ITWeb :Unisa embraces Microsoft: “[ Johannesburg, 3 December 2008 ] – At a time when many public organisations are migrating to open source solutions – the University of SA (Unisa) has chosen to embrace Microsoft.
From 2009, registered students at Unisa will be required to sign up for a Microsoft-provided e-mail service.
The free e-mail system – myLife – will be the only system Unisa will use to communicate with its students. This marks a move away from the university’s Sakai community source platform – myUnisa – which the university runs on a Linux platform.”
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Based on the article at least (not having talked with the folks at UNISA about this item) it’s hard to tie moving to Live@EDU for email to moving away from Sakai. If anything, having guaranteed email accounts (which it sounds like may not currently be the case) seems likely to enhance core services like announcements, email notification, mailing lists and others.
Yes, you’re right Jason.
The fact that Microsoft is providing email services to the University has nothing to do with Sakai usage. This will make the MSFT provided email address the official email address for University communications with students (no more “but I didn’t get your email, where did you send it?” excuses). Presumably these official emails will be registered with Sakai and used for sending class related emails as you say.