October 12, 2011
New software licensing agreements bring more products for use on UW-owned computers
Faculty and staff can now take advantage of new software licensing agreements that provide even more products for use on UW-owned computers at no additional cost.
Products from Microsoft, Apple and other vendors are available on the IT Connect UWare Software website (UW NetID required). The service is a collaboration between UW Purchasing and UW Information Technology to provide the UW with a cost-effective way to license and distribute widely used software. The Apple agreement is something of a breakthrough, marking the first time the University has negotiated an Apple licensing agreement for UW-owned computers.
“We work with our UW partners and vendors to provide the most current software and technology tools for our faculty, staff and students,” said Sandra McGowan, UW-IT assistant director for technology management customer services & operations. “And we just revamped the UWare website to make it even easier to get the software.”
The Microsoft agreement covers more software than previous agreements, including Visio Premium, Project Professional, Expression Studio Ultimate and Visual Studio Professional. It also includes Office 2010, Office 2011 for Mac and Windows 7, as well as some server products and Enterprise CALs.
The new agreement, which spans five years, will provide significant savings to the University. It also reduces administrative overhead for individual departments, since they no longer need to count individual licenses. The agreement covers all eligible faculty, staff, and students who use UW-owned computers. It is the result of a collaborative effort among staff from UW Purchasing, UW-IT, the Information School, Educational Outreach, the Medical Center, UW Bothell, and UW Tacoma.
The agreement also contains provisions for faculty, staff, and student use of licensed software on personal computers. Faculty and staff can download Microsoft Office for $10, or $22 for the media. Students can download Microsoft Office and Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade through funding from the Student Technology Fee.
The Apple agreement covers Apple Macintosh OS X, iWork and iLife software. It covers only Apple systems owned by the UW. Other software, at reduced or no cost, is available through the IT Connect UWare website. For example, Sophos anti-virus software can be downloaded at no charge. Other popular software, such as SAS and SPSS, is available at significant discounts over retail prices.
UW-IT advises faculty and staff to contact their local technical support person for further information and instructions. People who need assistance should contact help@uw.edu.
