Road to Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 Project Update
Updated January 29, 2025 @ 4:00 pm
The TTUHSC IT Division has been working with the TTU IT Division, Microsoft and other consultants on a project to execute the TTUHSC migration to the Microsoft 365 environment. This multi-phase project will provide significant improvements to work flows and collaboration for both TTU and TTUHSC.
Stages of Microsoft 365:
- Deactivate TTUHSC Office.com download site - March 1, 2025
- Global Address List Separation - March 10, 2025
- Migrate to Exchange Online - Fall 2025
- Restore MS Office Download Site - Late Fall 2025
- Plan deployment of other Microsoft 365 Services - Future dates TBD
Preparing for Microsoft 365 Migration
On March 1st, 2025 the TTUHSC download site for personal use Office Products will be permanently deactivated. This is a prerequisite for the future TTUHSC migration to Microsoft 365. All services associated with that download site will no longer function and all data stored on those cloud services must be downloaded before March 1st.
All users of these services should:
- Download all content (OneDrive, OneNote) from the current Microsoft download site
- Sign up for a FREE version of Microsoft 365
- New M365 account cannot be affiliated with TTUHSC.edu email address
- Migrate data to new applications
As of March 1st, 2025:
- MS Office for personal use download site will not be available for TTUHSC.edu accounts
- Any software previously downloaded from this site will not function
- All applications (Teams, Sharepoint, etc.) and any data stored (OneNote, OneDrive) in the tenant will no longer be available
IT Technicians will be available on all campuses to assist our TTUHSC community. It is highly recommended you attend one of the clinics .
Institutional devices are NOT AFFECTED.
Stage 2 - Global Address List (GAL) Split
Coming March 10, 2025
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In order to migrate TTUHSC to Exchange Online, TTUHSC and TTU will be required to separate our current combined Global Address List (GAL) into separate address books.
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When this separation occurs, TTU users will no longer see TTUHSC users in the TTU address book, and TTUHSC users will no longer see TTU users in the TTUHSC address book. Both TTU and TTUHSC addresses can be found here.
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Additionally, email distribution lists that contain both TTU users and TTUHSC users will be modified to contain only users belonging to the email system that owns the distribution list (ttu.edu or ttuhsc.edu).
- Distribution list owners have been contacted and provided instructions to initiate the Lyris conversion. -
For example, a distribution list named Senators@ttu.edu with members John.Smith@ttu.edu, Jane.Doe@ttu.edu, and Jack.Flash@ttuhsc.edu will be modified to only have members John.Smith@ttu.edu and Jane.Doe@ttu.edu. The TTUHSC member, Jack.Flash@ttuhsc.edu will be removed from the Senators@ttu.edu distribution list.
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Understand the Global Address List separation, will it affect you?
The Global Address List (GAL) is being split, separating Texas Tech University (TTU) and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) users. A cross-domain user is simply someone who belongs to one university (either TTU or TTUHSC) but is a member of a distribution group (DG) at the other university. Therefore, distribution groups (DGs) and how you communicate with users across domains will be affected.
Here are some potential impacts:
- Some DGs may be recreated as Lyris lists (e.g., Senators@ttuhsc.edu -> Senators@listmanager.ttuhsc.edu) or removed if unused.
- Cross-domain users (TTU users in TTUHSC DGs or vice versa) will be removed from DGs, although the DG itself will still function.
- Clear autocomplete and manually add addresses you frequently communicate with.
- New messages using autocomplete names and replies to emails from cross-domain users might bounce.
- Update local Outlook contacts for cross-domain users you created.
- Existing meetings with cross-domain attendees may require removing and re-adding them.
- Messages from cross-domain users will display the “CAUTION: This email originated from outside of TTUHSC. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.”
- DGs and mailboxes set to not accept internet email will no longer receive messages from cross-domain users.
- GAL will no longer show both TTU and HSC users, you will only see the addresses to the university you are associated with.
- You can still send emails to TTU and TTUHSC users directly.
(See section on 'Emailing cross-domain users' to see if you need to take extra steps to send your email.) - Cross-domain Outlook calendar free/busy information will continue to work.
- Distribution group owners
- Group members (optional, for groups potentially changing to Lyris or being removed)
- Help desks and technical support
- Review any applications where distribution group names might be hardcoded.
- Review the list of security-enabled DGs you receive and determine if they are used for access control (applications, file shares). If not needed, delete them.
- If a security-enabled DG is used for access control (but not email), request a new security group and use that for access control instead.
Thank you for your patience during the execution of this exciting project!
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