Microsoft Vs Google, Round 5238423

From Arstechnica:

Microsoft, in an attempt to spread the word about Windows Live, has struck a deal with 72 colleges all across the world. And what is this said deal? The colleges have agreed to let Microsoft host their student’s e-mail accounts.

Windows Live@edu, as the service is called, will allow university students to keep their existing e-mail addresses but use Windows Live Mail as their client. Better yet, students won’t have to deal with ads because Microsoft has agreed to turn them off for those specific accounts, at least until the students graduate.

Google has already done this with one school…MS just hit 72. How do we feel about for-profit, publically held corporations taking over infrastructure duties of public universities? I am more than a little wary of these sorts of deals…