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This is a University of Nebraska System initiative to unify Microsoft 365 and Active Directory environments across three of our four campuses (UNK, UNL, UNO, and the Office of the President) into a single platform. UNMC is not in scope at this time. It includes the migration of 166,000 active accounts and over four petabytes of data to streamline collaboration, improve security, and position the University for future innovation.

Microsoft 365 is a cloud-powered productivity platform designed to help you achieve more with innovative apps, intelligent cloud services, and world-class security. With Microsoft 365, you get access to the latest productivity apps such as Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneDrive.

This project will enhance collaboration between campuses, provide secure and compliant research storage, improve productivity with streamlined workflows, and reduce cybersecurity risks. It supports the of “Extraordinary Stewardship and Effectiveness,” ensuring wise use of resources and readiness for emerging technologies like AI-powered Microsoft Copilot.

Faculty, staff, and students will log in to Microsoft services using their TrueYou Username (nuid@nebraska.edu) instead of multiple campus-specific credentials. Your email address will remain the same (@unl.edu, @unomaha.edu, @unk.edu), and files, emails, and calendars will be migrated seamlessly. If you have multiple identities (accounts) today (e.g. @unl.edu and @unomaha.edu), you will have a single account after migration for enhanced efficiency and streamlined day-to-day use. You will be able to receive email from all of your email addresses but will only send from your primary.

The benefits of moving to a single platform include:

• Seamless Collaboration: Improved communication and teamwork across campuses on a single platform.
• Future-Ready Technology: Access to additional tools like Microsoft Copilot AI and Teams Phone.
• Enhanced Security: A unified platform reduces cybersecurity risks and simplifies identity management.
• Compliant Storage: Access to secure, compliant storage options for research and collaboration.
• Streamlined Workflows: Simplified access to Teams, OneDrive, email, and calendars.

You’ll experience more seamless access to documents, calendars, and collaboration tools across campuses. You’ll no longer need to juggle multiple logins or encounter access issues when working with colleagues on different campuses.

The project will roll out in waves over the next 18 months:

• Pilot migrations: already underway in November-December 2024.
• UNK:  faculty/staff in February-March 2025; students in March 2025.
• UNL: faculty/staff in January 2025-January 2026; students in January 2026.
• UNO: faculty/staff in April-July 2025; students in July 2025.
• Office of the President: January-February 2025.

You’ll receive detailed instructions and a timeline specific to your migration wave well in advance of your transition date.

Minimal downtime is expected. The ITS team will work to ensure a smooth transition, and users will be notified of any potential disruptions ahead of time.

No, your email address (e.g., @unl.edu, @unomaha.edu, @unk.edu) will remain the same. However, you’ll log in using your TrueYou Username (nuid@nebraska.edu) to access Microsoft 365 services.

A TrueYou Username is a unique and reliable way of identifying each person affiliated with the university. TrueYou Usernames (nuid@nebraska.edu) are used to access university services and are being decoupled from email addresses to reduce the impact of email and name changes. Changing either currently prevents the user from accessing many university services for a period of time.

All files, emails, and calendar events will be transferred to the unified system without any loss of data. Migration tools will move 30 days of chat history. Email groups will be migrated, and email lists are not affected.

Yes, you will continue to use familiar tools like Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint, with the added benefit of improved functionality and access to new features like Microsoft Copilot AI.

After migration, you will need to log into your email app with your NUID. You will be prompted to complete this log in once you access your email application post-migration.

Since your files and folders will be migrated to a new location, any shared links that you previously created and shared with others via email, Canvas, or other means, will need to be reshared as existing links will not align post-migration. Permissions granted to collaborators within OneDrive will not migrate and will need to be recreated post-migration. Existing permissions granted to collaborators within SharePoint will be migrated and will not need to be recreated post-migration. 

There are no steps that you need to take beforehand. However, we recommend that you consider the ways in which you regularly share links to your OneDrive and SharePoint files (e.g. via email or in Canvas) since these links will need to be recreated and reshared post-migration.

The ITS team, in partnership with distributed IT, will provide detailed instructions, FAQs, tutorials, and direct support throughout the process.

Contact the ITS Help Centers for assistance. They will be available to address any technical concerns and ensure your transition is as smooth as possible.

Microsoft Copilot is an everyday AI companion, providing AI-powered chat for the web that can help users with drafting documents, analyzing data, and gathering information. The version included with our Microsoft 365 licenses includes enterprise data protection, ensuring that prompts stay within the bounds of our Microsoft 365 tenant and are not used to train their public models. This version does not have access to your data stored within Microsoft 365 and will only use publicly available information in developing responses. It will enhance productivity and innovation across campuses.

By unifying platforms and adopting advanced tools, the University of Nebraska will stay competitive with peer institutions, embrace emerging technologies, and provide faculty, staff, and students with the resources they need to excel.

Big Ten peers, such as Indiana University, Ohio State University, and the University of Iowa, have already implemented similar unification projects, achieving significant benefits in collaboration, security, and innovation.