14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft Enrollment for Education Solutions (EES) is a new licensing option designed to offer academic institutions a new way to acquire, use and manage the Redmond company’s software and services.
With EES, Microsoft makes it possible for K-12 organizations, as well as those involved in higher education, and even small schools to access its software and services by leveraging a subscription based model.
Products available under the new licensing option range from Office Professional 2010 to Windows 7 Enterprise, but also include Microsoft Core Client Access License (CAL) suite and Microsoft Enterprise CAL suite.
Small organizations can ink an EES through an Authorized Education Reseller, but they need to have at least five full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. Another option reserved for them is the simplified Open Value Subscription Agreement for Education Solutions online eAgreement.
Larger organizations, namely those with in excess of 1,000 FTE employees, can also opt for the EES, but they will need to do so with the help of a Large Account Reseller providing them with the Campus and School Agreement and the Enrollment for Education Solutions.
“Microsoft has a long history of helping U.S. schools save billions of dollars every year by offering discounts to our software. With EES, we have further reduced costs by moving to an annual purchase process that counts employees instead of devices to determine price and add more value,” revealed Sig Behrens, general manager of U.S. Education at Microsoft.
Lenny Schad, chief information officer, Katy Independent School District notes that the organization serving 60,000 students with 7,500 faculty and staff estimates that it will save $350,000 year over year by taking advantage of the new EES agreement.
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) forecasts reduced costs by $100,000 in the first year and $200,000 in the second year thanks to the EES and to save an additional $250,000 because the agreement also covers antivirus software, which they previously acquired separately.
“Lower costs mean immediate savings and the opportunity for schools to reinvest and upgrade their current IT infrastructure to the next set of technologies that will help them achieve 21st century learning,” Behrens added.
“EES offers the opportunity to get more for less so schools can use their savings to add improved communication and collaboration tools, security and management solutions, and Microsoft IT Academy.”
Of course, Live@edu which will become Office 365 for Education later this year, is included in the EES, providing academic institutions with email, calendaring, instant messaging and video chat capabilities for both students and faculty members.