Everyone at Cornell can access "DreamSpark Standard" for free. STEM use for research and teaching can also get "DreamSpark Premium" for free, under Cornell's MS site-license agreement (versus $499 enrollment + annual renewal fee). ChemIT's subscription expires 2017-10-16.

Table of Contents

Context

Hopefully CU Software Licensing Support will make the information below available centrally, provide more elegant access to the Cornell-only promo codes (linked below), and correct any of my errors. :-) In the meantime, I hope the information I collected below helps others at Cornell save time and money.

Currently, the only info I could find at CIT about the program is here:

And nothing where one might expect it at CIT's web site:

-Oliver Habicht
 ChemIT, Arts and Sciences

As of 8/12/14, here are the departments at Cornell enrolled in DreamSpark Premium:

    Cornell University - Astronomy - DreamSpark Premium

    Cornell University - Chemistry and Chemical Biology - DreamSpark Premium

    Cornell University - Computer Science - DreamSpark Premium

    Cornell University - Electrical and Computer Engineering - DreamSpark Premium

    Cornell University - Johnson Graduate School of Management - DreamSpark Premium

    School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University - Information Technology - DreamSpark Premium

As of 8/12/14, Cornell Weill (but not the Ithaca campus?) is enrolled in just DreamSpark Standard:

    Weill Medical College of Cornell University - DreamSpark Standard

Anyone can get the current enrollee's at Microsoft's DreamSpark web site:

https://www.dreamspark.com/Student/Default.aspx

=> Click on the tab, "3. More Software Through Your School".

=> In the search box within that tabbed section, replace the text "find your academic institution" with the text Cornell. Then click the magnifying glass to get the current results.

Subscription site for software administrators

http://www.dreamspark.com/Institution/Subscription.aspx

Notes

  • You will need a Microsoft account to register. You will also need to use this account to manage your DreamSpark Premium subscription on-line.
    • To preserve your unit's access to your subscription, you will want to create one for your group instead of using someone's personal Microsoft account.
  • You will want to create a Cornell department email address (or use an existing one), instead of using someone's Cornell NetID-based email address. (This is called an Exchange Group Account, which is a type of "resource account" in Cornell's Microsoft Exchange system.) This email is where you will receive communications regarding this subscription, including requests from non-registered students.
    • For example, <deptdreamspark@cornell.edu>

  • Departments should be advised to use ELMS (Electronic License Management System), which is a MS-funded, 3rd party, web app software distribution service allowing dept to have their users to download their software:

Cornell's DreamSpark codes and Agreement number

The DreamSpark Premium promo code is restricted. (If link doesn't work, contact CU Software Licensing Support <cusoftware@cornell.edu>.)

The Microsoft Campus Agreement license number is restricted. (If link doesn't work, contact CU Software Licensing Support <cusoftware@cornell.edu>.)

  • Put this number under enrollment's section called, "OVS_ES, EES / Campus, or School Agreement #"

Notes

  • When I went through this process, I heard back from Microsoft (MS) within days. However, there was a recent report from another IT Admin attempting to sign up their department as a DreamSpark Premium subscriber, and after two weeks still not having yet heard back from MS. If this happens to you, CU Software Licensing Support <cusoftware@cornell.edu> recommends contacting our DreamSpark contact. (The link to that contact is restricted, so if it doesn't work, contact CU Software Licensing Support <cusoftware@cornell.edu>.)
  • In the "DreamSpark Membership Selection" window, you must choose the type of membership delivery. Note that you don’t have to pay anything for download delivery (to you or eligible participants). You only have to pay to get physical delivery of physical media. I suspect most departments won’t pay for the physical media (versions changes, anyone?), and a department/ individual can press their own media from the download of select packages, if really needed.

Renewals

Campus experience in renewals

Bez Thomas in Astronomy summarized his renewal process, with screenshots, which I've posted here:

In August 2016, Chemistry IT renewed for the first time, using notes from this site. No issues..

For historical purposes, here's a snapshot of our "Eligibility" as of 3/15/16:
You are a member of (or have requested membership in) the following groups:

 

Organization:Cornell University - Chemistry and Chemical Biology - DreamSpark Premium
User Groups:Lab Installers
Verification Method:Added by administrator
Status:Verified (Expires: 2017-10-16) 

 

Note that before we had renewed the first time another group on campus wrote to tell us that if you let your subscription expire for more 30-days before renewing, you'll have to apply as if it were a new account. So that's what they did.

Renewal info from the vendor

The following document has what appear to the instructions for renewing our type of license:

It states:

How do I Redeem a Free VLA Benefit Subscription?

Some organizations receive free DreamSpark subscriptions as a benefit of an Academic Volume License Agreement (VLA) with Microsoft (e.g. Campus Agreement, School Agreement, EES, OVS-ES). These subscriptions are not activated
automatically when they are issued. To activate a DreamSpark subscription that was issued as an academic VLA benefit, visit:

You will be prompted to supply the promo code from the Welcome email you received when your benefit was issued. Contact your Microsoft account manager if you cannot locate this code. If you were issued multiple subscriptions (e.g. a DreamSpark Premium subscription for each eligible department at your school), each activation must be handled individually and will require a distinct promo code.

This information was collected as part of Chemistry IT's DreamSpark investigation project page.

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