NEWS BRIEFS

Bloomington, IND. — The Office of the Vice President for Information Technology today (Oct. 4) announced an extension of Indiana University’s highly successful enterprise license agreement with Microsoft Corp., continuing the groundbreaking agreement until June 2003.

The extension of this agreement demonstrates the university’s commitment to continuous improvement of technology infrastructure and to providing students, faculty, and staff with the necessary technology teaching and learning tools.

The existing agreement between IU and Microsoft provides the university’s nearly 100,000 computer-using students, faculty and staff access to Microsoft’s most popular software, including operating systems, desktop productivity tools, server software and messaging products.

The original four-year, $6 million agreement signed in 1998 has thus far resulted in the distribution of more than 250,000 copies of Microsoft software with a retail value exceeding $40 million. The one-year extension was negotiated at a total cost of $1.5 million.

“As a public university, IU is committed to the twin values of excellence and access,” said IU President Myles Brand. “Our licensing agreement with Microsoft is a wonderful expression of these values because it enables our students, staff and faculty to have access to the most up-to-date software tools. This is especially advantageous for students who can become familiar, at no additional cost, with the software most widely used in the workplaces where they will begin their careers. I’m very pleased that IU will be able to continue to offer this benefit to our students, staff and faculty.”

IU Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer Michael A. McRobbie said the extension of this agreement is particularly significant with respect to the university’s Life Cycle Funding Initiative, which is under way to ensure replacement funding of the university’s information technology infrastructure.

“The extension will guarantee that the world’s most widely-used applications software is available for all 20,000 desktop computers and servers throughout the university, as well as for private use, under the present highly advantageous agreement until at least the middle of 2003,” McRobbie said.

Microsoft products, including recently released Windows Me, are available for $5 per CD-ROM (some applications cover more than one disc) from the IU Bookstores on all campuses.

More information about the IU-Microsoft Enterprise License Agreement is available on the Web at http://www.indiana.edu/~msela/ .

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