Kent State may replace the current FlashLine e-mail service for students with the Google Apps e-mail service.

Kent State is considering the benefits of Google e-mail before making the switch.

If the switch is made, e-mail will still be accessed through FlashLine and students’ e-mail addresses will remain the same, according to a statement issued by Roberta Sikula-Schwalm, associate vice president for information services, enterprise support and application services.

According to the statement, the benefits include an increased mailbox size for each individual, built-in chat and calendar options. Other options include Google-powered search options, spam filtering and increased security.

The switch to Google e-mail would free up resources Kent State can use elsewhere.

“(A benefit of Google e-mail includes) reducing Kent State’s internal administration of e-mail by between 80 and 90 percent, allowing the Division of Information Services to reallocate resources for other important support services,” according to the statement.

The Gmail Task Force is meeting weekly throughout the semester to further discuss using Google e-mail at Kent State.

Contact Kelly Petryszyn at [email protected].