Last Updated on 2008-04-30
Please note: Licensing information below applies to SU staff/faculty only, except where indicated. For comments and questions, send e-mail to Sue Heeley or Maureen Reilly at suorders@syr.edu

Many software companies offer special licensing agreements to higher education institutions as incentives for them to purchase and use their software products. In many cases, ITS purchases campuswide or volume licenses for software products that are popular at Syracuse University and then redistributes them to departments and individuals for use on their university-owned computers. Because ITS provides software to the SU community of users, we acquire licenses in volume purchase arrangements and are thus able to obtain large discounts on per copy academic pricing. As a service to the campus community, ITS frequently purchases more licenses than we actually need and resells the extra licenses to individuals and departments for their use, passing along to the users a substantial cost saving when compared to retail pricing. 

The purpose of this web page is to provide information about the various contracts currently in place and to enable users to order licenses through a series of web-based forms. If you are looking for a specific product not mentioned here, or have other questions, then please e-mail suorders@syr.edu

Adobe
AMOS
ArcInfo
AutoCAD
Ghost Solution Suite
Microsoft
Macromedia
McAfee ViruScan Security Suite Anti-Virus Software
MINITAB
MAPLE
MATLAB
NVivo
SAS
SPSS
STATA
Other

terminology

About License Agreements- A software license is a right to use a product under specified terms and conditions. It is usually documented with a certificate or other tangible proof of purchase. It is not the software itself. Under the terms of a volume license agreement, media and documentation are made available as separate purchasable products. Users must acquire a license to use a software product legally. Users who purchase licenses may choose to also buy media and documentation or not, depending on their needs.

Campuswide license agreements are usually limited by a maximum number of copies authorized for use. Occasionally a vendor offers an unlimited use license, which, for a fixed fee, allows us to distribute the software to all who wish to use it. Very few software licenses are of this type.

Some licenses are perpetual. This means that when you buy a license for a given product, you own the right to use that version of the product on the specified platform indefinitely. It typically does not give you the right to upgrade the product to a new release. That requires either an additional license upgrade purchase or a maintenance purchase. Other licenses are annual. In these cases, you pay an annual fee for the right-to-use. Maintenance is usually included in the fee.

About Packages - A software package is a retailing concept that bundles the right-to-use license with the media and documentation in a single box, usually shrink-wrapped for security. While usually sold in single units, sometimes packages include multiples, (5, 10, or 20), and may be referred to as multi-user packages or lab packs.

Product Use Rights - Each license agreement includes a specified set of limitations and allowances that define the legal use of the product. Syracuse University must strive to honor these terms or be vulnerable to legal action. No two license agreements are identical, and some companies, for example, Microsoft, define different product use rights for each product. It is the user's responsibility to know and comply with the terms and conditions of the licenses. ITS maintains product use rights information for products it distributes. Send e-mail to suorders@syr.edu for details.

Maintenance - Most vendors provide maintenance options on licenses as additional product purchases, either at the time of original purchase of the licenses or later. Maintenance provides upgrade protection for the licenses, in that the user is authorized to upgrade to any new versions of the product that are released during the term of the maintenance contract. Maintenance is always for a specified period of time, usually 1-3 years, and is renewable. The decision to purchase maintenance depends on the cost relative to license upgrades, the frequency of new releases, and the need of the users to stay current.

License Upgrades - Licenses can be upgraded after a new release of the product is issued, usually for a price less than a new license. You must already own a license before you can legally purchase the upgrade to it. Upgrades are of two forms - version upgrades, in which the basis for the upgrade is a license for an earlier version of the same product, or competitive upgrades, in which the basis is a license for a competing product from another vendor. The user must ensure that he/she is able to produce adequate proof of ownership of the prior license before purchasing the upgrade to the license.

Reseller - Many software publishers use resellers to handle orders based on volume purchase agreements. A reseller acts as a liaison between us, the customer, and the software publisher. The reseller business is highly competitive and operates on thin margins. Some resellers maintain their own inventories, but many procure licenses and related products from wholesale distributors as needed. Resellers are required to keep track of purchases we make through our contracts and also help to resolve licensing and product questions. At SU our reseller strategy is to consolidate our most heavily-used contracts with one reseller which supports distributed web-based ordering. Our current reseller is Software House International, which handles our Microsoft Select & MOLP, Adobe and Macromedia orders. Their Web site is http://www.shi.com. Microsoft campus agreement media must be purchased through Dell. Selected departmental representatives may obtain authorization to use the Web site to check pricing and place orders directly with the reseller. Send e-mail to suorders@syr.edu for details.

current contracts


Adobe

The University has a volume license agreement for Adobe products, which is called CLP (Contractual License Program). This program requires that we meet a volume target during the period of the contract. Individual orders do not require a minimum quantity. Licenses, media, documentation, and maintenance are separate products. Adobe offers extra cost maintenance options and concurrency options with its volume licenses (except for Acrobat). Adobe does not provide product upgrades for most products under the volume license program.
ITS CLP agreement covers institutional purchases only.
SU faculty and staff are eligible for Adobe Student License pricing through the Syracuse University Bookstore.
Send e-mail to suorders@syr.edu for volume license agreement(CLP) details.


AMOS

AMOS is a popular (Windows) program from SPSS for Structural Equation Modeling.
AMOS is available to Syracuse University clients under our SPSS contract.

Jump to SPSS


ArcInfo family

ArcInfo/ArcGIS from ESRI is the leading family of products for Geographical Information Systems (GIS).
SU has a site license for ESRI products, managed by the Geographic and Statistical Information Center (G-SIC) located in Room 348, E.S. Bird Library.
Key products available are ArcGIS Desktop (ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo) and ArcInfo Workstation. Platform support includes Windows, Unix, and Linux.

ESRI software is available to SU and SUNY-ESF students, faculty, and staff.
ESRI products can only be installed on SU or ESF-owned computers.

For more details about the site license, visit the G-SIC web page or send e-mail to the Site License Administrator John Olson jaolson@syr.edu .

License Term:            [Perpetual]      NONE
Current Version:       [Windows, Solaris, Linux]       ArcGIS 9.1
Current Version:       [Windows, Solaris, Linux, Mac]     ArcView 3.3

FYI: SAS version 9.1.3 provides direct support for ESRI ArcInfo GIS. SAS has discontinued support for its own product SAS/GIS in favor of ArcInfo. Jump to SAS


AutoCAD

The University has a site license agreement for all AutoCAD products for Windows only.
This is an annual right-to-use license with maintenance. Individual license prices are set annually.
Send e-mail to suorders@syr.edu for details.


License Term:          [Annual]      ** January 1 through December 31.
Current Version:       [Windows]  AutoCAD 2007 (March 23, 2006).


Ghost Solution Suite

ITS has a limited number of volume discounted licenses for Symantec Ghost Solution Suite 2.0 which includes Ghost (v11.0), DeployCenter library(v5.7), and Symantec User Migration (v11.0)
Our agreement covers institutional purchases only. The discounted cost is $2.05 per license.
To obtain licenses send an ID to Sue Heeley indicating the number of licenses required.
A source CD, license, and installation instructions will be provided when your ID is processed.
Take note that a licence is required for each PC benefiting from the Symantec Ghost Solution Suite software, not simply the number of host PCs driving the imaging process.
Confine your license usage to the count in your initial request.
Send e-mail to suorders@syr.edu for additional information or specific questions.

License Term:          [Limited]      Expires September 7, 2008.
Current Version:      [Windows]   Ghost Solution Suite 2.0


Macromedia

Products include Cold Fusion, Director, Authorware, Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks and Studio.
Our campuswide agreement allows for substantial discounts off retail prices.
Our agreement covers institutional purchases only.

FYI: Adobe purchased Macromedia in 2005, so orders now follow Adobe rules. Jump to Adobe .


McAfee ViruScan Security Suite Anti-Virus Software

ITS has a large volume license for McAfee VirusScan Security Suite software from Network Associates, Inc., which provides comprehensive antivirus protection for Windows and Macintosh systems. This license covers all students who connect to ResNet and University owned machines that are managed by the ePO licensing manager and connected directly to the campus network. University departments can purchase blocks of licenses from the ITS pool for use with non-ePO managed computers and off-campus machines (e.g. home offices, DIPA sites etc.) Employees and non-ResNet students can also purchase from this volume license through the SU Bookstore.
For assistance or inquiries, send email to consult@syr.edu or telephone the ITS help desk at x-2677.


Maple

Maple, from Maplesoft, is a sophisticated general purpose computer algebra system, designed to solve mathematical problems symbolically as well as numerically. and produce high-quality two and three dimensional graphics and animations. It is easy to learn, but powerful enough to calculate difficult integrals in seconds. Maple incorporates a high-level programming language similar to Pascal which allows the user to define his own procedures. It provides an extensive library with more than 2,500 functions, including packages of specialized functions which may be loaded to do work in group theory, linear algebra, and statistics, as well as in other fields. It can be used interactively or in batch mode, for teaching or research.

Current platforms include network and workstation versions for Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Unix.
For future plans see the Maplesoft web site Planned Platform Support: Future Maple Releases.  
Maple 11 for Windows is compatible with Windows Vista.

ITS license for Maple is a renewable annual license with an extended maintenance plan covering unlimited users. License costs are shared between ITS and a sponsoring consortium of colleges and departments: CAS(Math, Physics, Chemistry, & Biology), ECS, and Maxwell. In addition to the software, the Maple license allows client access to the MaplePrimes website for documentation and add-ons. Maple requires that product access is controlled by a 3rd party license manager, FlexLM.

General access is available through the ITS Public Computing Labs. Re-distribution for personal use is limited exclusively to members of the sponsoring departments. ITS maintains a public license server and master copies of distribution media. Sponsoring departments can obtain copies of media on request and may operate private license servers for their own use. ITS does not track redistribution within sponsoring departments.

License Term:          [Annual]    August 1 through July 31.
Current Version:      [All]          Maple 11.02 (December 2007).


Matlab

MATLAB, created and sold by Math Works Inc., is a high-performance language for technical computing. The name MATLAB stands for MATrix LABoratory stemming from the original purpose to provide easy access to matrix software developed by the LINPACK and EISPACK projects. Today, MATLAB engines incorporate the LAPACK and BLAS libraries, embedding the state of the art in software for matrix computation. MATLAB integrates computation, visualization, and programming programming in an easy-to-use environment where problems and solutions are expressed in familiar mathematical notation. Typical uses include math and computation; algorithm development; data acquisition; modeling, simulation, and prototyping; data analysis, exploration, and visualization; scientific and engineering graphics; and application development including graphical user interface building. MATLAB features a family of add-on application-specific solutions called toolboxes. Very important to most users of MATLAB, toolboxes allow both learning and applying specialized technology. Toolboxes are comprehensive collections of MATLAB functions (M-files) that extend the MATLAB environment to solve particular classes of problems. Areas in which toolboxes are available include signal processing, control systems, neural networks, fuzzy logic, wavelets, simulation, and many others.
Matlab 2008a (aka R19 or v7.5.1) is compatible with Windows Vista

Matlab licenses are separately held by both ITS and ECS; they are different. The ECS license includes many toolboxes, but is paid for and managed by ECS for ECS clients only. The ITS/Math Matlab license is perpetual with an annual maintenance fee, purchased explicitly to support Mathematics Dept instruction and includes the minimal subset of Matlab functionality: Matlab base (40 seats) and Statistics Toolbox (10 seats). Matlab requires that product access is controlled by a 3rd party license manager, FlexLM.

Matlab License costs are shared 50/50 between ITS and Mathematics. The ITS/Math Matlab license is restricted to ITS Public Computing Labs and to Mathematics Dept faculty for course preparation purposes . ITS maintains the license server and master copies of distribution media; copies are provided to the Mathematics Department as needed.

Departments seeking to offer Matlab in student labs are invited to join the license consortium by sharing the cost with ITS/Math.
Please contact Mark Miller or Sue Heeley for specific details.

License Term:          [Annual]        May 1 through April 30.
Current Version:      [Windows]   Matlab R2008a [aka R19 or v7.5.1]    (March 2008).


Microsoft

Software licenses, maintenance (called Software Assurance), media, and documentation are available separately for a wide range of Microsoft applications, systems, and server products. Examples of products that are available include Office Standard, Office Pro, Visio, Project, Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual Studio, FrontPage, Publisher, Windows XP Pro license upgrade, Windows Server and other server products. There is no minimum quantity for individual orders, but we must meet overall volume targets during each contract period. Except for Windows XP, no upgrades are offered through these programs.
Our agreement covers institutional purchases only, with one exception. Students with valid SUID are eligible to purchase Microsoft Office for Windows and Macintosh through the SU Bookstore.
Send e-mail to suorders@syr.edu for additional information or specific questions.


Minitab

Minitab from Minitab Inc. is a project-oriented, integrated interactive statistical and graphical analysis package that provides tools for data analysis, quality management, and graphics. It is a compact program with many advanced features, and is particularly strong in areas of experimental design, quality control, and graphics. It is widely adopted for both professional and instructional use. At SU, Minitab has historically been the most preferred package for statistics instruction, yet it is also a popular choice for faculty research. The latest version of Minitab (15) runs on Windows. An earlier version (11) is available for Macintosh.
Minitab for Windows with 15.1.1.0 update is compatible with Windows Vista

The only ITS license for Minitab is for instructional use in the ITS Public Computing Labs (Windows), with no redistribution rights. Minitab requires that product access is controlled by a 3rd party license manager, FlexLM. The current license allocation is apportioned between separate license servers for ITS/Math ( 55 seats managed by ITS) and ECS (30 seats managed by ECS).

Departments seeking to offer Minitab in student labs are invited to join the license consortium by sharing the cost with ITS/Math.
Please contact Mark Miller or Sue Heeley for specific details.

For individual purchases, whether student, faculty, or staff, Minitab has an arrangement with a third-party firm, e-academy.com, such that any University client can directly purchase or rent the full Minitab package at a nominal cost from e-Academy.com .   Available options are 30-Day Free Trial, Rentals for 5-months ($29.99), or 12-months  ($49.99), or a Perpetual License ($99.99), with a choice of delivery via download (free) or CD ( extra shipping and handling). (In contrast, the full retail price of Minitab is $1195.)

License Term:          [Annual]        August 1 through July 31.
Current Version:      [Windows]   Minitab 15.1.1.0 (June 2007).


NVivo

NVivo, created and sold by QSR International, is a leading (Windows) software package for qualitative analysis. SU has a three-year site license contract for NVivo. The license runs from 4/1/2008 through 3/31/2011 with annual renewals required each contract year. Anyone can join the license consortium at any time with the understanding that in so joining one is committed for annual charges for the duration of the contract.
Per seat annual fee for this contract is $120.

Departments seeking to offer NVivo are invited to join the license consortium.
Please contact Sue Heeley(ITS) or Sue Joyner(Purchasing) for specific details.

License Term:          [Annual]        April 1 through March 31.
Current Version:      [Windows]  NVivo 8 (March 2008)


SAS

SAS System from SAS Institute, is a sophisticated suite of analytic software components with extensive statistical, graphical, data management, and application development facilities. ITS licenses SAS under the Educational Analytics Suite (EAS) agreement. This contract covers both workstation systems (Windows, Mac, & Linux) and server systems (Solaris on SPARC & Linux on X86). The EAS contract covers two versions of the SAS product family: SAS Release 8.2 and the latest Release 9.1.3 SP4. The contract covers the entire core suite of SAS components, although actual components do vary by release and computing platform.

SAS 9.1.3 SP4 for Windows is (mostly) compatible with Windows Vista [Business editions]

Native Macintosh support is limited to the older SAS 6.12, but with Apple Boot Camp running WinXP SP2 on Intel hardware, then SAS 9.1.3 for Windows is supported under OSX.

All licenses are based on per cpu (processor) charges. At the present time, multi-cpu-core systems are treated as a single cpu.

SAS is available to All faculty, staff, and students at SU and SUNY/ESF.
Software is distributed on DVD and includes 20-24 Licensed SAS Products from the SAS family.
The EAS contract provides individual right-to-use and maintence for one year with optional home use, renewable annually.

See the SAS Order Form for complete information and to submit an order request.
Please direct other inquiries to Mark Miller at mdmiller@syr.edu

License Term:          [Annual]      July 15 through July 14.
Current Version:      [Windows, Solaris, Linux]    SAS 9.1.3 SP4 (Service Pack 4, March 2006).
Current Version:      [MacOS for PowerPC]        SAS 6.12 (TS051) (August 26, 1999).

FYI: SAS version 9.1.3 provides direct support for ESRI ArcInfo GIS. SAS has discontinued support for its own product SAS/GIS in favor of ArcInfo. Jump to ArcInfo


SPSS

SPSS from SPSS Inc. is a popular statistical package for Windows, Macintosh and Linux workstations, highly regarded for both teaching and research. It is a modular, tightly integrated, full-featured product family for the full analytical process: planning, data collection, data access and management, analysis, reporting and deployment. Using SPSS with a combination of add-on modules and stand-alone software that work seamlessly with the base product enhances SPSS' capabilities. The graphical user interface is easy to use yet provides concise data management, statistics and reporting methods which are powerful enough even for tough analysis problems.
SPSS 16 for Windows is compatible with Windows Vista

For SPSS, ITS has an Enterprise License contract covering Windows and Macintosh (NO Linux), providing right-to-use and maintenance for one year, renewable annually. This contract derives from a partnership between SPSS Inc and the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU) , and SU membership in CICU. Software is distributed on multiple CD ROMs and includes the SPSS Base product plus 5 of 14 available modules in the SPSS family: Advanced Models, Regression Models, Categories, Tables, and Trends on Windows and Macintosh; plus AMOS on Windows.

SPSS is available to all faculty, staff, and students.
Please direct primary inquiries to computing staff in your College or Department.

Students & Faculty:   School and College Support Contact Information
Staff:                         Departmental Support Contact Information
For other questions, please send e-mail to Mark Miller at mdmiller@syr.edu .

If you need modules not covered by the CICU contract, you may purchase private, perpetual licenses for these modules directly from SPSS. Visit the SPSS web site for a complete list of SPSS add-on modules. These modules must be co-installed with SPSS base and add-on modules delivered with the CICU site-license. Elements derived from the CICU license will still require annual license renewals even though privately licensed modules are perpetual. To purchase SPSS add-on modules, please contact our official SPSS representative:
         Joe Beucher - SPSS Inc - Northeast Regional Manager, Higher Education .
         Email: jbeucher@spss.com
         Tel: 1.800.543.2185 x3441/Fax: +1.312.264.3441

License Term:            [Annual]      December 2 through December 1.
Current Version:       [Win, Mac, Linux]   SPSS 16 (November 2007).


STATA

Stata from StatCorp LP is an extensible, integrated interactive statistical package that provides tools for data analysis, data management, and graphics. It is a remarkably compact program with many advanced features, yet is fast and accurate. It features a point-and-click interface, as well as a command interface with thorough but simple syntax. Stata is judged by many researchers to be both easy to use and simple to customize, plus it is blessed with a very active user community which promotes and extends it. Stata runs on Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Unix.

Stata9 for Windows is fully compatible with Windows Vista

The ITS license for Stata is for Stata9 InterCooled for instructional use in the ITS Public Computing Labs (Windows), with no redistribution rights.

Using the Stata GRAD-PLAN , ANY University client can purchase a personal copy of Stata at prices far below standard educational discounts. You do this by making a private purchase over the web from Stata by visiting Stata 10 GradPlans for students, faculty, and staff .   When the purchase is completed, you will be notified to pickup your CDs/Books from the registered Grad-Plan administrator at Syracuse University, located in the Psychology Department main office in 430 Huntington Hall.

License Term:           [Perpetual]    NONE
Installed Version:      [Windows]   Stata9  (Spring 2005).
Current Version:       [Windows]   Stata10 (Spring 2007).


Other

If you didn't find what you were looking for, please let us know what you need. Send e-mail to suorders@syr.edu with questions about these contracts or to inquire about other campuswide license opportunities.