The "Microsoft Education Alliance Agreement" that SWITCH and Microsoft have recently signed benefits the entire Swiss university community. It includes the promotion of ICT, as well as a central framework agreement for software licences, and also leads to cost savings.
In Swiss universities, Microsoft applications are employed on a broad basis by lecturers, researchers, students and the university administration. SWITCH supports the universities in joint purchases, which is what has led to this framework agreement with Microsoft. On the basis of this agreement, the conventional universities in Switzerland, together with the universities of applied sciences, universities of teacher education and other tertiary-education organisations can enjoy better conditions when purchasing Microsoft licences for programs such as Windows and Office as of 1 March 2013.
The cooperation agreement between SWITCH and Microsoft also includes facilitated access to the IT Academy Program www.microsoft.com/itacademy and to educational software. This will serve to promote Switzerland as an ICT location by giving students access to technology competitions such as the Imagine Cup www.imaginecup.com.
About SWITCH
As a partner to the universities, SWITCH brought the internet to Switzerland 25 years ago. Today, the non-profit organisation with 100 employees at its headquarters in Zurich develops Internet services for lecturers, researchers and students, as well as for commercial customers. SWITCH stands for security in the Internet. The Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2012.
www.switch.ch
About Microsoft Schweiz
Since it was set up in 1989, Microsoft Schweiz has undergone steady, controlled development from a small company with three employees to a medium-sized company with some 580 employees. Microsoft Schweiz has its headquarters in Wallisellen, with offices in Bern, Basel and Geneva. The company is headed by Petra Jenner, Country Manager for Microsoft Schweiz.
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