• Google Apps  

     
    The Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda UFSD has converted to a new email platform, which has resulted in a change to all staff email addresses.
     
    The domain name for all school district email addresses has changed from “kenton.k12.ny.us” to “ktufsd.org,” short for “Ken-Ton Union Free School District.” Though the change has already taken place, school district personnel will still be able to receive mail sent to their old email addresses until May 1 since that mail is being redirected to their new Google accounts. After May 1, inbound and outbound email in FirstClass will be disabled in preparation for the shutting down of the FirstClass servers.
     
    The change resulted from the district’s conversion from the software suite FirstClass to Google Apps for Education for email management, calendars and other functions. The Technology Services staff began the transition in November with a small number of staff in order to identify and solve conversion issues, and the rest of the staff followed beginning in January.
     
    The school district website domain name has also changed to “ktufsd.org.” Though users can access the district website at www.ktufsd.org for the time being, the URL is now www.ktufsd.org. 
     
    Why Google Apps for Education? 

     

    By transitioning to Google Apps for Education, a free suite of web-based applications provided by Google, the district can manage email, calendar and other essential operational functions without having to spend money on expenses like software and servers. The district can also leverage the innovative applications and support provided by Google, one of the world’s foremost providers of information technology solutions.

     

    Benefits of Google Apps for Education include lower infrastructure and support costs, the elimination of redundancies through the consolidation of various communication platforms, the ability to log in anywhere there is an internet connection, and access to cutting edge applications through Google. The migration to Google Apps for Education also benefits students, who will be able to use the new platform for educational purposes.