Although substantial numbers of faculty and administrators had used e-mail on UT computers beginning in 1975, all students were offered e-mail accounts in 1989 through Computer Access for Education (CAFÉ) accounts. During 1998 summer orientation, students were introduced to the new graphic-based e-mail package Webmail, which allowed UT UNIX account holders to access their e-mail from any location with Web access. The e-mail package used by most students before the implementation of Webmail was PINE.
All students were required to have an e-mail account, and e-mail was declared an official communication vehicle of the institution in 2003. In fall 2006 T-mail, which ran on the Microsoft Exchange program, replaced Webmail. A student survey was utilized in the decision- making process for the new system, and students helped in selecting a logo for the new system, choosing a computer mouse instead of the more traditional Smokey.