Everything you need to know about setting up and using VS-Mail
Detailed guides are linked at the bottom of this article, but first, take a moment to read through the FAQ.
Q: What is VS-Mail?
A: VS-Mail allows anyone with a VSware account including staff, contacts (parents etc.) or students to send and receive messages to and from their VSware accounts.
It works in much the same way as an email would by allowing you to send messages to individuals or groups, cc or bcc recipients, attach files, format the font etc., however all messages are sent between VSware accounts, not using email addresses.
Q: Who decides on how VS-Mail works in my school?
A: You as a school can configure your own unique set of permissions and rules to suit your particular needs. The school is in control over the flow of messages.
- Anyone with a principal/secretary account controls who can send messages via Users & Groups permissions. (One time set-up)
- All staff can decide whether the recipient can reply to their message. (User checks box each time they send a message). Parents and students do not have this option.
Q: Where do I find VS-Mail?
A: Once your school is signed up, the feature can be used via the teacher/parent apps which are available on iOS and Android. Users can also access it through their VSware accounts on a browser. You can access it through your browser on a desktop, laptop, tablet or even your phone.
Q: How much does it cost to send a message?
A: We do not charge per message sent like with an SMS. There is an annual licence fee that the school pays for the use of VS-Mail and this fee is dictated by the number of students in your school.
Q: Can VS-Mail send push notifications to user's devices?
Yes. All users (staff, parents, students) will receive a push notification on the lock screen of their device alerting them to a new mail, provided that:
a) they have the app downloaded to their phone
b) they have a working internet connection and
c) they have notifications for the VSware app enabled on their device
Note that the only other instance where a push notification is sent is when an unexplained absence message is sent to a parent. If the parent doesn't read that notification within 20 minutes for whatever reason (no internet connection, app not downloaded etc.) the message will automatically send as an SMS instead. This automatic default is only used for the unexplained absences message, not regular VS-Mails.
Q: How do I sign my school up for VS-Mail?
A: VS-Mail is part of the Communications Package. Visit vsware.ie/vsmail to read some of the benefits and to register your interest in using it.
Q: I would like to allow parents and/or students to use this feature. How do I give them access to VSware so they can use VS-Mail?
A: There are two parts to this. First, you will have to sign up for VS-Mail as explained above. Then you will have to ensure that parents and/or students have their own individual VSware accounts and provide them with the initial details they need to get logged in.
Please keep in mind that if the data for parents and students is out of date or incorrect (mobile numbers for example), it can be time consuming to amend this. If you are planning on getting parents and students involved, make sure to check this data is in order first.
Here are some guides to help you with this:
- Precursory housekeeping before granting parental access
- How to create access for a group of parents
- How to create access for a group of students