The University has numerous options available for obtaining software applications -- directly from software developers, from catalogs, from re-sellers or from other sources. Prices and packaging vary dramatically, depending on the supplier from whom software is purchased. The information on these pages is presented to make it easier to find the best sources for purchasing software that is widely used at the University.

• Public Domain Software
  These are software applications -- such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and the NetScape Navigator and MS-Internet Explorer Web browsers -- that software developers make available to the public at no charge. Computer users can download these applications from the developers' Web sites without paying any fees.
  
  
• Shareware
  These are software applications that software developers allow people to use at no charge for a period of time while they evaluate whether to keep the software. If a user decides to keep software, the develop expects the user to pay a nominal fee for the right to continue to use the software.
  
  
• Site License
  This is a formal agreement that software developers have made with the Chancellor's Office or the University that grant the University the right to use software applications. In general, the software can be installed on University-owned computers (and sometimes on students' or employees' home computers) without paying any additional fees.
  
  
• Limited Site License
  This is a site license that places limits on how a software application can be used. The limit may be the maximum number of computers on which the software can be installed; a time period during which the software can be used but after which it should be removed; or the purpose for which the application can be used (e.g., for instructional use but not for administrative use).
  
  
• Perpetual License
  This is a license that grants the University the right to use a software application indefinitely. With a perpetual license, there is no expiration date.
  
  
• Leased License
  This is a license that grants a user the right to use a software application until a specified expiration date has passed. After the expiration date, the user is obligated to remove the software application.
  
  
• Volume License Agreement (VLA)
  This is an agreement that enables the University to purchase software at discount prices. Unlike a site license (where there is no fee for installing a software application), a user must purchase the software for each computer on which it is to be installed. However, the software can be purchased at a significant discount, in some cases as much as 85%.
  
  
• California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS)
  The State of California maintains contracts with vendors for special pricing for commodities and services. Vendors who have been designated as CMAS contractors offer discount pricing for software applications. These discounts are available to the University.
  
  

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