Google Hopes to Build Email Empire on Freebies

Posted by Mary Jander on March 15, 2008

Tags: Backup & Recovery,  Other,  Storage Management

Channel: Backup & Recovery, Other, Storage & Mgmt

Following an odd trend in outsourced IT, Oberlin College will soon be the latest of many high-profile U.S. higher-learning institutions relying on Google for its email network. The school's CTO, John Bucher, estimates the move will save the college over $100,000 in email system upgrade costs.

And Google won't make a cent.

Instead, the company's losing money on its Google Apps for Education venture, despite a growing list of "customers" that includes Arizona State University, Northwestern, Hope College, Sarah Lawrence, Macalester College, Pomona College, Hofstra, University of North Carolina (Greensboro), Clemson University, University of Texas (San Antonio), Kennesaw State University, Arkansas State University... among many others.

"Google looks at the four years as potential to reach a new audience and grow a customer base. These students will be familiar with the applications upon entering the business world and we hope to have users for life after they've been introduced to Google Apps during their college years," states Google spokesperson Meghan Hughes in an email to Byte and Switch.