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University of California opt Gmail over Office 365

By SiliconIndia | Monday, 26 December 2011, 03:22 Hrs | 1 Comments

Bangalore: The UC Berkeley came out in open, elucidating its decision to choose Gmail for its campus email services. This would connect around 70,000 users across the University.
Over the past months, it had witnessed a series of email system crashes, especially one that halted the services for nearly 50 hours. The Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, John Wilton sent an email to the university's fraternity mentioning about the substantial cost reductions to a tune of $75,000 every year, after the migration to Google Apps.

The soaring popularity of Google products among a vast majority of students and more importantly, a substantial reduction in deployment time for Google Apps has enticed the university. The new system would require around six to ten weeks to be deployed. Additionally, more users are acquainted with Google APIs than Microsoft's. Further, the fact that other universities have already shifted to Gmail has given an impetus for UC at Berkeley.

Hence there wouldn't be any consultations with Microsoft support, which could act detrimental in being cost efficient. Hence, there would be readily available support during IT breakdowns and similar catastrophes. The major setback for Office 365 was its overhead that needed an onsite Cloud premise, upon which Microsoft's Exchange server was to be installed, before deploying the mail service.
In the midst of it, there were some skeptics who questioned the need to go for a campus email service, which could require resources while there exists a wide range of mail services and it would be benevolent for the users to opt one according to his/her own volition.

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Reader's comments(1)

1: University of California faculty gains pay rises from California’s economy pain
Students and their parents face mortgage defaults, 17 per cent unemployment (including those forced to work part time and those no longer searching), pay reductions, loss of unemployment benefits. UC Faculty receives pay increase. No layoff for Faculty, Chancellors during California’s longest deepest recession.
There is no good reason to raise faculty salaries, tuition, fees when wage concessions are available. UC wages must reflect California's ability to pay, not what others are paid. If wages better elsewhere, chancellors, tenured, non tenured faculty, UCOP apply for the positions. If wages determine commitment to UC Berkeley, leave for better paying position. The sky above the 10 campuses will not fall.
It is time for Faculty, Chancellors to get a grip on financial realities.
It is especially galling to continue to generously compensate chancellors, faculty while Californians are making financial sacrifices and faculty, chancellor, turnover is the lowest of public universities.
The message that President Yudof, UC Board of Regent Chair Lansing, UC Berkeley Birgeneau are sending is they have more concern for generously paid chancellors, faculty. The few at the top need to get a grip on economic reality, fairness.
Email your opinion UC Board of Regents

Posted by:Milan Moravec - 26 Dec, 2011