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The Key To A Faster and More Complete Implementation: Ipswitch IMail Server Training

“For a two-day class, the instructor covered a large amount of material. The training gave us the ability to quickly deploy spam filters and e-mail aliases, which helps end-users manage their in-boxes much more efficiently.” Duane Gerstenberger
Computer Lab Supervisor, Marion (Ohio) Technical College

Company: Marion Technical College
Industry: Education
Business Challenge: The college planned to deploy IMail Server for the first time and needed to ensure the IT staff would be ready to support end-users. The college also needed to reduce the amount of spam e-mails received by users.
Outcome: Attended IMail Server training presented by Ipswitch and gained a thorough understanding of how to implement IMail Server features. After attending training, the college deployed spam-filters and e-mail alias features immediately.

The decision on whether to take IMail Server training from Ipswitch was an easy one for Duane Gerstenberger, a Computer Lab Supervisor at Marion Technical College in Ohio. “We were about to rollout IMail server for the first time,” Gerstenberger said. “Since the software was my responsibility, I wanted to make sure we were ready.” Ipswitch frequently conducts training all over the country, so Gerstenberger did not have to wait long or travel far. He registered for a two-day course in Chicago attended by 11 other people, including two students who represented other colleges. “The size of the class was good for sharing experiences – particularly for those in education like me,” Gerstenberger said. “Ipswitch set up the room so we had plenty of space for our desktop area, and we could easily see the presentations by the instructor.”

The instructor immediately impressed the students. “He was relaxed and personable, and he gave us information beyond what the manual offers,” Gerstenberger said. “This is a stark contrast compared to some training courses, where all you really hear is an expanded version of the sales and marketing material.” Gerstenberger was also impressed with the fact that the instructor covered contingencies in addition to the product’s strengths. “He warned us about what could happen and how to react if things were not set up properly. That’s the kind of information you don’t get from most training classes or a product manual.”

Within the two days after the training, the college quickly implemented several IMail Server features. “We set up e-mail groups that allow advisors to communicate much easier with their students,” Gerstenberger said. “We also implemented spam-prevention, which eliminated a major problem for the college.”

Gerstenberger said the training experience with Ipswitch is a good illustration of why classroom instruction is so important. “With any new software, administrators are usually hesitant to implement some of the features. They’re not sure how much the new software will tax the overall network and what to do if things go wrong. But when Ipswitch demonstrates how to deploy the features in the classroom, the procedures become clearer, and it gives you more confidence.”

As an example, the training helped Gerstenberger understand how certain areas of the college’s e-mail were susceptible to hackers. “The training gave us confidence in how to attack this, and we jumped right on it,” Gerstenberger said. “The training also reduced the amount of time it took us to set-up the new security features.”

Gerstenberger added that the materials given out at the training have also proven beneficial for follow-up instruction, showing many short cuts and easier methods of adding features. He now hopes Ipswitch will create an advanced IMail Server course. “This was a great introduction, and I can see that the software has a lot more to offer that we might want to add in the future. An advanced course would be a great idea.”

Key Take-Aways from IMail Server Training
Developed a greater understanding of how to implement all of IMail Server’s features.

Reduced the amount of time necessary to implement features.

Training ultimately helped reduce spam and improved e-mail communication.

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