Microsoft Exchange Server as a platform to the email for students

At around 1045h I received phone call from DoP about Microsoft Exchange Server as a platform to the email account for students. He also informed that the interface was same as the Hotmail interface. He wanted my opinion about its usefulness. I told him that if the interface was going to be same as Hotmail then usefulness wise MES would be welcome. The price for the required number of licenses was being negotiated and DoP had found that the proposed price was ‘not bad’. Already 2000 licenses are given free for faculty accounts.