Microsoft Campus Agreement

The Microsoft Campus Agreement combines software licensing and maintenance into an annual subscription program, allowing participants to keep the selected products and applications updated. To license on a subscription basis means that the right to run the product is non-perpetual and continues on during the licensed period. Orders are placed annually based on the number of full-time equivalent employees, including graduate and undergraduate student employees, in each participating department. For counting purposes, a department is defined as a Banner Organization. Any new faculty or staff added to a participating department are licensed to use the products on the covered computers during the subscription year. Each subscription year runs from May 1 through April 30.

Included Software

The products offered under UA’s Campus Agreement are listed below. The annual license is for any version (i.e. rights to upgrade and downgrade) of the software packages offered for all University-owned computers, including computer labs, within a participating department. While there are numerous combinations of software products that can be included in the Campus Agreement, only the following are being offered at this time. The Software Licensing department of OIT will be working with various groups on campus to determine the full scope of individual departmental, as well as, overall campus needs before the next annual enrollment. Specific needs and requests may be submitted for consideration to the Software Licensing department of OIT at software.licensing@ua.edu.

The products offered under UA’s Campus Agreement are as follows:

  • Microsoft Office Professional for Windows and Mac
  • Microsoft Windows Operating System upgrade/downgrade (full license required)
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Professional
  • Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer
  • Microsoft Core Client Access License (CAL) Suite for Windows Server 2008, Exchange Server 2007 Standard CAL (formerly known as Exchange Server CAL), Office SharePoint Server 2007 Standard CAL (formerly known as SharePoint Portal Server CAL), System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 Client Management License
  • SQL Server CAL

Eligible Computers

All University-owned computers in participating departments are included in the license agreement, including faculty and staff office computers and lab computers. If your department would like to join the agreement, please contact the Software Licensing department of OIT at software.licensing@ua.edu. Departments can only be added during the annual license renewal. License periods run from May 1 through April 30 of each year, with the renewal process completed by March 31.

Faculty and staff members in participating departments may get Microsoft Office systems desktop PC programs to use on personally-owned computers for work and personal use at a nominal cost through the Microsoft Home Use Program. Faculty and staff members can order and pay for shipping or download the licensed products online. Previously, UA participated in the Microsoft Work at Home Program, which limited use of the product to work-related purposes. UA is discontinuing use of the Work at Home Program. Information will be distributed soon on how to use the Home Use Program.

Student-owned computers are not included under the Campus Agreement or Home Use Program. Students may purchase Microsoft products at a reduced price from the University Supply Store.

How to Get Software

If you are in a participating department, contact your network administrator for any installation materials that you need.

If your department is not participating in the license agreement, or if you need products not covered by this agreement, you may purchase Microsoft software at the University Supply Store (348-0668) under the existing Microsoft Open License Program. The Open License program covers most of Microsoft's product line, including server products.

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