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On this page:
Overview
Operating Systems Upgrades and CALs
Microsoft Office Professional Product Suite
Windows Servers
Utilizing Operating Systems Within a Virtualized Environment
Getting Help

Overview

IS&T offers Microsoft Windows operating system upgrades to all faculty, students, and staff through a centrally funded Campus Agreement (MSCA).

Prior to 10/01/2009, Microsoft Office was available both through the Campus Agreement for participating departments and through the Microsoft Select Agreement from GovConnection. IS&T has now consolidated purchasing under the Campus Agreement to ensure that MIT faculty and staff don't pay for licenses already covered. The Select Office offering from GovConnection has been removed.

Operating Systems Upgrades and Client Access Licenses (CALs)

The MSCA is a three-year agreement, renewable each July and ending June 30, 2011.

It includes for all MIT faculty and staff on MIT equipment:

• Operating system upgrades
• Windows server client access licenses

Graduate and Undergraduate students:

• Operating system upgrades
• Windows server client access licenses

Members of the MIT Community wishing to obtain Windows XP under the Microsoft Campus Agreement should contact their MIT Software Liaison and review the How To Obtain Windows XP Professional page.

Microsoft Office Professional Product Suite (Macintosh and Windows)

MIT is now able to offer Microsoft Office at no direct cost to departments, for faculty and staff use, and for student use on MIT-owned machines.

• If your Department, Lab or Center (DLC) has been participating in the Campus Agreement for Office, you will no longer be charged and will not be JV'd for FY10. For details, contact your DLC's Office Software Liaison.
• If your DLC has not been participating in the Campus Agreement for Office, you will now be covered for this use. You may obtain Microsoft Office either through your Office Software Liaison or by downloading it directly at IS&T's Microsoft Campus Agreement License page.

Windows Servers

Windows Server software is available through the MSCA at discounted pricing. See the Windows Server Liaison List to determine if your department is  currently participating in the program.

Utilizing Operating Systems Within a Virtualized Environment

Under MIT's Microsoft Campus Agreement, all MIT, faculty, staff and students are covered for Microsoft Operating System upgrades, provided that the machine being upgraded came with a valid, pre-installed operating system. Machines purchased with any version of Windows or Mac OS are eligible to receive Windows OS upgrades under the Campus Agreement. Machines purchased without an OS ("White Box" machines), or machines purchased with Linux as their only OS, are not eligible to be upgraded.

Under the Campus Agreement, all MIT-owned machines are covered for upgrade rights, provided that the machines are only used by MIT faculty, staff or students.

Students are allowed to install OS upgrades on one machine only. Each faculty and staff member is allowed to install an OS upgrade on one personally owned machine, provided that the software will be used for MIT purposes only.

Use of Virtualized Microsoft OS on MIT Machines
Using VMware Workstation or VMWare Fusion, departments may have up to four virtualized instances of a Microsoft Operating Systems on each MIT-owned machine. Different virtualized versions of Microsoft OS (XP, Vista, etc.) may be used on the same machine.

Use of Virtualized Microsoft OS on Student Machines
Each student with a machine authorized for an upgrade under the Campus Agreement is entitled to use four instances of a Microsoft Operating System on that machine. Students may only use OS upgrades and virtualized instances on one machine.

For more information, see the Virtualization (VMware) FAQs.

Getting Help

Software Liaisons:

• Operating Systems and CALs for Faculty and Staff (on Institute-owned Computers), Undergraduate Students, and Other Eligible Members of MIT
• Microsoft Office Professional (Macintosh & Windows) for Faculty & Staff on Institute-owned Computers

For more information or assistance, contact the Software Release Team.

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