Last modified: Tuesday, June 16, 2009
IU, Microsoft expand partnership
New four-year agreement includes enterprise, cloud services, and converged communications for university community
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2009
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University's new enterprise license agreement with Microsoft Corp. will expand the path-breaking 1998 strategy to provide popular Microsoft products to all students, faculty and staff on IU campuses by including unlimited licenses and software maintenance to IU departments for server software such as SQL Server, Windows Server, SharePoint Server, and Configuration Manager Server.
IU President Michael A. McRobbie initiated this agreement with Microsoft in 1998 when he served as IU's first vice president for information technology. "I am pleased that this new agreement with Microsoft will even further expand the high quality of information technology resources that we are able to deliver to every one of our students, faculty and staff members," McRobbie said. "These tools are essential to maintaining the quality of our educational and research missions."
This expanded four-year enterprise agreement is part of implementing Empowering People, Indiana University's strategic plan for IT. "By expanding our 12-year, highly effective partnership with Microsoft, IU is further increasing operational efficiency while pushing the frontiers of innovation," said IU Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer Brad Wheeler.
As part of the agreement, IU will be first in line for any personal productivity advancements at Microsoft -- whether on a personal device, in a cloud environment or elsewhere. "IU and Microsoft are closely aligned in our aims to continue innovating and creating powerful tools and services that enhance the educational experience and support dynamic learning communities," noted Anthony Salcito, Microsoft general manager - US Education. "We are committed to providing IU with early previews of future technologies and to bringing early adopter programs to Indiana."
Other benefits of the new agreement include:
- Unlimited departmental Microsoft server software will mean simpler, less time-intensive data management processes and more efficient means of initiating, tracking, and reporting on research and scholarly activities.
- Schools and departments that previously could not afford SQL or other server products will now have the additional IT resources they need without fee.
- Likewise, those who have not had the resources to update older licenses or purchase software maintenance will now be able to do so at no additional cost.
Since 1998, IU's agreements with Microsoft have provided exceptional value to the institution with nearly $200M in software use by the IU community.
