Microsoft has recently announced some significant revisions to its existing subscription-based academic licensing programs, theCampus Agreement for postsecondary institutions and the School Agreement for K-12 customers. IT leaders in the education sector should understand the scope of these changes and take the opportunity to review the status of their existing Microsoft software licensing agreements.

Changes to the Campus and School Agreements

Microsoft's Campus and School Agreement programs are primarily designed to simplify the software licensing process for mid-sized and large academic institutions. To help these organizations maintain flexibility, pricing is determined by the number of full-time employees in the institution, rather than PCs, and is based on one-year or three-year term subscriptions. Both programs includeSoftware Assurance (SA), which entitles institutions to no-charge upgrades to the latest versions of licensed software as they become available.