IU-Microsoft deal a risky waste of money

On June 16, the IU News Room put up a press release announcing a new “partnership” between IU and Microsoft. Although all official materials neglect to mention the cost to the University, it will no doubt be in the millions. This is a particularly backward kind of thinking at a time when tuition prices are skyrocketing, staff hiring has been frozen and department budgets everywhere are in danger of radical cuts.

The money being spent by UITS on licensing Microsoft software is simply not worth it; software such as Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, SQL Server and even Office all have free or lower-cost alternatives. Windows itself is already included with new PCs purchased either by staff, departments or students.

This kind of agreement really only tends to benefit a few select departments, such as the Kelley School of Business, which is extremely dependent on Microsoft products. Most other departments use a mix of Macs and PCs, and they also often use open-source tools such as MySQL and Apache.

An educational software platform consisting of different products from many vendors is the best strategy; it allows for both free and expensive proprietary enterprise products to be used when they are appropriate. It also avoids exactly the kind of lock-in that Microsoft is surely hoping IU falls into by signing this new agreement. If all you know is Microsoft software and your file formats can only be opened by Microsoft software, then what choice do you have but to continue using Microsoft’s products?

My advice to the University administration would be to strongly consider limiting expensive Microsoft deals to Kelley in the future – they’re really the only ones who benefit anyway. Between lock-in, security problems and sheer costs (both upfront and ongoing maintenance and support), everyone loses with a Microsoft-dominated campus.

Eoban Binder
IU student