1. It's All About the New Cruzio Mail...
2. Features: Bigger (5GB), Bolder, Better
3. Yes, That's 30 GB Total
4. What Cruzio Members Are Saying
5. Customizing Your Email
6. What's It Like to Upgrade 15,000 Mailboxes?
7. Why Do I Have to Sign In Twice?
8. Visit Cruzio's New Wifi Hotspots
9. Second Harvest Food Bank
10. Upcoming Classes in April, May and June
11. Using 722-6200 to call Cruzio?
12. Moving?
13. Get Cruzio Credit with Buddy Bucks
14. About This Newsletter
15. How to Reach Cruzio (Dial-in or Tech Support)
1. It's All About the New Cruzio Mail...
Email at Cruzio just got 50 times better for all the cruzio.com and
extra mailboxes. We just completed stage two of an upgrade to a world class
system. Our email aims to be feature- and size-competitive with big national
companies like Google and Yahoo, but without the invasive ads and loss of
privacy that come with big corporate services.
It's the work of many months, and we're proud of it.
You can be proud, too. We based our improvements on the feedback we got from
our user survey last year -- it's what you asked for. And we think you'll
love it. Your mail is now much bigger, easier, more integrated, and
better-looking. For more details, read on...
2. Features: Bigger (5GB), Bolder, Better
* Cruzio Mail now holds 50 times as much email: up to 5 gigabytes per mailbox.
* Your webmail and email control panel are combined now, so it's easy to
tune your spam filter, set up a vacation responder, and more.
* You can now use your filter and vacation responder at the same time.
* Some of the best things about Cruzio Mail are what it does without:
Without ads
Without adding logos or corporate slogans to your messages
Without selling your clicks, your habits and your breadcrumbs to
marketing firms or spammers
* Cruzio's new webmail interface does IMAP -- an email protocol that
syncs your email between different computers and PDAs.
* Cruzio member mailboxes are being upgraded in stages: extra mailboxes
came first, then cruzio.com mailboxes. We'll be working on our
Website Plus and Premium services next.
3. Yes, That's 30 GB Total
Most Cruzio members have a 6-pack of mailboxes free with their DSL or dialup
connection. Each mailbox now has 5 Gigabytes of storage, which adds up to
30 GB of space at no extra charge. It's enough to hold your important email
forever -- including photos and attachments.
4. What Cruzio Members Are Saying
We've already heard opinions from over 100 Cruzio members. Have we heard from
you? Take the survey and let us know what you think:
https://cruzio.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2165&Itemid=352
As comments come in, we're using them to help make fixes and adjustments.
Here's one of our favorite survey responses so far:
"Thanks for listening. I sent you comments before about needed
improvements and you listened! Thank you! This is much much better."
We know you'll notice more over time, so please feel free to take and
re-take the survey whenever you see something you want to comment about.
5. Customizing Your Email
A few minutes spent adjusting preferences can save you time and make your
email work better for you. Cruzio set it up with the most common choices,
but lots of people like to do it differently. Here are a few adjustments
you might like to try:
Preferences -> Folder Preferences -> Trash Folder:
Deleting a message can put it in the trash folder. Or it can just
delete it immediately and forever. Your call.
Preferences -> Folder Preferences -> Messages per page:
Set your page long or short.
Check Mail -> Thread View:
Have you ever tried reading your email in threads? If not, give it a
shot -- some people love it. It's easily clicked on and off.
(When you change a preference, please remember to click the Submit button.)
To read about these and other possible choices, check our help forum:
https://cruzio.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=38&topic=382.0#prefs
6. What's It Like to Upgrade 15,000 Mailboxes?
It's a painstaking process.
Our whole company participated. In 2008, Cruzio Marketing surveyed customers
and Customer Service joined long discussions about what customers wanted,
bringing dozens of years of experience into the conversation. We looked at
what we consider good email programs offered by other providers, some of whom
offer only email, and some of which are pretty pricey.
Based on our research, Cruzio put together a list of features we wanted -- not
just immediately but within the next few years. We decided on massive data
storage and a format readable from a variety of locations and devices.
Next, Cruzio Engineering constructed a stable architecture capable of scaling
to enormous size -- not a simple task. We ordered bulky NFS storage units
in December 2008, and by January huge cartons filled our hallways as we prepared
for deployment. Brainiac engineers Mark and Juana used their brawn to hoist
machines in place, connecting them to our huge bandwidth pipes in February.
In the meantime, our software team put together a new interface and our design
team created a modern, readable look. A new interface was essential -- the old
program could not efficiently handle larger quantities of email.
Then we made a bold move. Instead of slowly incrementing mailbox sizes, we
decided to raise them immediately by an order of 50 -- from 100 megabytes,
which is capacious, to 5,000 megabytes, which is sky-high.
The most nerve-racking stage was the move itself. Moving members' email from
old servers into new ones was like moving a swimming pool full of water from
one moving train to another -- without spilling a drop. In transferring 15,000
mailboxes, not a single word of email could be lost, nor an address in any
address book change by a letter. Luckily, Cruzio engineers are experienced
and were well-prepared.
We split the job into two parts: extra mailboxes on March 24th, and cruzio.com
mailboxes on March 31st.
On the night of each upgrade, Cruzio's entire engineering department arrived
onsite at 10 pm: we always do infrastructure work late at night, when fewer
people are online. The engineers made their last adjustments, readying the new
servers, shutting off the old. They began moving information to the new
machines.
About midnight, email was shut off for less than twenty minutes as the
engineers copied all the mailbox control data from old servers to new. Once
the settings were in place, we lit the connection, and members were able to
log in: the old servers were now offline, the new ones up and running.
But the old servers still held hundreds of thousands of messages -- the
contents of member mailboxes in their pre-move state. Every message
had to be converted to the new format (IMAP). Even on our ultra-high-speed
computers, that took several hours.
Careful planning and preparation paid off: Cruzio's engineering staff is
awesome. When the settings were completely transferred, the engineers ran
a series of tests, then watched the message numbers climb. Chris, our Chief
Technology Officer, pronounced the job done.
And that is how your email came to its spacious new home.
7. Why Do I Have to Sign In Twice?
Because of security issues, like many other providers Cruzio has temporarily
placed a second protective barrier on our site. This means for the moment
you have to log in twice: once to the site, and again every time you want
to get your email. (We recommend you log out twice, too, if you're at a
public terminal.)
When you're at your home computer, your browser can remember your login
and password. So extra security takes just one extra click. It may be more
annoying at first, before your browser catches on.
Two things will make it all easier: first, most people's browsers will
kick in and you won't have to type in the information. Second, we're
working hard at a single sign-in solution that meets our stringent security
requirements and hope to have it done within the next few months. In the
meantime, we thank you for your patience. We take our members' security and
privacy very seriously.
8. Visit Cruzio's New Wifi Hotspots:
Cruzio partners with local businesses and the City of Santa Cruz to
bring you free wifi at dozens of locations around Santa Cruz County.
The latest additions:
Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Company
Chocolate
Poet & Patriot
both Chill Out locations
Java Junction on River Street
Head to one of these hotspots with your laptop and enjoy a cup of coffee
with your Internet!
9. Second Harvest Food Bank
Unfortunately, homelessness and hunger are fast-growing problems.
To help address these issues in our community, Cruzio works throughout
the year to donate food to the Second Harvest Food Bank.
The Food bank tells us that usage is up nearly 50% since the economic
slowdown began. Lines formed for over a mile this winter. They provide
about 6.5 million pounds of food a year, to 47,000 people a month.
Although Cruzio is a small company, our staff and members contributed
so much food over the course of last year that we were awarded the
Platinum Can -- over 20,000 lbs of food. We were in the top 25
companies in Santa Cruz County, in the same group as Seagate, Macy's,
Nob Hill, and others.
You can contribute to our food barrel any time during the year. If you're
late on a payment, we'll waive the late fee if you donate 3 cans to our
barrel.
10. Upcoming Classes in April, May and June
Do you need some in-depth, in-person advice on technical matters --
a website, a mailing list, synching your PDA's calendar with your
computer? Reserve a spot at a Wednesday afternoon "one-on-one" session
with our friendly high-tech professionals for personal attention and
the chance to ask plenty of questions. Just $99.
One on One classes Wednesday afternoons: 2:30 to 3:20 pm or 3:30 to 4:20 pm
Start off the month with a planning session aimed at getting your website
right. Whether you're just beginning or already have a site in place, you'll
want to hear from the experts about new, easy-to-use tools, finding a
consultant, starting a Web community with Web 2.0, and surefire ways to attract
readers.
Plan Your Web Presence,
Monday April 6 12:00 - 1:15 pm
Tuesday May 5 12:00 - 1:15 pm
Tuesday June 2 12:00 - 1:15 pm
Feel like it's all too much at once? The new world of technology moves
quickly. Make sure you've got things straight from the basics up.
Internet 101
Thursday April 9 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Thursday May 7 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Thursday June 4 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Our most popular class, One Day or One Night Website puts you at a computer
with the software you need to create a new website and an instructor at your
shoulder to help you every step of the way.
One Day Website
Thursday April 23 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Thursday May 21 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Thursday June 18 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
One Night Website
Tuesday April 14 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Tuesday May 12 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Tuesday June 9 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Your website can make you money. Sell your products or services online:
Start Making Money Online
Tuesday April 28 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Tuesday May 26 9:00 - 11:00 am
Tuesday June 23 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Cruzio knows how to get your site to the top of Google and other search
engines. Learn how to help potential customers find you:
Search Engine Optimization Secrets
Thursday April 30 9:00 - 11:00 am
Thursday May 28 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Thursday June 25 9:00 - 11:00 am
Classes sometimes fill up or change, so please register online:
http://www.cruzio.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=893&Itemid=234
11. Using 722-6200 to call Cruzio?
Please call our main number, 459-6301 instead. We're consolidating our
telephone numbers onto our new phone system. We're not changing our service
area, only centralizing the phone number.
12. Moving?
If you are moving your home or office, please contact Cruzio.
We're here to help the Internet portion of your move go smoothly.
It's best to let us know several weeks ahead of time, especially
if you have DSL or if you're cancelling a phone line. We can often
save you from an interruption in Internet service and prevent
costly fees -- but you've got to let us know. Call us at
459-6301 or email
office@cruzio.com.This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
13. Get Cruzio Credit with Buddy Bucks
Recommend us to friends, family, colleagues: if a new customer
gives us your email address, registration number, or full name when
they sign up you'll get $10 credit to your account. If two friends
sign up, $20. Three friends, $30. It just goes on and on.
14. About This Newsletter
Cruzio doesn't like to waste bandwidth with extra email, but we sometimes
have events and announcements that users need to know about. This seems
like the most efficient way to let people know what's happening. Hope
it's helpful. Please email
support@cruzio.comThis email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
with any comments or questions.
By the way, we would love to have a regular, predictable schedule
for this newsletter...but we simply do not send it unless there is real
news enclosed. Thus the haphazard datelines.
15. How to Reach Cruzio (Dial-in or Tech Support)
To reach the Cruzio Information Center, for online technical and
sales information:
http://cruzio.com/support
To dial in to Cruzio, set your software to dial one of the numbers
below (note: we've expanded and joined modem pools, so you may be
using another number. If so, don't worry, it still works just fine).
Dialup (in Santa Cruz County): 459-9408
Nationwide Dialup: Look up local number on the left side of the page:
http://cruzio.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=183
or call Cruzio toll free, 1.800.303.3302
If you've got a problem, but can still surf the Web:
Most questions are answered in Cruzio's Support Forum at
http://cruzio.com/support
To call Cruzio:
459-6301............Use this number to check Cruzio's system status,
pay your Cruzio bill, find out more about our hours and location,
or to reach someone in customer service and technical support.
To send email to Cruzio, use one of these addresses:
support@cruzio.comThis email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
......for technical support
office@cruzio.comThis email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
.......for billing and ordering information
Member services contact form:
http://cruzio.com/index.php?option=com_contact&task=view&contact_id=6&Itemid=310
Support Contact Form:
http://cruzio.com/index.php?option=com_contact&task=view&contact_id=5&Itemid=312
Or leave a message for us in the forums:
http://cruzio.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=183
Cruzio's location:
Santa Cruz: 903 Pacific Avenue, Suite 101, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Cruzio's hours:
Sales hours: 10 am - 6 pm, Mon to Fri; 10 am - 2 pm Saturday
Technical support: 8 am to 6 pm, Mon to Fri, 10 am - 2 pm Saturday
System monitoring, including customer-alerted emergencies, 24 hours
per day, 365 days per year (leap years, 366 days)
Thanks very much from Cruzio:
Chris, Peggy, Julianne, Mark, Paul, Gershom, Jessi, James,
Juana, Nikkie, Mike, Don, Bruce, Westi, Andrew, Jaime,
another Chris, yet another Chris, Jake, Shawn, Zachary, Carlos,
another Jake, Sandi, Amber and McKinley;
Our fantastic interns, James, Bey, Shenelle, Thoa, Victor, & Chris
Jake, Annika, and Carly (the kids)
Jake, age 17, counsels his younger sisters: "Don't you know that mothers are
always embarrassing? They can't help it. There's no reason to point it out,
you will only make her feel worse."
