Abstract:

Cost savings, improved software distribution, and a consistent computing experience are goals most academic IT groups share. Today, New York University is accomplishing just that through an interdepartmental effort.

First, a newly formed central licensing group meets with schools and departments to determine their software needs, and then works with software vendors to procure the required software packages at the best pricing possible. By doing this, the schools and departments are able to save money on the software they need, and, as a bonus, faculty and students are experiencing greater computing consistency across campus.

Once the software acquisition is complete, the licensing team works closely with the license server managers to deploy the software across campus. The appropriate license servers are set up, tested, and computer images are updated to reduce the number of "touches" the team must make to individual machines.

Depending on the license server, additional advantages may include usage reporting for more optimal licensing in the future as well as globally distributed licenses.

This presentation will talk through implementing a new workflow requiring an interdepartmental effort at a large, global network university, including both the benefits and the pitfalls.

Keywords:

Software, Licensing, Cost Savings, Cost Benefits, Distribution, Access, License Servers, Global Network University, Multi-Group, Interdepartmental.