Trinity College Dublin (TCD) has become the first university in Europe to introduce Google’s email service Gmail for its students. While the email will retain the TCD.ie domain, the mail system will use Gmail’s technology such as anti-spam and search features.
TCD’s conversion to Gmail will occur over the next few months and the transition is expected to be completed by October.
“We are very excited to be partnering with an august and progressive college such as Trinity on this project,” said Google’s European director of online sales and operations John Herlihy.
“Its vision of how technology can enhance student life and build a long-term relationship with college alumni is shared by Google,” Herlihy said.
With the new service TCD students will retain their TCD email address (@tcd.ie) but will be able to use Gmail technology such as an indexed email search, enhanced spam filtering, calendaring, tagging for tracking email and storage of up to 2GB per student.
Students will be able to keep a TCD email box even after graduation.
“Through this innovative alliance with a technology leader such as Google, Trinity College will be able to provide technology and service of a very high quality to all its students and future graduates,” commented TCD provost Dr John Hegarty.
“As the first Irish university and European university in this domain, Trinity College aims to meet the growing technological needs of all our students with the advanced communication tools which Google can provide in this unique collaboration.
“It’s refreshing to think that a 400-year old institution such as Trinity can engage as a successful early technology adopter,” Dr Hegarty mused.
By John Kennedy
