Frequently Asked Questions about the Transforming Oxford's Digital Communications
How are the needs of divisions, departments and colleges being fed into the programme?
A Project Board with representation from all divisions, colleges, GLAM and the UAS is providing oversight for the programme, and its members are responsible for ensuring it meets the needs of all parts of the University. We will also be feeding feedback and insights into our work - both through the pilots, and wider engagement activities.
Who is making decisions about the programme?
The Project Board, chaired by Social Sciences Divisional Registrar David White, reports to the Engagement and Dissemination Portfolio, Chaired by GLAM Director Richard Ovenden, which has overall responsibility for this area of work.
How will decisions be made about whether content should be on an intranet or a website?
Our content strategy informs these decisions. Guidance is available on the migration webpages for both for the migration of existing content, as well as the creation of new content.
What relationship if any is there between the new intranet and the external facing main University website?
The University website on Oxweb will be for external content only. Where more detailed content is available for staff, links will be provided through to OxIntranet.
Are there accessibility tools built into the new platforms?
Yes, accessibility considerations are being addressed. Fresco will benefit from Sally AI checker. OxIntranet will leverage SharePoint’s built-in accessibility checker. Further information about the accessibility strategy for Oxweb will be provided in due course.
What will be happening with OxTalks and its replacement?
Oxford Events will be launching in the coming months as the replacement of OxTalks. Powered by the University’s new CRM platform, the updated events listing site, with curated calendars and streamlined event submission form, will be based on the latest and best practice technology. As well as the enhanced user experience, Oxford Events provides a new opportunity for users who had opted out of OxTalks to re-engage with the resource. Find out more at https://staff.admin.ox.ac.uk/oxford-events.
I am currently managing a website on Oxweb or Mosaic. When will I need to migrate by?
The University's current web platform will be end-of-life in October 2026 meaning that all content needs to be migrated off Mosaic before that deadline. The migration team have already been, or will in the near future be, in touch with site owners to confirm the target migration tranche start dates for sites (at a relevant time between MT25 and TT26).
Will there be support available for website migration? Will there be auto-migration?
Content will be auto-migrated from Mosaic to Fresco. This will save a significant amount of manual copying and pasting, but content owners will then need to review, update, and finalise content. The Migration Project will provide a migration toolkit to guide users through the process and will be on-hand to supplement this with help and guidance on any queries.
Will all Oxford websites need to move to Fresco, the new Content Management System (CMS)?
The strategic ambition is for Fresco to be the web platform used across the collegiate University, so as to achieve a coherent user experience and drive down costs of web expenditure. As a result, the aim is, over time, for all parts of the University to move to Fresco, the new CMS. The initial focus (during 25/26) is on the sites that are currently on Mosaic (due to the end-of-life deadline to move off Mosaic) but all parts of the University will be encouraged to join over time - from 26/27 onwards - including for new sites (see the question in relation to the timelines for the availability of new sites).
Will there be a charge to departments for the new CMS?
There will be no charge for departments for the new Web CMS during 25/26 whilst the migration takes place. The charging model from 26/27 onwards is in consultation and it will either be a similar model to Mosaic (sites charged by size) or it will be a service charge model so that sites are free at the point of use (in alignment with the aim for Fresco to be the default web platform for Oxford).
If I manage a standalone department website, will I be required to move into the new University website?
If departments have sites on Mosaic currently, unless there is a reason why the sites should not be stand-alone, we expect to migrate those sites to Fresco on a site-for-site basis. However they will largely be expected to use the Fresco design system in relation to choice colour, recommended information architecture etc. so that there is a coherent user experience for end users of the University's websites.
Would you advise us to build a new site on Mosaic now and have it migrated to Fresco? Or wait until after Fresco is launched to start building the site?
The recommendation is that colleagues wait until Fresco is available for new sites if possible. If there's an urgent need for a site then it may be possible for a Mosaic site to be provisioned over the course of the next 3 months before a 'new site freeze' comes into effect for Mosaic sites.
Will I have to migrate my site twice if my site is destined for Oxweb?
Only university-wide content (and potentially divisional office websites) will be on Oxweb - all other sites will move to Fresco. If the approach evolves in the longer term (i.e. in the next 4-6 years) then the process for migration at that point in time will be agreed and supported.
Will the migration change the format of the Mosaic website?
During the migration process an automated script will be used to copy content (text, images, attachment files etc) from your Mosaic website in to a new website on Fresco. The scripts will effectively rebuild your website as it was on Mosaic in alignment with the feature set of Fresco (which is not identical to that of Mosaic). Please note, however, that Fresco sites will be expected to use the Fresco design system in relation to choice colour, recommended information architecture etc. so that there is a coherent user experience for end users of the University's websites. Advice and guidance will be provided to support you with moving to this new design system.
Will there be a time period where the new website can be modified to ensure it is suitable for use prior to the Mosaic site becoming obsolete?
Once the auto-migration of your website content from Mosaic to Fresco has completed, you will need to review and update your new Fresco website before making it public in place of your Mosaic site. We will encourage you to complete the review as quickly as you can to avoid having to maintain two websites in parallel and ensure your migration is complete well before the Mosaic platform becomes unavailable. Once the new site is published on Fresco, the old Mosaic site will be removed from public view.
Could you tell me how the migration would work in practice?
The migration process will be as follows:
- A date for the migration of your site will be agreed in conjunction with the migration team
- The content from your Mosaic site will be auto-migrated to Fresco on that date (text, images, attachment files etc.) - no edits should be made to the Mosaic site whilst this is happening
- After the automated migration of content from Mosaic to your new Fresco website, the new unpublished site will be available for you to review - you will need to check the content, update it and any styling, where appropriate, so that the site is ready to be published
- Our expectation is that a 30 page website will take about a day to review and apply any minor corrections to. You will also need to add users and assign permissions
- Once the migrated website is ready to publish, you will need to inform the migration team who will switch the domains to point traffic to your new Fresco website (after which the process will start to to decommission your Mosaic website)
A couple of points to note:
- There will be some differences between Mosaic and Fresco functionality, but the automatic migration scripts should be able to move your content into the Fresco equivalent where there is a change in functionality (there are a few exceptions but we will advise of these if we think that they apply to your website)
- The expectation is that after the automatic content move your new Fresco website will look very similar to your Mosaic website, the layout will be broadly the same, but will differ in some of the finer stylist aspects
- A separate (non-automated) process will be in place for UAS sites which are not moving to Fresco.
I cannot remember how to scan our website for total pages. Could you remind me how to do it please??
You can view website statistics via the link on Site Details page. Follow this link to find out how to do that.
How can I reduce the storage size of my website to make my site more environmentally sustainable?
- Reduce the resolution of images which are likely too big. People profile pictures can be in the range of 30-100KB, aim for 50-60KB and still appear high resolution. Images of around 2MB, are up to 10-40 times larger than they need to be, ideally they should be around 50-100KB, for large full width banner images 100-200KB. As an example: the main banner images on this page https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate are around 150KB. You can see that it is still a high quality image when viewed on a desktop monitor. There are online image resizing websites that allow you to upload one or more files and apply some criteria to get resized versions of those image files.
- Delete images uploaded to the site that are no longer needed, they count towards your storage even if not being used
- Delete draft pages if no longer needed, this can be done from the Manage Content>Content menu in Mosaic (not from the "All drafts" menu).
- Delete published pages if no longer needed.
Reducing the storage size of your website has a positive impact on CO2 emissions, both to run the storage and in energy/CO2 required to view a page across the internet.
If my website is not being migrated onto Fresco, is there anything I need to do to decommission the website or will this be done for me/how long will I have?
The Migration Project has a record of sites which Site Owners have told us do not need to be migrated. We will be reaching out to contacts for those sites to confirm that decision. If you are not sure if you have told us, please feel free to contact mosaicmigrationsupport@it.ox.ac.uk. Unless you request otherwise, the website will remain live until the Mosaic platform is decommissioned around October 2026. If you would like your website to be unpublished before then, please complete this form to request site deactivation: https://oxfordmosaic.web.ox.ac.uk/contact#tab-2640091
What do I need to do before my migration window?
Before your site is migrated, you should prepare your website for migration by following the Pre-Migration Guidelines published by the Migration Project. This guide includes essential and recommended actions to help make your migration run as smoothly as possible.
Will my website address stay the same?
This depends on whether you are using the default Mosaic platform address structure, e.g. <sitename>.web.ox.ac.uk or whether you have requested a custom domain e.g. <sitename>.ox.ac.uk or <sitename>.org.uk.
If you have a Mosaic website that is only using the default Mosaic platform supplied address structure then your website will be given a new address on Fresco of <sitename>.site.ox.ac.uk. After you publish your new website on Fresco there will be a temporary redirect from your <sitename>.web.ox.ac.uk to your new <sitename>.site.ox.ac.uk address. After this period, users navigating to your old Mosaic address will see a page not found error. We will ensure that search engines are notified that a site has been moved so users are able to find the website through search engines.
If your website uses a custom domain, this will be maintained when the website is migrated to Fresco. The custom domain name will need to be added to the site settings of the migrated website and the Fresco team will update the routing to point to the new site when it is ready to go-live.
When will Fresco be available for new sites?
It is anticipated that new sites (not including those that are being migrated from Mosaic) will be able to make use of Fresco from MT25 onwards and we will share a specific date once confirmed. In the mean time, groups of invited early adopter sites will start to be migrated from Mosaic to Fresco from July 2025.
When can I migrate my website?
Migration of sites has started with a few very small 'pioneer' sites with which we are testing our processes and Migration Toolkit materials. Migration to Fresco of the rest of the Mosaic sites will begin in earnest from October 2025. The Mosaic Project team will schedule the migrations according to the new platforms’ capability to meet the needs of the migrating sites as well as site owner/editor scheduling needs. The Migration Project will reach out directly to Mosaic site contacts to undertake this planning.
I manage a website not on Mosaic - should I move to Fresco?
Once Fresco is available, University units that are using other CMSs will be able to request Fresco sites. The strategic ambition is for Fresco to be the web platform used across the collegiate University so as to achieve a coherent user experience and drive down costs of web expenditure. As a result, the aim is that over time, all parts of the University to move to Fresco, the new CMS. The initial focus (during 25/26) is on the sites that are currently on Mosaic (due to the end-of-life deadline to move off Mosaic) but all parts of the University will be encouraged to join over time (from 26/27 onwards) either when creating new sites or to migrate sites currently on other CMSs.
How can I see what capabilities are available in Fresco?
Fresco is an evolving platform, with new features and capabilities being added over time. You can see what high-level capabilities are available in Fresco, as well as the current focus of the development team, plus upcoming items on the roadmap.
When will I need to migrate by?
All Mosaic sites that need to be migrated need to be made public on Fresco before Mosaic becomes unavailable in October 2026. This means the migration activity needs to start in plenty of time to ensure the effort required is completed in time. The Migration Project will liaise with the named site contact to ensure your site is scheduled at a suitable time.
Will there be support available for website migration?
The programme is taking an auto-migration approach so that the lion's share of the migration work is completed automatically. Site owners will then be expected to review, update, and finalise context. In addition, the programme will provide a migration toolkit containing advice and guidance for the migration. Plus, there will be some limited support available from a migration support team where needed. A different approach is being taken within the UAS, where content is migrating to OxIntranet and Oxweb. Specific support arrangements will be communicated to UAS teams.
I hear Mosaic is going out of support in 2026. What does this mean and is my current website secure to use until then?
End of life support means the software or system will no longer receive updates, including security patches, from the third party supplier. In the mean time, your Mosaic site will continue to be operational and secure.
What is the auto migration tool?
The programme has developed an automation tool that will copy content (text, images, attachment files etc) across from Mosaic sites to new Fresco sites. The tool will significantly speed up the time required to migrate sites from Mosaic to Fresco and will remove the need for time-consuming manual migration. The tool will rebuild the website into a format that is as close to possible as the Mosaic site in alignment with the feature set of Fresco (which is not identical to that of Mosaic). The auto-migration process will be managed by the programme before sites are handed over to site owners for reviewing, editing, and finalising prior to go live. Note that Fresco sites will be expected to use the Fresco design system in relation to choice colour, recommended information architecture etc. so that there is a coherent user experience for end users of the University's websites. Advice and guidance will be provided to support you with moving to this new design system after the auto-migration process has taken place.
I am about to undertake a new intranet project. What should I do?
We expect OxIntranet to be available from Michaelmas term 2025, at which point we hope to be able to invite different parts of the University to use it.
If you feel you can wait until Michaelmas term to build your intranet, please get in touch with your Divisional Communications Lead who can facilitate a conversation with the OxIntranet team about when you may be able to gain access. If you cannot wait until Michaelmas term 2025, we recommend building your intranet on SharePoint Online on a single site (not a Hub), and minimising bespoke workflows and functionality. This will make it simpler to migrate to OxIntranet in the future. Due to budgetary constraints, the level of support for local (rather than University-wide) content will be limited to self-help guides and resources during the 2025/26 academic year.
I have just carried out a migration to a new intranet, what shall I do?
We realise that new intranets are created on a rolling basis, and expect this includes those that have been very recently launched. We expect it to be relatively straightforward to move existing SharePoint intranets to OxIntranet, and we would be happy to talk to you about how and when this might take place.
If you have an intranet on a third-party platform, there is no action required at this stage. There is not a requirement to move at the current time - although over time there will be an expectation that intranets are built on OxIntranet.
Why do we need a new intranet when we already have SharePoint?
OxIntranet will be an area of the University’s existing SharePoint platform. SharePoint has a wide range of uses - from workflow management to document storage to communications and collaboration. OxIntranet will bring the intranet parts of the platform together, making it easier for staff and students to find internal information all in one place, and improving digital experience for users. There won’t be any changes to the non-intranet parts of SharePoint, so the University will continue to benefit from its functionality as well as having a compelling intranet on the platform.
Will all Oxford intranets have to move across to the new platform, and if so, by when?
OxIntranet will be available to all parts of the University, including colleges. We expect that over time all parts of the University will move their content to the platform. However, there is no strict deadline for this.
Will there be a charge to departments for the intranet?
At present, the intranet benefits from Digital Transformation programme funding, which means there is currently no charge for departments. When the programme finishes, we currently expect OxIntranet to be funded via service charges. This means there would not be a direct cost for individual units to use it.
While the service itself is likely to be free at the point of use, due to funding constraints, there may not be resource available to support the migration of departmental content to OxIntranet from other platforms. As such, migration activities may need to be resourced locally. More details will be provided as the project moves forward.
Do we plan to address issues with mailing lists and e-newsletter distribution?
Yes. We expect that our work enhancing staff data will help address shortfalls in this area. We will also be looking at e-newsletter functionality as part of our longer-term roadmap.
Why are we focusing on intranets? Should we not be exploring AI tools instead?
AI and other tools such as enterprise social networks are very important for our internal communications. However, before we can make use of these tools, we need to get the basics right, which is why we are focusing on data, intranets and email in the first instance. We plan to explore additional tools once the intranet is rolled out.
My content is moving to the Intranet, can I redirect users to the correct page on the new Intranet?
We are currently finalising redirect plans, but we expect there to be some functionality to redirect users to the intranet. More information will follow as soon as possible.
What are the timings of the rollout? When will the new intranet be available for me to migrate to?
The initial roll-out of OxIntranet will be ahead of Michaelmas term 2025. The migration period for sites currently on Mosaic will be between now and October 2026. There will be a particular focus on the University-wide content, largely from the UAS. Units outside the UAS that are not currently on Mosaic will be migrated where capacity allows.
I would like to know more about how the News pages are going to work on OxIntranet.
There will be a dedicated 'News and events' area of OxIntranet, which will display News which is relevant to all staff and students. In addition,
- Each unit that has been onboarded onto OxIntranet will have their own local news site, for news relevant to their own staff and students.
- It will be possible to tag local news to appear on a 'News from across the University' area of the news
- Staff and students will be able to 'subscribe' to news which they interested in
It will be possible to add news links to existing news stories on other parts of OxIntranet This should reduce the need to re-key internal news in multiple places.
Will Oxintranet have templates available to use/will it be customisable? When can the templates be made available so that we can build our own Sharepoint Intranet pages in line with it?
Yes. There will be dedicated templates for OxIntranet sites, making use of enhanced functionality. These will not be supported for non-OxIntranet SharePoint sites. However, there are steps you can take to make it easier to migrate to the new templates, including:
- Using 'sites' rather than 'hubs'
- Using simple, out-of-the-box functionality with limited design elements
When will we have a trial version of the new intranet so that we can understand the possible page layouts, image support and maximum levels of pages?
OxIntranet is expected to begin roll-out ahead of Michaelmas term, at which point it will be possible to see it live. There will be opportunities ahead of launch to find out more too. Details will follow closer to the time.
How will permissions work between different parts of the intranet. Can I lock down permissions between different sections of the intranet?
The starting point will be that content should be open to all staff and students, unless there is a reason to restrict access to individual groups. It will be possible to restrict access to local content to local staff and/or students, and we will be working with the Identity Service to improve the way this is managed, in line with wider work in this area. It will also be possible to restrict content to either staff or students.
Will it be possible to integrate any OxIntranet data (e.g. relating to profiles) into Fresco sites?
At launch, profile information on Fresco will be published on the platform, while OxIntranet data will be derived from internal systems. As such there will not be a connection between the two. However, we are exploring integrations such as via Sympletic and other University systems, so this may change in the longer term. More details will follow as this work progresses.
Currently people find my pages on google, how will users find content when we move to a locked down intranet?
At present, there is a wide range of internal content that is available on the open web. This is bad practice from an information security perspective, and makes it difficult for internal and external users to find the specific information they need. Moving all internal content to a single intranet will make it easier for internal and external users to find content that is relevant to them.
We are working to enhance SharePoint search to make searching a positive experience on the intranet, and this will be greatly helped by having all internal content in a well-managed and governed intranet. We are planning on having small staff and student gateways on the main University website, to direct staff and students to the content they need on OxIntranet. However, staff and students will not be able to use Google as a starting point as they have previously.
We aware that this is a change for many people, but we are working to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible, and that it makes content easier to find rather than more difficult.
