November 19, 2001
University Park, Pa. – With so many academic and professional activities keeping Penn Staters on the road, a new Web client has come to the rescue for those who want a more convenient way to manage their psu.edu e-mail when away from their usual work or home computer.

Penn State WebMail program, found at https://webmail.psu.edu/, is a Web-based way for students, staff and faculty to access their e-mail from any computer with Internet access via a browser. Authentication for and e-mail storage in WebMail are possible through the user’s existing Penn State access account user identification and password.

Christopher Hubing, a research programmer with Penn State’s Center for Academic Computing (CAC), says the easy-to-use WebMail interface lets users check and send their e-mail over a secure connection, create and organize mailboxes, access directory services, create and add personalized signatures and change settings. Instructions are available online at the WebMail site and a FAQ can be found at http://cac.psu.edu/ait/webmailfaq/.

“The response to WebMail has been very positive,” says Hubing. “People enjoy being able to check their mail anywhere without requiring a disk or special software. It is especially helpful for faculty who travel often without a laptop computer, but who have access to some other computer with a browser wherever they happen to be.”

Usage of the service has grown steadily, he adds. About 2,000 people per day were using WebMail in the first week of the fall semester, compared to the current average of nearly 5,000 per day. Among the users is Penn State President Graham Spanier, who noted in his recent State of the University address that he served as the first alpha tester for the service.

For more information on the WebMail service, contact CAC at webmail@psu.edu.

**gwc**

Contact:  Gary W. Cramer, Penn State Department of Public Information, at (814) 865-7517 or gwc104@psu.edu