13 November 2009
Worldwide software leader: Microsoft Live@edu worldwide program
PLM: First university in the Philippines to implement a full-scale deployment of Live@edu
A ceremonial signing today with multinational software leader Microsoft made PLM the first university in the Philippines to deploy a full-scale rollout of Microsoft's worldwide Live@edu program. This program enabled the seamless and prompt creation of the new corporate-sounding and formal-looking official PLM email address (<name>@plm.edu.ph) with state-of-the-art online learning tools that could greatly help students to collaborate for learning purposes. PLM just joined the league of Ivy Leaguers in the US and other leading foreign universities that provide an official school email service to their students.
The ceremonial signing caps the many weeks of preparations for the project to take off significantly. Preparations include the creation of a mail server configuration that re-routes emails to the Microsoft's international servers; the creation of thousands of accounts for scholars, staff, faculty and frontline offices; and the printing and segregation of the created accounts, among others. Free on-site activation of official PLM emails were conducted at the Library Internet Station during the enrolment for the second semester of SY 2009-2010.
The need for these kinds of services were articulated during the 2009 Faculty Development Workshop last 15 August 2009. In his side note to his lecture, the IT Director disclosed that with the Integrated Communications System (ICS) already in the pipeline, many of the long-awaited dreams for technological services will be enabled in a matter of time. The faculty members responded ecstatically and looked forward to the realization of the ICS, as well as the availability of teacher-learner collaborative media and services to enhance learning, as an offshoot of the implementation of the ICS.
Other than being a full-feature dynamic communication medium, the official email would serve a variety of utilities for the many other exciting services in the University. Considered as another legacy project under President Adel Tamano's visionary leadership, it ushers a new era of communication in PLM.
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PhotoJournal: Launch of official PLM email and special partnership with Microsoft