Upgrades and Maintenance
Software Assurance (SA) subscription permits upgrades to latest versions of Microsoft software as they become available. Step-up licenses upgrade the software edition.
SA is automatically included as part of the annual Campus software fee. However you have to buy SA for Select licenses when you buy the software.
Included with Campus
Campus now covers the whole university for all shared machines and licensed staff sole use desktops. Since Campus includes SA on any software in the annual subscription, you can update to newer versions as they appear. It also permits downgrades to older versions. You may be able to get upgrades from either your local IT support or contacting IS Help services.
Buy upgrades with Select software
SA is not included automatically with Select software but you can purchase 3 years SA when you buy the licenses. Select licenses are perpetual licenses, so a Select license is for the software version available at the time of purchase. You can downgrade to use a previous version if you want. However you can't upgrade it to a new version unless you bought SA at the time you bought the license.
Rules have recently changed so now you buy 3 years SA dated from the time of the license. You can choose to buy an extension of the SA pack at the end of that period.
Windows licenses and upgrades
Only Windows upgrades are available under Micosoft Campus and Select schemes, although staff and students eligible for Dreamspark Premium can get personal licenses for teaching, learning and research.
- You need an exisiting Windows operating system license on your computer to make use of this upgrade.
- You can only order the latest version of Windows upgrade license under the Select scheme. However, you can install and run an earlier version of Windows.
Step-up licenses
Step-up licenses can be purchased under select to upgrade the software edition, i.e. to go from Visio Standard to Visio Premium, for the same version.
Software Assurance - Q&A
Q: Do I have to bother with buying Software Assurance with my new Select license?
A: SA is not available on its own, so if you think you will want to use the newer versions of the product as they are released, then buying SA with your new licence will entitle you to the upgrade.
Q: What happens if I don't have Software Assurance?
A: There is no upgrade path unless you purchase Software Assurance at the same time as you buy your Microsoft software. If you do not purchase Software Assurance, you would have to buy new copies of the software should you ever wish to upgrade in the future.
Q: OK, I have current Software Assurance cover. How do I get hold of the most recent version?
A: Once you have paid the SA fee, see if your local Computing Officer or IS help services can get it for you.
Q: so seriously I can't buy a windows license under Select of Campus?
A: That's right, only windows upgrades are available under Campus or Select.
Contact our reseller, Softcat educational team, to get a quote for a windows license.