Microsoft Academic Select Agreement FAQ

• What is the Microsoft Academic Select Agreement?
• How is the Academic Select Agreement different from the Camplus Agreement?
• What is Software Assurance?
• Does software acquired through the Academic Select Agreement include Software Assurance?
• What is the renewal deadline for Software Assurance?
• If I buy later into the year, are Software Assurance prices pro-rated ?
• Where do I buy the software made available by the Academic Select program?
• Where can I get a price list for Microsoft software available through the Academic Select program?
• How do I get a Microsoft Software Activation key for software I have licensed through the Microsoft Select Agreement?
• Can faculty and staff purchase software for home use through the Academic Select program?

What is the Microsoft Academic Agreement?
Academic Select License provides educational institutions with a flexible, volume-based, software license purchasing program. With Academic Select, you receive the following benefits:

• Convenient license acquisition
  Academic Select License provides a simple monthly transaction model with regular confirmations of new licenses.
• Easy to understand and comply
  You simply acquire and pay for the software License and Software Assurance as needed.
• Obtain software for training purposes
  You may use up to 20 copies of most Microsoft software for evaluation and training purposes.
• Investment value
  Through Software Assurance, you can easily stay current. Depending on whether you include Software Assurance on individual licenses or Software Assurance Membership on a pool of products, you receive additional benefits such as support resources, tools and eLearning courses.

How is the Academic Select Agreement different from the Campus Agreement?
The Campus Agreement differs from the Microsoft Academic Select Agreement in that the Campus Agreement is treated like a lease and the Academic Select is treated like a purchase.  You own software purchased through the Academic Select Agreement.  The Software Assurance option (for an additional cost) provides updates and upgrades for the Academic Select Agreement.

All software acquired through a Campus Agreement is considered a lease.  The agreement provides you use of the software for the time of the agreement – typically one year or three years.  At the end of the lease, you would be required to renew the agreement or terminate the agreement.  If terminated, you would either have to buy out the software or remove the software from all machines.

What is Software Assurance?
When you acquire licenses through the Academic Select program, you can enroll those licenses in Software Assurance. Software assurance helps you get the most from your software by providing the right to run any new release of a covered product during the term of the agreement (free upgrades). You also have access to eLearning content for your covered products.

Does software acquire through the Academic Select Agreement include Software Assurance?
Not automatically. In order to include Software Assurance, you will have to purchase it at the time you purchase the software. At the end of the term, you may choose to continue Software Assurance by paying a set fee. If you decline to pay the renewal, the software version at the time of the term's end is the version you own.

How long from the renewal anniversary date do I have to decide whether I want to renew Software Assurance?
As determined by the contract, the renewal date for the Academic Select Agreement is July 31. You will have 90 days to determine whether you want to renew your Software Assurance. The deadline to renew Software Assurance is October 31 of each year.

Are Software Assurance prices pro-rated if I buy later into the year?
NC State's contract date begins August 1. Even if you buy software and Software Assurance on January 15, you will still be required to pay the full year's price. As well, the renewal date is still August 1, not January 15.

Where do I buy the software made available by the Academic Select program?
The reseller granted this contract is Software House International (SHI). Please direct all quote requests and order inquiries to the SHI sales team:

carolinateam@SHI.com
800-211-0831
800-211-7954 (fax)

SHI
2 Riverview Drive
Somerset, NJ 08873
http://www.shi.com
Federal ID # 22-3009648

NOTE: You cannot order software online from SHI. You can save quotes online, but ordering must be done by phone or through other traditional channels such as mail.

Where can I get a price list for Microsoft software available through the Academic Select program?
See the current price list from SHI.

How do I get a Microsoft Software Activation key for software I have licensed through the Microsoft Select Agreement?
You may need to request a software activation key for volume licensed Microsoft software. Details can be found at the Obtaining a Microsoft Volume License Key page.

Can faculty and staff purchase software for home use through the Academic Select program?
Software purchased through the Academic Select program is for NC State use only, and the software must be installed on NC State owned computers.

However, through a special agreement with Microsoft, the NCSU Bookstores can now sell Microsoft Student Select licenses for Microsoft Office and Windows XP to faculty and staff as well. All faculty or staff need to do is fill out the standard agreement form and provide campus ID as proof of eligibility. See the NCSU Bookstores website for pricing and a downloadable copy of the agreement all purchasers must fill out. http://www.fis.ncsu.edu/ncsubookstores/computers.html

For personal use, faculty/staff are eligible to purchase Academic Edition Full Packaged Product, which costs much less than retail software. This type of discounted software is not available to any other working professional. By purchasing Full Packaged Product, faculty and staff do not need to be concerned with limiting their usage at home to work-related purposes.

Content last updated December 8, 2004, by wkcoker.
Page last modified March 17, 2006 , by dlschmid.