News

This month Karl Buckle, XMA's Software Product Manager comments on Microsoft's Software Assurance programme...

 

If your school has a Microsoft “School Agreement” or buys “Software Assurance” with your licensing as standard, then read on…

As part of the Microsoft Software Assurance programme, which is a standard part of a Microsoft School Agreement, you get access to a benefit called the Home Use Programme (HUP).  This gives employees of the school the opportunity to buy Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007 for under £15.

The licence allows employees to use the software for as long as they work for the organisation, and as long as the organisation is covered by Microsoft Software Assurance.

Unlike similar schemes, it is the employee that is responsible for correctly licensing their home PCs (i.e. the school simply have to let their employees know when they should stop using it. You’re not expected to enforce this).

HUP takes little administration from your organisation – the employee places their order online, using their own credit card, and receives the software and support directly from Microsoft. It is easy to activate:

- Your Microsoft Agreement Administrator goes onto the Microsoft Volume Licensing Services website, and ticks a box to activate the programme (at https://licensing.microsoft.com). They enter an email domain for your school (e.g. @yourschool.authority.sch.uk) and in return will get a program code.
- Distribute that program code around the school – to staff only!
- Employees logon to https://hup.microsoft.com, and enter their email address and the program code – and then just place their order.

It’s that simple.

And instead of paying £90 in a shop for Office Home & Student, your employees have Office Enterprise for less than £15.

There’s also an option where the administrator can order multiple copies on behalf of employees, where the price has been dropped to under £7 if you order 20+ before 15th June. That’s all on https://licensing.microsoft.com too.

For further details on how XMA can help the provision of software in your school please speak to your Account Manager or email the education team direct at education.team@xma.co.uk.