IRO is retiring the @intelretiree.com email forwarder
Due to issues with mail providers rejecting mail from forwarders (with no notification to the sender or receiver) we have decided to end the use of the @intelretiree.com forwarder email addresses. New members will not be issued an intelretiree.com email forwarder address; email address change requests will not be issued a new corresponding forwarder. All forwarders will be removed March 31, 2027.
FAQs:
Q: Why is IRO cancelling the @intelretiree.com email forwarder service? Why now?
A: The @intelretiree email forwarding service has become unreliable. Email service providers (such as Gmail) have and continue to implement ever-changing rules and artificial intelligence to prevent phishing scams and spam email. These delays and deletions of emails make using an email forwarder address very unreliable, inconsistent and undisclosed to the email recipient.
After surveying the IRO membership, most members used the service as it was required to access the free McAfee LiveSafe product offering. Since that McAfee program ended, the service use dropped while the IRO technical support level needed to solve problems increased. Outside solution providers proved to be cost prohibitive ($3-$7/month/user – IRO has more than 8,000 members.). Since IRO is a volunteer organization, we decided our volunteers work could better benefit IRO members by focusing on other areas.
Q: How will IRO communications now work? Do I have to get all my information from the website?
A: There will be no change in how IRO communicates with its members. IRO does not use the forwarder for sending you email or for member administration. Mailings such as the News Flash go directly to the personal email address that you have on file with IRO. In addition to the News Flash and the website, we have the IRO Mailbox, a dedicated IRO Facebook page and will continue to send out special notices/announcements when needed.
Q: When will the @intelretiree email forwarder service officially end?
A: All @intelretiree email forwarder addresses will be deleted (whether actively used or not) and IRO support and service will stop on March 31, 2027. In the meantime, IRO will continue to support members having trouble with their @intelretiree email forwarder service, but this support is limited to ensuring that their personal email address on IRO’s database is correct. IRO has stopped issuing @intelretiree email forwarder addresses to new members and will not reissue email forwarder addresses to members who unsubscribe and then rejoin IRO. If you change your personal email with IRO, we will update your email address, but we will not update your forwarder to the new mail.
Q: What if I need to change my personal email address (for example, moving my email from Comcast to Gmail)?
A: During this transition period, if someone needs to change/update their email address, they will lose the @intelretiree email forwarder address. If someone needs a longer transition, please contact us using the IRO mailbox and we will see if we can customize a solution for them during this transition time.
Q: In the past, I used the @intelretiree email forwarder address for the Intel Beneplace site. Without the @intelretiree email forwarder address, how will we sign in to the Beneplace site? (currently, it is supposed to send a 2nd verification code via email using the retiree address.)
A: Beneplace no longer requires an Intel retiree email address, so you can change your Beneplace account to your personal email address and they will send the verification code to that address.
Q: Did you consider using other email forwarder providers (such as mailroute.net)?
A: Yes. Of the companies we investigated, the cost tended to range from $3-$7/month/user. IRO has more than 8,000 members so this solution was cost prohibitive.
Q: Did you check your Internet Providers Record settings, especially SPF, to see if there was an easy solution to this problem? I wonder if there is some Internet Provider Record magic string of characters that will prevent this.
A: Yes, we have SPF, DKIM and DMARC records set on our domain. They are also used by MailChimp, which is why our group message delivery works. Forwarder routing looks like “man in the middle” tampering to some providers. The IRO domain is authenticated, but we have still experienced an increasing number of situations where the email forwarder causes problems and the messages are not delivered.
Q: There are some Intel vendors (such as GST is an IT type aggregator in California, or the Park & Fly lot in Oregon) that are still willing to extend discounts to Intel Retirees. How will we continue to qualify for these discounts?
A: The only discounts that the Intel Retiree Organization make available come through Beneplace and the Employee Purchase Program (EPP). If you have used an intelretiree.com email address to register for other discounts (not made available through Intel and the Intel Retiree Organization) you will need to change that address prior to elimination of service OR that service provider will be unable to communicate with you through email.
Q: I used my intelretiree.com address with various health portals when I needed to use the same platform with a different medical provider. In those situations, it said that my real email address was already in use. The intelretiree.com address provided a workaround. Is there a recommended solution for this situation?
A: You would now have to use their personal email account via their current email provider. If you prefer to use a separate email address for this situation, often you can easily create an additional address by adding on to your address name and requesting an additional account. For example, you can request a new account by modifying your address (Joeshmo@gmail.com for your existing account) to Joeshmo1960@gmail.com, thus creating an additional (new) account. You could then use Joesho1960@gmail.com for communicating with a different medical provider.
Q: The intelretiree.com address added legitimacy in professional circles in a way that no ‘alias’ addresses did. Do you have a recommended workaround?
A: Some professional organizations allow you to set up an actual email account (for example, IEEE) for a fee. This might be a useful option for you. The “alias” email addresses you mentioned (for example, JohnQPublic.Intelengineer@
Q: I used McAfee’s True Key to store and manage my passwords and used the IRO email as login. Is there an alternative security app and password management tool you would recommend?
A: There are many apps that offer secure platforms to manage your passwords. They, just like McAfee’s True Key provide these services for a fee. You could continue to use your current provider and just change your log in or sign up for one of these other services. IRO does not have recommendations on which of these service might be best for you.
Q: Certain technical platforms, such as EDA Playground, require a validated company or organization email address to enable access to commercial simulators. As someone who continues to stay engaged in engineering through personal projects, this limitation has made it more difficult to access useful tools and environments that support ongoing learning and contribution. Is there a way that Intel retirees who continue to be active in technical or professional pursuits continue to access these platforms?
A: The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), provides an IEEE.org Gmail service for $40 over their IEEE membership price. Those who are members of IEEE could use this option as a member of a technical organization recognized worldwide.
Q: Some service sites (like the LG partner site) require a corporate site to access. Do you have a suggested option for us to still access these sites?
A: The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), provides an IEEE.org Gmail service for $40 over their IEEE membership price. Those who are members of IEEE could use this option as a member of a technical organization recognized worldwide.