Microsoft launches Software4Students plan

05-01-2007

by Emmet Ryan

Microsoft has announced plans to offer discounted software to Irish students and provide rebates to educational institutions.

The National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE), Union of Students of Ireland (USI) and the Combined Higher Education Software Trust (CHEST) have signed an agreement with Microsoft to offer specially priced software to every primary, second and third level student in the country.

The Software4Students programme will be made available to the 917,000 students in Ireland, providing discounts on all Microsoft software including Office, Windows and Encarta. Microsoft Office, which normally costs EUR225, will be available at EUR82 under the scheme. The programme will see schools and third level institutions receive a rebate worth roughly 5 percent of the licence price every time a student purchases software under the agreement.

The NCTE welcomed the announcement. "I am delighted to see that, under the new Software4Students initiative, Microsoft will now provide their educational software to all full-time students at significantly discounted rates," said Jerome Morrissey, director of the NCTE. "It is a very positive development in that students will now be able to equip their home computers with educational software for less that 20 percent of the retail cost."

The USI said the announcement came at a time when students were under significant financial burdens. "The cost to students of the best educational software to support their studies will be significantly reduced and USI sees this as cause for celebration, particularly at a time when accommodation, public transport and Registration Fees are putting students in a financial pinch," said Colm Hamrogue, president of the USI.

Dualta Moore, managing director of Software4Students said the programme would help bring Ireland up to speed with other developed nations.

"The OECD puts Ireland at a level with Mexico when it comes to computers to student ratios in schools. We hope that the Software4Students programme will help bridge the gap by helping finance ICT development in schools and colleges," he said.