knows some one. Will ask them to ask them if they want to share their experience (it was good last thing I heard)

[fiza]

I think I know someone who knows some one. Will ask them to ask them if they want to share their experience (it was good last thing I heard)

 

Would appreciate it. We want to go down this route.

[techy32]

Hi Fiza,

 

We are using google apps for the last five and half years without downtime ( with the exception of two hours once when google email system was down two years ago ). We have never used LGFL staff mail or office 365 etc so no experience in this regard. Google apps is working perfectly for us. We are using 30 GB of storage for email / docs and sharing is another great feature of google apps.

 

You can setup google apps for testing, which is obviously free and see if fulfil your requirements.

 

I am happy to help you to setup google apps.

 

Let me know what is your question regarding google apps?

 

Apur

[fiza]

Hi Fiza,

 

We are using google apps for the last five and half years without downtime ( with the exception of two hours once when google email system was down two years ago ). We have never used LGFL staff mail or office 365 etc so no experience in this regard. Google apps is working perfectly for us. We are using 30 GB of storage for email / docs and sharing is another great feature of google apps.

 

You can setup google apps for testing, which is obviously free and see if fulfil your requirements.

 

I am happy to help you to setup google apps.

 

Let me know what is your question regarding google apps?

 

Apur

@apur32 - Do you use LGFL as your ISP? Where about is your school? pm me the details if you want. Would be interested in a visit to see your setup.

[RichS]

What functionality are you looking to use that is missing within the 2 current ones? We played with Google apps for a while but in terms of just "user friendly" for the staff, the 2 provided ones are adequate.

[fiza]

What functionality are you looking to use that is missing within the 2 current ones? We played with Google apps for a while but in terms of just "user friendly" for the staff, the 2 provided ones are adequate.

 

We have tested the collaboration side of it and its hit and miss to be honest. With Google it just flows.

Staff can only send/receive emails externally with Staffmail. If they want to use Londonmail and Office365 then emails are restricted to our domain only. We don't want to have 2 different systems.

[RichS]

Ah, I see. Yes its weird that staff cannot use Londonmail to send emails to students (its primary aim is for students only I believe) but you can send and receive to and from londonmail with staffmail as long as you change the settings to allow it.

 

Thats what we have done and can't really complain as it does its job. I think it was more a transition between the londonmail/staffmail interface to google apps that would have ground our staff to a halt.

[fiza]

That's the issue - why not have one system for the school? By default students can send and receive email using Londonmail to anyone but staff cant?

 

I cant see where you would change the setting? I am an NC for the school but all I get is as in the photo.

 

Doesnt seem to be an edit button for 'other' whereas there is for all the year groups.

 

edit : Sorry for the small photo.

[RichS]

Yeah, the staff one has no edit I did call and ask but that is how its set up. Apparently its an education resource for children rather than staff.

 

With the student ones, to email from staffmail you need to set it to any domain approved by lgfl I think... but then, you cannot send from @schooldomain.sch.uk as its not in the lgfl list.

What we did is added it to establishment level, so lgflmail.org and schooldomain.sch.uk and we changed the "external" option for students so they can send and receive external to our school only rather than the whole world.

 

That sorted us, or as far as our kids need access to email for. Staff can email them, they can email staff, it seems to be working well and we then made use of the distribution lists

[edutech4schools]

Not in your area but +1 for Google. Set-up both Gapps and 365 for 5 primary schools and all independently decided to go with Googles offering.

[jonspurs]

We're an LGFL school and had Google Apps for a few years now - 30GB storage is nice.

What info you after?

[grahammm]

Hi

 

I'm working in a (rather mad?!) primary looking at migrating to google apps from lgflmail and internal file sharing etc.

 

Be very interested to know how people have google drive setup, do you use it entirely web based or install the software for synicing as well?

[edutech4schools]

We install the software but put a link to the web based version on our website, although we still host most files on our server and tend to use drive like a USB key.

[hit]

From the LGfL technical conference yesterday, Atomwide are in the final phase of setting up and rolling out google apps with USO authentication. It will also use the LGfL email filtering. The only thing was they cant guarantee where data is stored unlike the O365 which is co-located in Ireland and the Netherlands.

[fiza]

From the LGfL technical conference yesterday, Atomwide are in the final phase of setting up and rolling out google apps with USO authentication. It will also use the LGfL email filtering. The only thing was they cant guarantee where data is stored unlike the O365 which is co-located in Ireland and the Netherlands.

 

Yes this was an interesting development. I also liked their 'mydrive' announcement but I hope they won't charge extra for this. We have asked to be signed up for the pilot phase of Google apps.

[hit]

I also liked their 'mydrive' announcement but I hope they won't charge extra for this.

 

I took a good look at that, then looked again and then had to ask. It appears it's just a document repository. Won't have any integration into office, no app for tablets, etc. you may as well just put files up on your favourite MLE.

[fiza]

That's disappointing. It looked like it could offer so much more than that. Edited July 1, 2014 by fiza

[edulc03]

500GB free with my drive! Sounds good to me

[hit]

500GB free with my drive! Sounds good to me

 

It is an interesting model for allocating space, 500Gb for each school, I have one school with 38 staff and 25 students and another with 130 staff and 150 students and a few more in between, it may have been a bit fairer to do it on number of staff x a nominal amount +10% or so to allow for fluctuations seeing as the connection is charged by the number of students (which usually reflects the number of staff).

[ddench]

Hi, sorry to bump an old thread, but the question is identical... have two Primary's in London looking to go the Google route, would like to know if there are any London schools that have done this and would be happy to share their experience with a class teacher / sys admin. A visit would be really appreciated but any info on how it went, pit falls, excitement etc. would be grand!

 

Thanks in advance.

[jonspurs]

We had a Google Apps partner help us migrate -- Zumzum - Google them. Can't think of any pit falls, but now we've got unlimited email storage :-D

What happened to the LGFL AtomWide Google Apps thing?

[fiza]

Hi, sorry to bump an old thread, but the question is identical... have two Primary's in London looking to go the Google route, would like to know if there are any London schools that have done this and would be happy to share their experience with a class teacher / sys admin. A visit would be really appreciated but any info on how it went, pit falls, excitement etc. would be grand!

 

Thanks in advance.

 

We are a few months into Google Apps and Classroom. We still have a long way to go. Couple of things I would suggest : If you are going to use GADS (Google Apps Directory Sync) then start experimenting with it early on before you let users onto the system. Make sure you provide training for all staff. Try to make training compulsory rather than voluntary.

[jonspurs]

We had a Google Apps partner help us migrate -- Zumzum - Google them. Can't think of any pit falls, but now we've got unlimited email storage :-D

What happened to the LGFL AtomWide Google Apps thing?