Roundcube is the open-source webmail client chosen by the Aix-Marseille academy for all its staff. Its role goes beyond simply reading emails: it serves as the entry point for secure professional exchanges in the PACA academic region. Since 2024, the Ministry of National Education and the Directorate of Digital for Education (DNE) have initiated a gradual overhaul of academic digital tools, with Roundcube at the center of this transition.
Roundcube in the inter-ministerial cloud: what changes for agents
The digital roadmap Education 2024-2027, published by the DNE, plans for the integration of academic messaging into a broader collaborative ecosystem, supported by the inter-ministerial cloud of the State. The Aix-Marseille academy is among the pilot academies identified by the PACA academic DSI to prepare for this convergence.
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In practical terms, Roundcube will no longer be an isolated tool. The goal is to connect it to shared services for videoconferencing, storage, and document co-editing, all hosted on infrastructures compliant with GDPR. This direction aims to limit reliance on public platforms whose regulatory compliance is problematic.
For users, the Roundcube messaging of the Marseille academy remains the primary communication channel, but its interface should gradually integrate shortcuts to these new services without requiring juggling between multiple portals.
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Enhanced authentication and OTP on Roundcube Aix-Marseille
One of the most concrete changes for agents concerns the security of authentication. Several academies, including Aix-Marseille, have strengthened their access requirements for messaging.
The password is no longer enough
Two-factor authentication (OTP) becomes the norm for accessing the webmail portal. The principle is simple: after entering their username and password, the user must validate a temporary code generated by a dedicated application on their phone.
This mechanism drastically reduces the risk of identity theft, even if the password is compromised. The CNIL reminded in 2025 that professional messaging handling sensitive data (student grades, family situations, educational adjustments) must ensure a heightened level of protection.
Attachments and TLS encryption
Roundcube now mandates the use of the TLS protocol for message transport. For particularly sensitive documents, the academic recommendation is to use password-protected attachments, sent via a separate channel. This requirement may seem burdensome, but it meets a specific regulatory obligation.
Account management and Roundcube customization options
The “My Account” portal of the academic messaging allows users to manage several settings without going through the IT department. The available features are worth knowing, as they resolve most common issues.
- Email aliases: the ability to create alternative addresses linked to the same account, useful for separating educational exchanges from administrative communications.
- Automatic forwarding: transferring messages to another academic address, practical when changing assignments between institutions within the academy.
- Visual signature: customizing the signature with the institution’s contact details, the academic logo, and legal mentions, directly from the Roundcube interface.
- Sorting filters: creating automatic rules to classify incoming messages by sender, subject, or keywords, which significantly lightens the inbox.
Access to these options is done from the same portal as the messaging, without any additional login.
Roundcube or Zimbra: which interface to choose in the academy
The Aix-Marseille academy offers two interfaces to access the same mailbox: Roundcube and Zimbra. The choice between the two does not change the email address or the messages received, but the user experience differs.
Roundcube prioritizes lightweight and fast loading. Its streamlined interface works well on modest connections and older browsers. Zimbra, visually richer, integrates a calendar and a more advanced contact manager, but consumes more resources.
For agents who mainly use messaging to read and send emails, Roundcube remains the smoothest choice. Those who manage shared calendars among colleagues may find it beneficial to occasionally switch to Zimbra, accessible from the same portal of the PACA academic region.
With the planned convergence towards the inter-ministerial service bouquet, this duality could eventually disappear in favor of a unified interface. No specific timeline has been communicated on this point.
Security of sensitive educational exchanges via Roundcube
Academy staff regularly exchange documents containing personal data of students. Grades, reports from educational teams, support protocols: these exchanges fall under GDPR and impose specific precautions.
An internal note circulated in 2025 by the Aix-Marseille academy reminded that Roundcube is the preferred channel for this type of communication. The use of personal messaging (Gmail, public Outlook) to transmit information about students is explicitly discouraged.
- Ensure that the TLS lock appears in the browser’s address bar before sending a message.
- Never transmit a password for a protected attachment in the same email as the file.
- Delete messages containing sensitive data as soon as they are no longer needed, rather than archiving them indefinitely.
These precautions are not about comfort but about an obligation that the CNIL can monitor.
The transition to the inter-ministerial cloud should simplify these practices by integrating end-to-end encryption directly into the interface. For now, the responsibility lies with each user, and Roundcube provides the necessary tools as long as they are activated.