Preparing to use custom mail file templates

You can apply a custom mail file template to mail files of service users. The template must meet design requirements that minimize the risk and impact to your users and to the service. You submit the template for approval to an IBM® Software Services for Collaboration representative.

About this task

The template design development can be done in-house or through a contract with a third-party developer or an IBM representative. A short professional services engagement with IBM Software Services for Collaboration is required to approve a custom template.

A custom mail file template allows you to customize the design of user mail files.

The following steps outline the high-level tasks and identify who is responsible for developing and applying a custom template.

Procedure

  1. Customer Contacts an IBM Software Services for Collaboration representative to procure a statement of work.

    This step should be done as soon as it is determined that the business requires a custom mail template. This prior notice ensures that they are prepared to validate the template soon after receiving it

  2. Developer Reviews the design requirements for custom mail templates.

    To be approved for use with the service, a custom mail template must meet specific design requirements. For example, a custom template must contain specific design elements from the standard mail template of a IBM Notes® version supported by the service. For information about template design requirements, see the wiki article SmartCloud Notes Template Validation Requirements.

  3. Developer Designs and implements the template changes in the on-premises environment. When preparing a custom template that is already in use, the developer should:
    • Assess and document the current customizations.
    • Compare each customization to the standard mail template. Determine whether each is still needed or if it can be deleted. If a customization is still needed, determine whether it requires modification.
    • Document the requirements for the new version of the custom template.
  4. Customer Tests the template in the on-premises environment.

    You are responsible for testing the template in your company environment to ensure that it functions as intended.

  5. Customer Emails a request to customization.analyzer@collabserv.com to be set up for the Mail Analyzer application.

    The email should include the Customer ID and also be sent to the IBM Software Services for Collaboration representative. The customer receives a confirmation email when setup is complete. The Mail Analyzer application is used to do preliminary checks of the custom template.

  6. Customer After receiving notification that the Mail Analyzer application setup is complete, the customer emails the custom template to customization.analyzer@collabserv.com to perform an automated analysis.

    The customer receives an email summary of the results. This step can be repeated as often as needed during the development and testing cycle.

  7. Customer Submits the template to an IBM representative for a final manual validation.

    Template validation requires a short professional services engagement with IBM Software Services for Collaboration.

  8. IBM representative Validates the template and report results to the customer.

    This step ensures that the template meets the template validation requirements. The IBM representative sends the customer a short, written report summarizing the assessment, and indicating approval or rejection.

  9. IBM representative Loads the template to the service, after approval of the template.
  10. Company administrator Applies the template to user accounts.

    When the template is approved, a company administrator for the service uses SmartCloud Notes Administration to apply the template to the accounts of new or existing users.

    Alternatively, the template can be applied through the integration server and a user provisioning change file.