UBMicro Computer Store, 520 Lee Entrance Road, Amherst, NY 14228, University at Buffalo, SUNYAB

The Microsoft Agreement An agreement between the University at Buffalo and Microsoft puts into the hands of every full-time and part-time UB student who have paid their technology fee, faculty member and staff person the newest, most popular Microsoft software on the market, while saving the university more than a quarter of a million dollars per year. The agreement is part of a contract that UB negotiated as a lead institution between the software giant, itself and 14 other SUNY campuses. Considered the largest software distribution program in the history of UB, the agreement provides students with software worth nearly $1000 for a fraction of that cost, part of which is being subsidized at UB by the existing student technology fee. "The Microsoft contract provides all of us at UB faculty, staff and students with the latest productivity tools at a very reasonable institutional cost," said Voldemar Innus, UB's chief information officer, who signed the contract for UB. "The provision of this software also maximizes our ability to easily share information using a standard set of tools." "Microsoft is impressed with UB's obvious commitment to providing students, faculty and staff with a strong technology edge," said Sabrina Wilson at Microsoft Corporation. "We are delighted to be a part of the IT culture on this campus." Innus noted that the contract is a very important piece in UB's iConnect@UB program, which encompasses all of the ways that UB prepares students for the wired world by making available to them the best IT tools. "iConnect@UB is the way we live IT on this campus," added E. Bruce Pitman, UB vice provost for educational technology. "The Microsoft agreement is going to become a critical piece of that program, by making student-faculty communication easier, while also boosting efficiency in campus operations." He noted that students will benefit from this agreement even when they are no longer in school, since according to the terms of the agreement, students own a license for these products, allowing them to keep the software once they graduate. Pitman said that the agreement was the result of an intensive team effort among faculty and staff across the university, including many in Computing and Information Technology, the Libraries, the Office of the Chief Information Officer and UB Micro. The Microsoft Campus Agreement will provide many Microsoft products to all UB students, faculty, and staff. Click here for a complete listing of all available software. "This represents a huge cost savings for students," said Raymond Volpe, director of UB Micro, UB's nonprofit computer store, which is responsible for the duplication and distribution of the more than 80,000 CDs, and acting as reseller on the $1 million plus contract, providing the software to UB and the other SUNY campuses. "But even more importantly, it ensures that faculty and students will be working with the same IT tools, so document exchanges for class assignments go smoothly. Now, if someone sends you an email message with a document attached, you won't have to worry about whether or not you can open it." Volpe noted that the contract also levels the playing field by ensuring that all faculty members, from the most junior to the most senior, will have access to the same IT tools. "There are many places where faculty must pay for this software out of pocket," he added. "That's no longer the case at UB." Students, faculty and staff may obtain CDs containing the complete Microsoft Productivity Tool Kit from UBMicro with a current UB card. Some products have a nominal cost to cover the cost of the media. Software for faculty and staff, for personal use, which is being funded through the office of the UB Chief Information Officer, also will be available through UBMicro for nominal costs. Media for departmental use will be available through campus IT directors, which provide technical support to individual departments and divisions. Each student may install the software on any two PCs, for example, on the computer in a dorm room and on a laptop. Windows XP Pro allowing only 1 installation is the only exception. Faculty and staff may install it on an office computer (media is provided by your IT support staff), and on a home computer (purchased separately) to accomplish university work. Revised 03/24/2003

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