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norton review on 06 Jun 12Reliable Sources - News Archive DoI Awards Google $35m Email Contract By admin | Filed in Reliable Sources - News The US Interior Department has announced that it is awarding Google and Onix Networking the USD 35 million contracts to consolidate the agency's email and collaboration systems, changing its first decision that favored Microsoft's Office 365. "Implementing a Department-wide, cloud-based email system that helps modernize the ways we do business while cutting costs is good government, plain and simple," said Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior. The agency's move of consolidating its IT operations aims to reduce deficit and save as much as USD 500 million by 2020. This new deal aims to migrate the Interior's 90,000 mailboxes from various instances of Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino and other programs on collaboration and messaging on to Google's cloud services. DOI's deal with Google requires features such as calendar, email, task management and archiving. In addition, the agency also needs an online suite of Sites web design tool, document productivity programs and video/audio chat tools along with mobile services of Google. The contract was actually given to Onix Networking, Google's partner, with a 60-day period to demonstrate its various security and technology capabilities. Being a government contract, it wouldn't be as easy as moving mailboxes; Google and Onix Networking still has to prove that they can meet the agency's objectives for regulatory compliance and information assurance. Norton Scientific Journal reported that the winning bid's contract covers the first stage of the project costing USD 17, 248 and the overall project cost of USD 34.8 million over the next 7 years. After the requirements for an integrated suite of tools were met by Onix and Google, DOI will begin migrating over 90,000 staff mailboxes from its 7 on-site email systems on to the cloud, a process that is expected t