14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has signed another important deal for the cloud-based productivity suite Office 365, this time with Brown University that decided to offer access to the service to approximately 8,600 students.
Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus is now available to everyone at Brown University, Redmond says, with the deal made possible using the Microsoft Student Advantage benefit.
Students who previously needed Office 365 tools hadd to buy a subscriptions on their own, but thanks to Microsoft’s program aimed at the education sector, everyone can now access it using their existing Brown credentials.
“When our chief information officer heard about Student Advantage, he wanted us to make it available to students as quickly as possible, and we were able to extend the service to students in about one month,” said Geoffrey Greene, director of IT Support Services, Brown University.
“Students have been champing at the bit for this, and faculty have frequently asked us to help students get the solution, so it’s a great benefit for everyone. Plus, a lot of our students use laptops, iPhones and other devices, so Office 365 was the perfect solution for us.”
Office 365 is also a key part of Microsoft’s cloud initiative, as the company continues its One Microsoft transformation plan started by former CEO Steve Ballmer last year. At the same time, Office 365 is also the core of non-Windows Office versions, including the iPad flavor that requires a 365 subscription in order to allow users to edit documents on their tablets.