Strategic Storage Initiative

After Google announced the end of unlimited storage for higher education in 2021, Cornell launched the Strategic Storage Initiative. To reduce cloud storage, and to keep services financially sustainable, the Initiative implemented various changes to

modify the university's approach to storage services as vendors stop offering unlimited storage.
minimize disruption to teaching, research, and Cornell business storage.
monitor and react to changes in storage services and pricing.
prevent excessive storage growth and the unsustainable costs that would result from it.

Cornell's Strategic Storage Initiative was prompted by storage vendors' 2021 announcements that they were ending unlimited storage. The effort is managed by CIT and works in partnership with a campus advisory group and the IT Governance Council.

The Initiative is a multiyear effort to adapt the university's use of storage services as vendors change their business models; minimize disruption to teaching, research, and Cornell business storage; and prevent excessive storage growth and the unsustainable costs that would result from it.

Current and Future Timeline

The university provides email and file storage as a privilege, and at no cost, to the Cornell community. To keep these services financially sustainable, Cornell will periodically reevaluate email and storage policies for individuals once they leave the university. Planned adjustments to services are communicated in advance of changes being made.

May 2025
The current Box contract ends and a new one will take effect.

August 2025
Direct communications on Google services will complete.

December 2025
The current Google contract ends. Cornell will have around 325 TB of free storage, and costs will incur for additional storage.

Historical Timeline

June 2022
Caps were applied to faculty, student, and staff Google Drive accounts. The default cap is 15 GB. (More information about faculty, student, and staff storage caps.)

July 2022
Alumni direct communications began.

September 2022
Student direct communications began.

Spring 2023
Students began to be able to choose to use Microsoft 365 email (Outlook).

May 2024
Alumni with Google accounts exceeding 200GB of storage needed to reduce storage below 200GB.

February 2024
Box accounts are no longer unlimited.

September 2024
Alumni began receiving direct communications and clear deadlines for reducing Google storage on a rolling basis.

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Strategic Storage Initiative