Back in 2014, a proposal went on WIU’s IT Governance process page to propose that the University switch from Zimbra to Google Apps. According to WIU’s webpage (which explains the switch), The idea behind this proposed switch was to save money for the University by switching to a source that offers the same services and much more. The proposal went to WIU’s Student Government Association, Faculty Senate, and the IT Governance Administration Alliance for review and feedback. Afterward, a task force was put together including individuals from across the University who formally recommended that the University implement Google Apps. It was then reviewed and approved by the President’s Leadership Team in early February 2016 and afterward, University Technology now has been directed to begin the switch.
The outcome of this switch is expected to be positive as it’ll save the University money. Google Apps will offer the same services that Zimbra has already offered and much more. All of WIU’s email will be stored on Google’s Servers so WIU will no longer need to maintain email servers. The email storage is also unlimited so users won’t have to worry about deleting their emails frequently because of the capacity limit. For more information and frequently asked questions on this switch, please visit http://www.wiu.edu/googleapps/.
