State license for Microsoft products

There is now a state license for Windows 7 and selected desktop products by Microsoft, through which software will be purchasable soon.

On behalf of the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts, Tübingen University organized a state license for Baden-Württemberg through which Microsoft desktop products can be acquiered. Freiburg University participates in this license, so that employees (not students) can equip their workstations with the Microsoft products. The contract is similar to the Microsoft Campus Agreement and includes an operating-system upgrade, Microsoft Office, as well as access privileges to other servers (e.g. Exchange, Sharepoint). The contract also includes the right to use all acquired software at home for non-work-related, not commercial, purposes.

The distribution mechanisms (e.g. download) are still being worked on. We will most likely be able to make the software available sometime in September.

The license fees are financed via a levy. The allocation formula is also still in the process of being determined.