“What we hope for is that we can just find something that is knock-out good. (Something) that’s an obvious slam dunk for serving needs very well.”
– Jacques du Plessis, leader of the Educational Technology Fee Committee team for the project

Students, faculty and staff of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee are now one step closer to a new campus-wide e-mail, calendar and instant messaging system, officials said.

The Educational Technology Fee Committee is in the process of soliciting bids from several leading software companies, including Microsoft and IBM, for a complete overhaul of the current PantherMail and PantherCal systems.

The proposed new system will combine e-mail and calendar services into one single service accessible to staff and students online.

Professor Jacques du Plessis, leader of the Educational Technology Fee Committee’s team for the project, said several new features, including instant messaging and integration with cell phones, may also be offered by the software.

Du Plessis said these additional services will ultimately depend on security concerns.

“There’s excitement about these avenues,” he said, “but we have to make sure that in the bigger frame of security it all plays along.”

The committee is also taking steps to ensure compatibility with a wide range of technology and computing platforms.

Bruce Maas, interim chief information officer for Information & Media Technologies, said compatibility will always remain a primary concern.

“That is part of our requirement, that this run on the common platforms that are used by people at UWM,” Maas said. “That includes being able to run with any of the most current browsers that exist, whether Mac, IBM or … Linux.”

While there is no set target date for implementation, du Plessis said he and his colleagues recognize the need for a timely improvement to what is currently available.

“We want to (move ahead) thoroughly and carefully,” he said, “but on the other hand … we don't want to just sit forever on it.”

The project was approved during the last fiscal year by the Educational Technology Fee Committee, which is comprised of students, faculty and staff, but the cost of the project is uncertain. Du Plessis and Maas both said a cost approximation will be impossible until estimates are provided by potential suppliers of the software.

Maas said even though price will definitely weigh into the decision, it will not be the deciding factor.

“The decision we make needs to be based on the needs of the campus,” he said. “After we determine which products would meet these needs, we need to compare the value of our choice with the cost and make a decision.”

When a price is determined, Maas said funding for the proposed software will be taken from several sources, including his own budget in Information & Media Technologies, but funds will definitely not come from a tuition increase.

“Some of the money has been set aside from the education technology fee that students pay as part of their fees,” Maas said. “We may need to identify other sources of funds as well, (however) this project will have no impact on tuition.”

Many departments and groups on campus have felt that the PantherMail and PantherCal systems do not meet their needs and have resorted to using alternatives such as Microsoft Exchange and Groupwise. Maas said money may have been wasted through the use of so many separate e-mail systems, and in turn, money may be saved if use can be consolidated into the proposed new system.

“We don’t know over time what might have been spent in these various other options,” Maas said. “We believe it would cost less overall for the university to administer one system than to have multiple systems.”

Du Plessis said that despite potential savings, users of alternative products will not be forced to use the new system. He said he hopes it will be good enough to entice them.

“What we hope for is that we can just find something that is knock-out good,” du Plessis said. “(Something) that’s an obvious slam dunk for serving needs very well.”

Du Plessis said user input is an obvious requirement for the project’s success, and that students are encouraged to voice their opinions.

“There’s definitely pressure to get on the stick and improve it,” du Plessis said. “I'm very sensitive to every constituent group, meaning the students, the staff and the faculty.”

An online survey has been created to gather input on the project and will be available now through Feb. 17 at www.collaboration.uwm.edu. Future opportunities for input will be announced.

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