Jun 7, 2011 14:28 GMT  ·  By

Approximately 150,000 users in Delaware schools will be leveraging Microsoft Live@edu sometime in the next couple of years, when the migration to the software giant’s Cloud suite of communication and collaboration tools will be wrapped up. According to the Redmond company, some 20,000 faculty and staff as well as in excess of 129,000-students in district and charter schools throughout the state will have been migrated to Microsoft Live@edu by the end of 2013.

The Department of Technology and Information (DTI) will be responsible with the migration of the entire user base, the first 20,000 of which (faculty and staff), will be able to start using the free platform as early as June 2011.

Sig Behrens, general manager of U.S. Education at Microsoft revealed: “Microsoft Live@edu will enable Delaware schools to redefine collaboration and extend learning opportunities outside the traditional classroom walls. At no cost, schools will have the most current versions of Microsoft software that they know and trust and the enhanced privacy and security features that K–12 schools require.”

Although no details were provided, the Redmond company notes that Delaware schools will be able to cut down on operating costs by abandoning their current on-premises email systems and moving into Microsoft’s Cloud.

Live@edu, which won’t stay Live@edu for very long, since Microsoft plans to dump the brand and go for Office 365 for Education instead, offers educational organizations services such as Exchange and Office Web Apps.

“With Live@edu, every school district and charter school in the state will have access to the latest programs and innovations, helping to close technology gaps between schools,” added Lillian M. Lowery, secretary of Education.

“This gives students the tools to collaborate more with their educators, as well as access to applications necessary for 21st-century skills.”