Universities worldwide are consolidating and enhancing their commitments to various models of e-learning. These activities are leading to the adoption of corporate-wide e-learning systems and accompanying changes in structures, processes, and infrastructure requirements. The professed ideal is to identify narrowly defined corporate instructional technology (IT) solutions that can deliver the full range of educational, administrative, and student support features to meet the organizational need to expand e-learning activities globally. The trend seems to be away from locally driven and controlled IT development and adoption towards investments in Instructional Management Systems (IMS). In reality, however, universities generally are developing and using a broader array of solutions to meet their needs than may be deemed desirable under a more centralized, corporatized IT approach. Focusing on IT evaluations conducted at Deakin University (Australia), this paper examines these trends by analyzing the drivers shaping corporate approaches to IT implementation, and reflects critically on some of the educational, economic, and organizational tensions and issues evident in institutional approaches to establishing such systems. The paper highlights the ongoing need for innovative, dynamic organizational solutions to progress the e-learning agenda, and the thoughtful reconciliation of centralized and decentralized approaches to achieving desired ends. (Contains 18 references.) (Author/MES)