Contracts with Microsoft
RWTH Aachen University has concluded several contracts with Microsoft. Depending on the intended use, the license can be obtained via one or the other contract.
- Microsoft federal contract
This contract includes the basic Microsoft licenses for universities and access to central services for staff and students. These are licensed/leased for the duration of the contract. The licenses always include the current version of the included products. Older versions can continue to be used via a downgrade right. The institutions participate in the refinancing of procurement costs incurred via Microsoft Campus Teilhabe.
- Microsoft Select Plus
Unlike the Microsoft Federal Agreement, the Microsoft Select Plus Volume Licensing Agreement allows you to purchase perpetual licenses for a specific version. These licenses can usually be purchased with or without Software Assurance (maintenance). Software Assurance expires on the contract effective date of the respective year. Depending on the purchase date, it is valid for between 25 and 36 months. During its term, Software Assurance entitles the user, among other things, to use newly released versions of the licensed product.
With the signing of a new contract with Microsoft in the fall of 2024, there was a change in the contract effective date:
- For all licenses purchased with Software Assurance under the previous Microsoft Select Plus volume licensing agreement by October 23, 2024, the contract effective date is June 30.
- For all licenses with Software Assurance purchased through the Software Store on or after October 24, 2024, September 30 is the contract effective date.
This is particularly important to note when renewing Software Assurance in 2025 and 2026. The contract effective date will not change due to the change in reseller in April 2026.
The institutions of RWTH Aachen University can order these products in the RWTH Software Shop.
- Azure Dev Tools for Teaching
Through this agreement, students, trainees and teachers can obtain selected Microsoft products for teaching and training free of charge within the scope of the license conditions. These are personal licenses. In addition, installation for teaching purposes in pool rooms is permitted.
Who is allowed to access the products covered by the contracts with Microsoft?
Depending on the product, different groups of people can access it:
RWTH employees, FB10 members, scholarship holders, and RWTH students can use the Microsoft 365 products free of charge under the Microsoft federal agreement.
RWTH employees with the role Bestellung IT (IT Ordering) can also order products from the Microsoft Select Plus contract via the RWTH Software Shop.
RWTH students can also obtain Microsoft software via Azure Dev Tools for Teaching in the context of teaching.
How do I access the products covered by the contracts with Microsoft?
Access to Microsoft 365 products requires registration and login to the corresponding tenant. Detailed instructions can be found under the M365 service.
Additional Microsoft products for business use can be purchased by persons with the IT ordering role via the RWTH Software Shop.
To access Azure Dev Tools for Teaching, students must first consent to the transfer of data to Microsoft. Detailed instructions can be found in the article Azure Dev Tools for Teaching.