Microsoft donations programme extended to non-charity UKonline Centres

Looks to me as if there’s never been a better time to join the UKonline Centres network!

They have teamed up with Microsoft to offer eligible voluntary and community sector UK online centres a donation of software to upgrade their IT facilities. This is an opportunity for UK online centres to upgrade their centre software at little cost, enabling visitors to get to grips with the very latest technology.

Altogether, this is one of the largest software donations Microsoft has made. Voluntary and community sector centres will be invited to apply at the appropriate time, as the programme is rolled out region by region. Each centre will be able to choose from all the latest products – including Microsoft Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007.

Centres will be invited to apply for up to 6 different software products (including desktop products, servers and client access licences), and up to 50 licences of each desktop or client access product. Centres will receive a special support pack with their invite, to help them through the application process.

UKonline Centres are keen to build a robust and efficient application process for the software. They are therefore conducting a survey, to be followed by a pilot roll-out. They hope to begin full-scale roll-out on a region by region basis by the end of June 2008, with all regions to be invited by the end of January 2009.

What is the software donation?

Microsoft will be donating limited quantities of Microsoft software to UK online centres from the voluntary and community sector who meet the necessary eligibility criteria.

How to apply

The software donation will be rolled out region by region, and centres will receive an invitation to apply at the appropriate time from the UK online centres management team. A special support pack will be included with the invitation, providing instructions on how to apply, along with general advice on what software to apply for and timescales for turnaround, and an example completed application.

Eligibility

The programme will be available to UK online members from the voluntary and community sector. The exact details of eligibility are currently being finalised.

What do I get?

Centres will be able to choose from all the latest products – including Microsoft Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007. Each eligible centre may request up to six titles, and up to 50 user licences per title, with the following exception: For server titles, centres may request one server licence per title and up to 50 Client Access Licences (CALs). i.e. organisations may not order two copies of the same server title. Server licences with accompanying CALS will, together, count as two separate titles towards the six-title limit.

Donations will be fulfilled using Microsoft Open Licence with Software Assurance (where applicable). This means that instead of shipping full packaged product and paper licenses, you will receive:-

One copy per title of the required Microsoft product media (ie: CDs) delivered by mail/courier.
An e-mail advising you that your Open Licence order has been accepted and processed by Microsoft, which will include your Authorisation and Licence Agreement numbers, directions on how to download licensing licence agreements from the Microsoft eOpen website, and Product Licence Key Codes that can be used with the media to install the software.

Software Assurance is a Microsoft programme that allows recipients to upgrade licences to any new release of eligible products within two years of the initial request.

How does this relate to other Microsoft software donation schemes?

Microsoft operates a broad software donation scheme for all registered charities in the UK. This is operated by Charity Technology Trust, in partnership with Tech Soup. Information can be found here www.ctxchange.org . Some administrative charges are made through the CTX programme, to enable it to operate. There will be no administrative charge through the UK online centres Software donation programme.

The UK online centres donation programme makes no administrative charges, as the administration is undertaken jointly by the UK online centres management team and Microsoft.