As 2024 draws to a close, the Enterprise Applications & Solutions Integration (EASI) team at the University of Toronto is reflecting on the successful completion of the UTMail+/M365 Email Reconciliation Project – a major initiative that has already delivered significant improvements in security, efficiency and cost savings.

After wrapping up in October 2024, the project decommissioned 381,619 email accounts, transitioned 35,000 alumni accounts to a separate, secure email service, and saved more than 300 TB of storage for email and 10 TB for OneDrive. In under six months, this digital overhaul has set the stage for a smarter, more secure future at U of T.

“This project is integral to protecting our data and systems,” says Swetlana Signarowski, EASI’s executive director. “We can provide a secure, reliable and consistent user experience for authorized individuals.”

This massive project required a dedicated support effort over the six months.

“The project’s help desk was staffed by summer students, and they responded to over 9,000 support requests and answered over 1,900 calls,” reports project lead Vicki Vokas.

In collaboration with U of T’s Division of University Advancement, the project also expanded to include offboarding for 2024 graduates. EASI developed a process to effectively track account closures, sent over 1 million notifications to users and integrated the processes with the Enterprise Service Centre (ServiceNow) for account management.

By removing unauthorized, dormant and unused accounts, U of T has strengthened its security by closing numerous vulnerable access points. Additionally, the project has led to significant cost savings by reducing unnecessary M365 licensing and freeing up expensive storage space.

What’s Next?

Lessons learned from this project will guide U of T in automating and streamlining account management. This process will include automating offboarding for inactive staff and faculty, introducing guidelines for inactive student accounts, and exploring future improvements to alumni account management.

The UTMail+/M365 Email Reconciliation Project has helped position U of T for a more secure, efficient digital future. By eliminating outdated accounts, consolidating services, and reducing unnecessary resources, U of T is setting the stage for continued success.

“As we look ahead, we aim to build upon the foundation established by this project,” says Signarowski. “Our objective is to improve operational efficiency while protecting U of T’s resources.”