This sounds great, and was put forward for serious consideration.
However, the needs of the University are too diverse to allow for a
cohesive solution as this case study presents. Therefore, the university
is pursing a "least common denominator" solution and leaving it up to
the individual units to provide something else if desired. This has the
advantage of customizing to the needs of the individual unit with the
disadvantage of requiring trusts between systems for some of the items
you have listed below. Given the correct systems are put in place
centrally (say a free-busy aggregator for calendaring), this is a
workable solution and can provide for most requirements the university
is looking for. However, this will require several changes to both
methodology and culture to make happen.

In the meantime, this is a good step forward for what we have
currently.
--

+-------------------------------------------+
|            Michael Surato                 |
|      College of Arts and Letters          |
|      Michigan State University            |
|            320 Linton Hall                |
|        East Lansing, MI 48824             |
| Voice: (517) 353-0778 Fax: (517) 355-0159 |
+-------------------------------------------+

On 9/17/2008 at 8:37 AM, Laurence Bates wrote:

I was surprised to find this morning that a new email system has been

announced.  Yes, I know, it’s only a new web interface but it will be
perceived as a new email system and so we may as well acknowledge that.
A part of my confusion is that I was under the impression that ATS was
investigating the use of Microsoft Exchange for faculty and staff.  If
that is the case then college administrators should know about this plan
before deciding what to do about the new web front end to Mail.  



And here comes the difficult part since I don’t want to be either
unkind or to ignore fiscal limitations, but the second part of my
confusion is the quite frankly klunky nature of the proposed web
interface for Mail.  I understand the problems in building an add-on to
a home brewed system, and I am not necessarily opposed to local
development of some systems.  They have their place, but the bar has
already been raised for email and calendaring systems and expectations
are necessarily high.  

For what it is worth, I am moving towards the view that, rather than
concede email and calendar development to Google, which this new
interface effectively does, MSU should be aggressively seeking to build
a full-fledged MSU community with real-time unified communications *
i.e. state of the art point-of-presence, email and calendar pushing to
iPod Touch devices (for example), Pre-filled calendar class schedules
for students, pre-built class email lists, readily available web
conferencing, and multi-point video conferencing between students and
faculty.  



These tools are available today, and no, they are not cheap, but then
neither is a less than optimally effective and motivated student body or
a less-than-committed alumni group.  If MSU has set its goals on
becoming a world integrating community, then community building, in my
view, had best begin at home.



<http://www.wainhouse.com/files/papers/wr-case-sfsu.pdf>

<http://www.wrplatinum.com/Downloads/8808.aspx>



The last URL requires registration but all .msu.edu email addresses
have automatic access to Wainhouse Research Platinum Pro material until
June of 2009.

Laurence A. Bates

College of Education

Michigan State

University

217E Erickson Hall

East Lansing

MI 48824

517-355-2178

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