Google Apps and email piping

[Rocketz]

Before I go ahead and try this, maybe someone knows the answer. My company is transitioning to Google Apps for everyone's emails. Better collaboration tools make it a smart idea

But all of our customer facing emails that pipe into Blesta via forwards from another server are on the same domain. 

We got 12 support departments in Blesta, each with their own email address, something easy like sales@, support@, etc

I don't want to setup 12 email accounts at Google, at $10 a piece, just for a forwarding service

So what I'd like to know is, can I setup 1 single email account, along with 12 aliases, and then forward each alias'ed email to Blesta's install? Aliases are essentially email forwarders at Google. Not real email accounts, but you can receive email on them and the from address will show the alias email. 

Will this work? 

[Michael]

You won't be able to do that unless you just use one department.

[Rocketz]

So I tried to set this up anyway. It's only $10, but I'd like to know WHY it's not working. Here's the setup at Google Apps

admin@domain.com is the real email account. Alias is info@domain.com

Setup forwarder in admin@domain.com to forward all mail that contains "to: info@domain.com" to email@subdomain.blesta-install.com

the mail actually does get to the Blesta install, but always bounces with the Ticket Bounce reply. Saying either the department isn't there, etc

However, if I email from Gmail directly to email@subdomain.blesta-install.com - the ticket is created, no errors. Departments are setup to receive email from anyone, not only customers. Using piping, not IMAP or POP3. 

So I'd like to know what's going on inside Blesta that bounces these emails, instead of creating a ticket. 

[John]

Instead of piping, try using IMAP, and set up your Gmail rules like the following:

department1@example.com gets put into a folder called DEPARTMENT1
department2@example.com gets put into a folder called DEPARTMENT2
etc....

Then, in the Blesta install, just change the IMAP folder for each department from INBOX to the department's folder.

What are the benefits of piping compared to IMAP for you? Currently, we have it set up this way, and no complaints.

[Rocketz]

Only reason is SLA's. Up to 5 minutes before a ticket is seen equals up to 50% of the reaction time for certain SLA segments in my case. 

Piping only takes about 30 seconds to a minute, so that helps a lot when it comes to response and reaction times. 

If only it were so simple to use IMAP in my case  

[Paul]

4 hours ago, AnthonyL said:

Only reason is SLA's. Up to 5 minutes before a ticket is seen equals up to 50% of the reaction time for certain SLA segments in my case. 

Piping only takes about 30 seconds to a minute, so that helps a lot when it comes to response and reaction times. 

If only it were so simple to use IMAP in my case  

Piping is instant.

You can forward email to another domain that accepts mail on your server and use piping instead.

[Rocketz]

I am using piping

But I don't want to have 12 google apps accounts. I want 1. Along with 12 aliases on it. 

admin@domain.com is the main account. info@, sales@, whatever@ are the aliases. I forward the aliases to the blesta domain. 

Alias1@google-apps.com forwards to alias1@blesta-install.com, alias2 forwards to alias 2 and so on

However, if I sent an email to alias1@google-apps.com, it forwards the email to blesta, my server has logs of it. However, Blesta doesn't pipe in the ticket. It sends the "Ticket Bounce" error message template. So it actually reaches Blesta, but Blesta rejects creating a ticket for it. Departments are set to accept all emails, not just customers. 

However, if i email alias1@blesta-install.com directly, the ticket is piped in just fine.

That's what I want to know. What's going on in Blesta to refuse creating a ticket the first way. 

[Paul]

If Blesta is sending the ticket bounce email template, chances are that the piped in TO email address isn't matching the email address set for the department. What email address are you using for the department, the alias or the actual mailbox?

[Rocketz]

Hmmm maybe that's why. I'm testing this with a second domain, since I can't disrupt emails without knowing everything works first. Here's what i have

Domain1.com = blesta install

Domain2.com = google apps email domain

admin@domain2.com has alias info@domain2.com forwarding to info@domain1.com

So any email sent to info@domain2.com which gets forwarded and then piped into info@domain1.com will be rejected, because the original "to" address is info@domain2.com?