Computerworld

Tertiary institutions sign three-year deal with Microsoft

Other suppliers contracted or in pipeline

Tertiary institutions have obtained a new agreement from Microsoft for supply of software, giving them a three-year option that holds current prices.

The agreement includes a range of desktop and server software but centres on the Windows XP operating system and Office applications.

Although the Tertiary Campus Agreement is “new” from Microsoft’s perspective, it includes renewal of existing contracts with some institutions, says Garron Smith at Waikato University, head of the Tertiary Technology Procurement Group (TTPG).

Prices have, in general, decreased over the previous agreement, he says, and the three-year option is particularly welcome as offering security in budgeting for software over the longer term.

The TTPG also has a current bulk agreement with Macromedia and is negotiating deals with other software suppliers such as Symantec and Adobe.

On the operating system front, the institutions will be looking to tie up suitable arrangements with other providers, Smith says, “but with Microsoft we looked at the biggest [in terms of existing usage] and easiest one first.”