Microsoft or Google? Students' pick under wraps

A student committee has chosen either Google or Microsoft to serve as the new host for Penn Webmail - but they're not saying which one.

The students on the Computing Advisory Board are keeping mum because their decision has yet to clear with University administrators. The new service is scheduled to begin in January.

Wharton senior Shahbaz Alam, who is on the board, would not say which company was chosen, but said that the board finalized and presented its opinion last week.

"The committee itself has given its thoughts, and now the decision is up to the higher-ups to decide," Alam said.

Deirdre Woods, Penn's chief information officer, said that University administrators will take the committee's decision into account when making a final call, but that there are other

factors to consider as well.

"We need to look at the situation [after the decision] from a legal and business point of view to decide what is best for the University," Woods said.

Woods would not give a specific date for when the final decision will be announced, but said that the launch is still on for January.

Earlier this semester, officials said that a choice would be made by early this month.

Woods said that, as of now, administrators cannot say which of the two services they prefer.

"There is no glaring disadvantage of either company that we have identified," she said.

In making a selection, Alam said that the board considered standard features like the companies' calendars and available disk space, as well as how much the two companies would choose to innovate, and how easy it would be for students in each of Penn's schools to adapt to the program.

Students were also courted by the two companies during several of the meetings - which have occurred every Tuesday since late September - and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer even spoke with the board via conference call.

"It showed that Microsoft was interested from a top level as well," Alam said.

Woods said the committee has demonstrated strong commitment to the decision, and that administrators are pleased with the process thus far.

"I've been really impressed with the level of conversation and engagement and thoughtfulness of this process," Woods said. "This is how we think Penn students should be: great, just great."

The committee will continue to meet even after the service goes online in January.

At that time, it will be available to the undergraduates in all schools and graduate students in the Wharton School.

If the program goes well, it will be obligatory for all incoming freshmen beginning in fall 2007.

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