Graduates to test new Microsoft e-mail system

By Andrew Denney and Jedd Rosche

Published Nov. 8, 2006

A new e-mail system for MU graduates is still being tested among 100 students, said Terry Robb, director of MU Information and Access Technology Services.

The program, Microsoft Live Mail, offers 2 gigabytes of memory to students after they have left the university, increasing from the 40 megabytes that students have now. One gigabyte has 1024 megabytes.

Robb referred to Live Mail as a "lifetime" e-mail system.

Robb said he could not specify whether the e-mails would feature advertisements.

MU has regulations blocking advertising on student e-mail accounts, but there can be ads on the accounts of students who no longer attend MU.

Robb said this semester might not be the only one where Live Mail is tested before being put into use.

"There is a possibility that the system may be tested next semester as well," Robb said.

The process to start this program began in April, and test e-mail accounts started in June.

Robb said he would not comment on any future changes to existing student e-mail.

In October, IATS started looking for 500 volunteers to test the new program, which would be called Windows Live Mail Beta, but would only be relevant to MU students. The program is incompatible with Microsoft Outlook and Entourage.