Domain Name and Google Apps
A quick intro for you. 

  • We have obtained the new domain name rbc.us and are now doing a proof of concept deployment of Google Apps for Government in the IT and Budget/Finance departments. We will be transitioning, other departments, as time allows, to this MUCH easier domain for email. Eventually all our email will be in the format John.Smith@rbc.us rather than the much more difficult jsmith@co.rio-blanco.co.us. Good news is, your old address will continue to work and we will be making this transition as gently and painlessly as we can. Really, we will try hard!

  • We are building a training website to help with the transition. It is currently active at http://learn.rbc.us. Please feel free to preview the website and offer feedback for content that you would like to see!

  • This platform will allow us to have much better flexibility with our communications, and it will also allow us to save money on content filtering and server licensing. Here are some other stats and points:

    • Now over 20 Million students use Google Apps

    • 7 of the 8 Ivy League Schools use Google Apps and 72 of the top 100 universities as well.

    • State of Colorado uses Google Apps

    • The State Office of Information Technology’s Google Apps Service Delivery Manager, Brandon Williams has said:

      • All Colorado higher ed over 10K students is on Google Apps

      • 90% of all Colorado K-12s are on Google Apps

      • 8 counties are currently in play with Google Apps and about 15 others are discussing the conversion.

      • Google Sites saved the State Governor’s Office about $2,000,000 so far.

      • The State Governor’s Office has about 2.6 million documents in Google Drive and added 500K in June alone!

      • Colorado is the first state to create a Business Associates Agreement with Google adding and extreme level of security to Google Apps for Colorado governmental agencies, such as Rio Blanco County.

      • The OIT will supply RBC with Google Apps support on all 70 optional, integrated applications, including training documents and implementation.

      • The state both recommends and prefers that RBC go Google

  • But, we know a transition of this scope can be difficult and even painful.

    • First, we understand this - which is very important.

    • Second, we want to work with everyone to alleviate as much concern and make the transition as easy as possible as we move forward. Look for more communications from our IT office on this topic.

    • Third, earlier today the BOCC authorized the funding for us to move through the conversion to Google Apps for Business at a nice pace between now and 1st quarter of 2015 - so don’t panic, we have time to be gentle with you!