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INDIANA UNIVERSITY AND MICROSOFT ANNOUNCE MAJOR AGREEMENT
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University and Microsoft Corp. have announced a major new agreement under which IU will become the first university in the United States to make Microsoft's most popular software products available to all its nearly 100,000 students, faculty and staff.
The dramatic breakthrough agreement was a joint effort between the IU Office of the Vice President for Information Technology, the IU Purchasing Department and Microsoft.
The Enterprise Licensing Agreement between IU and Microsoft is a four-year contract giving the university's computer-using students, faculty and staff access to the most widely used Microsoft software, including operating systems, desktop productivity tools, server software, and messaging products.
"This agreement will be of enormous benefit to IU students, who will have access to industry-standard Microsoft software at no additional cost during their academic careers here," said IU President Myles Brand. "Microsoft's most popular products are part of the agreement, as are future upgrades. Our students, faculty and staff now have the latest information technology at their disposal."
In a letter to Brand congratulating IU on signing the agreement, Microsoft Chairman and CEO Bill Gates commented on its strategic importance: "Microsoft believes that the most important use of information technology is to improve education," Gates said. "Indiana University is a prime example of a university where technology is revolutionizing the teaching and learning experience. We commend you for your outstanding investment in the future of your university and, most importantly, in the lives of your students."
IU Vice President for Information Technology Michael A. McRobbie said the agreement represents a pioneering effort between IU and Microsoft.
"No longer will IU schools, departments, faculty, staff or students have to purchase and maintain Microsoft products individually -- with all the administrative overheads and duplication this entails," he said. "Now the whole university community will have access to all of Microsoft's most popular products in their most recent versions, under vastly simplified arrangements."
The agreement will save IU and its students, faculty and staff millions of dollars over the next four years, according to McRobbie. Use of Microsoft products as the tools of preference at IU has increased considerably in recent years, particularly among students who will likely use the same products when they enter the workforce.
McRobbie stressed that the agreement applies to both PC and Macintosh platforms and is not exclusive. "IU will continue to support a diversity of software packages in all areas," he said. Brand added that "we look forward to working together with Microsoft and other vendors in improving the teaching and learning environment at IU."
During high-level negotiations at Redmond earlier this year, IU and Microsoft agreed to investigate a number of joint research and development programs. Over the months ahead, further details of initiatives in areas of high performance computing, residential network connectivity, and technical education will be discussed. "We are delighted at the prospect of collaborating with Microsoft on some very exciting future developments," said McRobbie.
IU will be making a major effort to ensure that maximum value is obtained from the agreement. Beginning April 1, a special CD with all the Microsoft software will be available at the University Information Technology Services (UITS) Support Center and the IU Bookstore in Bloomington, the IUPUI Bookstore, the Library and Medical Libraries in Indianapolis, and from the computing centers on IU's other campuses.
In addition to CD distribution, the Microsoft products will be available online via IU's existing SoftServe system.
Some of the software to be available, for both PC and Macintosh platforms, includes:
Faculty, student, and staff information available by contacting the UITS Support Center at 812-855-6789 (email ucshelp@indiana.edu), or at the IU-Microsoft Enterprise License Agreement website.
[Press contact: Erik Novak, Office of Communications and Marketing, 812-855-0089 or 812-855-3911, enovak@indiana.edu]
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