Tamkang University (TKU) “Big Post Office” handles daily 250,000 e-mails and is expected to jump up to 350,000 e-mails next year, according to the statistics announced by the Information Processing Center (IPC).

TKU “Big Post Office” would have saved NT$875,000 social cost every day if post fee is calculated at NT$3.5 on each printed letter. That is why we call it “big post office”.

Huang Ming-dar, Director of the IPC, said while making a special report at the 48th School Affairs Meeting “TKU exists a Big Post Office”. This was the best example and probe resulting from implementing the information-oriented education, he said. He stressed that TKU becomes not only a digital heaven but also a most attractive information campus in Taiwan.

Huang pointed out that TKU Post Office handled 127,000 e-mails per day in 1988 to increase to nearly 250,000 e-mails today and the daily data volume handled from 4628MB in 1988 to 9048MB today. The account numbers also increased from over 30,000 in 1988 to over 50,000 now. In order to meet the skyrocketing demand, the Center will set up a GIGA line (1024Mbps) shortly.

At present, the Post Office has more than 54,000 e-mail accounts, including 26,000 more accounts maintained by alumni, 2,400 by the faculty and staff and 27,000 by students.

The space averaged per person ranging from 10MB to 50MB. In addition to the would-be graduates continuing to hold their e-mail accounts, more than 8,000 new accounts will be added to e-mail accounts, thus jumping up to over 62,000 next year. The daily handling e-mail volume will top the 320,000 mark while the data loading volume breaking the 10000 MB mark, Huang said.

Sending and receiving e-mails become a daily way of life of the faculty, staff and students. Because all the important information such as final academic result, examination timetable, selective course table, payroll chart, etc…have been issued through e-mail. Nevertheless, the faculty, staff and students receive letters more than those of sending. Each letter contains 50KB.

TKU FTP Sever, one of the three biggest networks in Taiwan and BBS, one of the three biggest BBS in Taiwan have reached the over loading volume. Taking May for instance, FTP server transmitted 946955 files and BBS passed 3493GB in a single month of May. BBS averaged 1,500 daily on line while the hour peak will reach 3,200.

Besides, TKU has equipped with one T3 line (45Mbps) to connect the Ministry of Education through TANet, one STM1 line (155Mbps) to connect Hinet, two T1 line (3.0Mbps) to connect abroad through Hinet. TKU has also equipped with one T1 line (1.5 Mbps) Hifly direct line and 13 ISDN lines.