[1]Microsoft Canada [1] and the University of Toronto [2] are pleased to announce that UofT is the latest higher education institution to deliver Microsoft’s Live@edu [3] e-mail and document management service. This joint initiative enables UofT’s 77,000 students to join a rapidly growing community of 11 million peers in more than 10,000 schools worldwide who are benefiting from the power of Live@edu.
This cloud-based collaboration suite will help the University reduce costs, improve communication and collaboration between students, and equip them with the tools they need for their academic career.
“Live@EDU is an outstanding addition to UofT’s robust student support services,” says Cheryl Misak, Vice-President and Provost for the University of Toronto. “Our students are very much looking forward to having this powerful tool to help them get the most out of their university experience.”
Outside of the classroom, Canadians are increasingly using collaboration software and services and now expect these same capabilities in their learning experience. Extensive consultation with students led by the University’s 
[4]Chief Information Officer, Robert Cook, showed that students wanted more comprehensive tools to complement their academic involvement.
The platform provides the flexibility of Office Web Apps that include web-optimized versions of Word, Excel, OneNote and PowerPoint – essential tools now accessible to UofT students anywhere, anytime, via any popular web browser or mobile device. Live@edu also includes Outlook for e-mail plus a 10 GB inbox, and enables powerful document sharing and collaboration with 25GB of password-protected online storage.
“Now more than ever, universities such as the University of Toronto require security-enhanced cloud services to deliver the flexibility and functionality that students need to succeed in their studies and in their future careers,” says Mike Tremblay, Vice President, Public Sector, Microsoft Canada. “Live@edu is arming University of Toronto students with tools that drive success in the classroom, and eventually the boardroom.”
The University of Toronto joins more than 10,000 schools in more than 130 countries around the world that have chosen Live@edu as a platform for student communication and collaboration. Live@edu innovations include great tools such as:
- Communication Services: Free, hosted email and calendaring with a 10 GB inbox and instant messaging through Outlook Live
- Collaboration Services: Ability to access, share and collaborate through SkyDrive, with 25 GB of free online storage space
- Productivity Services: Create, view, edit, and share Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote files online with SkyDrive