Microsoft pays University of Nebraska $250,000 to use Office 365

If you really are in need of some high profile clients, you can always pay them. That's exactly what Microsoft has done with the University of Nebraska. The university will receive $250,000 in incentives from Microsoft to migrate its email and calendaring system to the recently announced Office365 platform.

The school had been using IBM's Lotus Notes for these services, however that system had begun to age -- having been in use since 1997. IBM had pitched its cloud-based version of Notes to the school, but could not come close to Microsoft's offer. Google was also said to be in the running but probably lost out for much of the same reason.

The funds will be used to subsidize the cost of migration, as well as fund support and the purchase of Microsoft software across the entire university. The switch is expected to save the school about $500,000 a year.

"On a daily basis, our email system facilitates the conduct of official business with the Board of Regents, students, faculty, staff and administrators as well as various outside agencies, research facilities and countless stakeholder groups and citizens," University of Nebraska President James B. Milliken said in a statement.

Milliken said that it was vital the school has an efficient communications system in place, and Microsoft's Office365 product will help accomplish that goal. The transition is expected to take place over the next 12 to 18 months.

Nearly the entire university will be migrated to the new system, save for the university's health system. Concerns over whether or not Office365 provides adequate privacy and security under current HIPAA laws prevented the transition from occuring there. Also, students will be migrated over as current licensing agreements allow.

In no case will anyone need to change their email addresses, the school says.