Portsmouth students offered Google Apps

Dave Bailey, Computing, Thursday 3 September 2009 at 10:46:00

Ad-free Google Apps Education Edition rolled out to 30,000 university
students

The University of Portsmouth has given
30,000 students their own Google Apps account to use during their studies.

The Google Apps
Education Edition is free of advertising and within days of the service
being introduced Portsmouth students were using it in 17 countries in 10
languages. Google Apps offers students a range of applications accessible from
anywhere using any internet-connected device, including mobile phones.

University of Portsmouth information services director Andrew Minter said
Google offers a package of collaborative applications that students want,
allowing them to work together online in real time.

"It's the sort of integrated system students have been crying out for," he
said.

As well as email ,students can use instant messaging, share documents, set up
their own web pages, and build their own calendars which will soon have
personalised timetables incorporated.

"It also has masses of storage space for each student. It's not just an email
system - it's a study, work and social network package built into one
application," said Minter.

Student Union vice president in charge of communications Jacob Leverett said:
"Switching to a more modern, easy-to-use system will save students time and make
communicating with staff and other students a lot easier."

Full story at http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2248835/portsmouth-students-google-apps