More About EGAs
An Exchange Group Account (EGA) is a specialized Exchange account set up specifically for a Cornell group to handle email or calendars related to its mission or business. EGAs are useful for situations where more than one person handles the incoming messages and/or when messages are intended for a particular purpose rather than a particular person.
This article applies to: Resource Accounts
What EGAs Are For
The examples below illustrate how EGAs can help with various organizational needs.
Capitalize on Name Recognition
Example: If a Cornell-based scientific research center named the Big Red Research Center wants agencies like the National Science Foundation or NASA to have access to an easily remembered email address, the Center can create an EGA with an address like brrc@cornell.edu.
Advertise Journal Addresses
Example: If the Big Red Research Center publishes the Journal of Big Red Research, it might want people to send submissions to a central mailbox, such as brrc_journal@cornell.edu.
Organize Conferences
Example: If the Big Red Research Center is hosting a conference to which 300 people are invited and doesn't want to clutter its main brrc mailbox with conference mail, it could create another Exchange Group Account called brrc_conference@cornell.edu.
Offer a Service
Example: If the Big Red Research Center offers a consulting service to researchers at other universities, it can create an Exchange Group Account for questions, such as brrc_questions@cornell.edu.
Address a Function or Position
Example: The Director of Big Red Research Center is elected every year, and the Center needs an address for the current incumbent. It can create an Exchange Group Account that can be read by the current director and his or her staff. For example, brrc_director@cornell.edu.
What EGAs Are Not For
Exchange Group Accounts are not intended to handle messages for a specific individual. That's what NetIDs and the Cornell Optional Email Alias (COEA) are for. A request for an EGA like brrc_doctorschmertz@cornell.edu would not be approved.
E-lists and EGAs Have Different Purposes
E-lists are a good option when a group of people who have a shared interest or business concern want to discuss their ideas or issues via email. Everyone on the list receives email sent to the list. Depending on the list, everyone may be able to respond to these messages. E-lists can also be used to send messages (announcements, alerts, etc.) to a large number of people.
In contrast, Exchange Group Accounts are used so that one or a limited number of people can receive business email and process it appropriately.
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