Microsoft, Google vie to oust Webmail

Come January, students will have the option to switch from Penn's traditional e-mail service to something that looks more like Gmail or Microsoft's Windows Live Mail.

Officials are planning to replace the University's e-mail server with a new host from either Google Inc. or Microsoft Corp.

The switch will begin in January and will cost the University nothing. Students will retain their Penn e-mail addresses, but should expect a server that looks different - and has different features - than the current Webmail.

Deirdre Woods, Wharton associate dean and chief information officer, said that Google and Microsoft are currently vying for the contract, which she said will be the first of its kind on a college campus.

The decision to make the change stems in part from a desire to conserve resources, School of Arts and Sciences information technology chief Ira Winston said. Instead of spending money to improve its own system, Penn is opting for a free upgrade to a system known to work well.

SAS Webmail has occasionally fallen victim to shutdowns, the most recent of which occurred earlier this month.

Both Google and Microsoft are designing programs that would offer undergraduate and graduate students not only e-mail but also calendars that are compatible with cell phones and palm pilots.

"We are looking to develop a communications platform for higher education in the 21st century," Woods said. "We're a prestigious institution. We need to set the standard for these platforms."

Though Penn won't pay, there's still something in the deal for the companies, which are anxious to get customer loyalty from college students, Woods said.

"They are willing to do it for free for access to a good market," she said.

Students will have the option of accessing their e-mail through the new provider beginning in January, and the new service will likely be mandatory for freshmen who matriculate next fall, Woods said.

In the meantime, advisory panels from both the School of Arts and Sciences and the Wharton School will meet to discuss desired features of the program.

Officials will make a decision on the provider by late next month or early November.

Many students already use an outside server for their e-mail, which is in part what prompted Penn to consider the switch.

This year, 40 percent of SAS students are forwarding their e-mails to an outside address, up from 30 percent from last year, Winston said.

Wharton has forwarding rates of 11 percent for undergrads and 1.5 percent for MBA students.

The switch to other servers "is happening already, so we might as well take advantage of the fact and get you additional features," Winston said.

Students say they are mostly excited by the features that the new provider will include.

"I think [the calendar] will be useful," College sophomore Baali Muganga said.

And Woods said that officials will be seeking student input throughout the entire process.

"This is a product for students. We really need them to provide feedback," she added.

Based on suggestions from user feedback, the system will be refined and tweaked, Woods said.

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