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About the STC Software Partnership Agreement

The UITS Student Technology Centers (STCs) provide Indiana University students with access to a broad suite of personal productivity applications in support of the academic mission of the university. Additionally, other units of UITS provide specialized applications used by a wide cross-section of students. These tools are provided in UITS-funded computing facilities located around the Bloomington and IUPUI campuses.

An STC Software Partnership is established when a department requests that an additional, departmentally sponsored application be deployed in the STCs for instructional and student use in support of the academic mission.

Departmental sponsorship means that the department or requester takes full responsibility for support of the application, including the acquisition of licenses. The sponsoring department agrees to be a full partner through testing, certification, and deployment. The STC Partnership continues as long as the application is deployed in the STCs.

Requests pass through six steps on their way to STC deployment:

1. The faculty or staff sponsor submits a software request.
2. STC Software Management reviews the request.
3. The sponsor provides media and license keys for the application.
4. The technical team packages the application and tests compatibility. This may take up to eight weeks.
5. The sponsor tests and certifies the application for each platform and campus requested.
6. The technical team deploys the application.

Note: Departmentally sponsored applications cannot be deployed until they have been certified by the requester.

Terms of the STC Software Partnership Agreement

Be sure to review the terms of this agreement before submitting software requests.

If you are already familiar with this agreement, submit your software requests via the request form. To renew or upgrade your past requests, see My Software.

1. To ensure timely deployment, submit software requests by the following deadlines:
   
   
   • Upcoming academic year: April 15
   • Upcoming spring semester: October 15
   • Upcoming summer sessions: February 15

   Note: All software deployed in the STCs will remain deployed for the remainder of the academic year (through the following summer). If software is not renewed for the subsequent academic year, it will be phased out of the STCs during the summer upgrade cycle.

2. Requests submitted by these dates will be available no later than the beginning of the requested semester, provided that:
   
   
   • The application media and installation keys (if any) are provided to Productivity Services Development and Delivery (PSDD) within one week of the date of request via one of the following:
     
     
     • CD, DVD, or USB flash drive, delivered via campus mail or in person
     • Secure FTP to the IU Slashtmp service
     • A URL to a specific code location (a generic vendor site is insufficient)

     If delivery of your media will be delayed due to matters beyond your control, provide PSDD with an estimated delivery date. Your request is not complete until PSDD has access to media.

3. Requests or media submitted after the above dates are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
   
   
   • Many factors can affect the time needed to prepare an application for deployment, including the number of requests ahead of yours, UITS familiarity with the application, and compatibility with the STC environment.
     
     
   • While PSDD will attempt to meet your needs in a timely manner, late requesters should allow up to eight weeks for request completion once PSDD has received all media and installation keys.
   
   
4. Demonstration or beta (pre-release) versions of applications are not generally acceptable for deployment in the STCs.
   
   
5. The sponsoring department agrees to arrange for the acquisition of media and licensing of all departmentally sponsored applications.
   
   
   • Indiana University takes copyright compliance and software licensing very seriously. All software requested for installation in the STCs must be properly licensed. Responsibility for appropriate licensing lies with the requester.
     
     
   • If the software in question requires a license server, the sponsoring department agrees to establish and maintain that server on its own premises. PSDD cannot support applications that are dependent on client-side HASP devices for license enforcement.
     
     
6. Sponsoring departments are urged to establish a group account to use as a primary or secondary point of contact. This helps ensure continuity of support regardless of unanticipated changes in staffing.
   
   
7. Software deployment is a cooperative effort. Deployment of sponsored software will take place only after all licensing and certification requirements have been met.
   
   
   • Software partners should respond promptly to all requests for information and certification. Failure to respond in a timely manner can result in unwanted delays and lost class time.
     
     
   • After the technical team has prepared the requested software for use in STC labs, they will deploy the application to a small number of systems for the requester to certify that everything functions properly. Testing needs to be against all functionality of the program that will be required for instructional use, as any issues not caught during the certification phase may result in a copy of the program that is not fully functional.
     
     
   • Upon completion of testing, the requester is asked to visit the link provided to report whether the software is installed correctly. This process is repeated until the requester can certify that the application is performing as expected. By certifying the application, the requester is stating that the specific version tested will be acceptable for deployment without further modification.
     
     
   • To protect against unforeseen software conflicts, it is our policy to deploy only a single version of each program on the build. When a requester certifies a piece of software, he or she is signifying that this version of the software is suitable for meeting anticipated needs throughout the academic year. Mid-year requests to upgrade deployed applications are discouraged, but will be handled on a case-by-case basis through the normal software request process.
     
     
   • If two versions of the same program are requested for deployment during the same academic year, PSDD will work with both requesters to determine if either version will be sufficient to meet both needs. While PSDD will make every effort to accommodate both needs, incompatibilities may preclude the co-existence of two versions in the same build.
     
     
   • If a patch (or minor upgrade) is required for an application requested but not yet deployed in the STCs, the partner department is expected to advise the appropriate STC technical team, or the STC Software Manager, as soon as possible.
     
     
   • Partners should provide access to the appropriate patch immediately upon request in order to avoid delays in deployment.
     
     
   • Applications certified prior to submission of the patch will need to be recertified prior to final deployment.
     
     
   • Patches to any deployed application will be treated the same as an upgrade to an application, requiring a request for services.
   
   
8. Those dependent upon instructional software sponsored by UITS or other departmental sponsors are urged to request that software annually.
   
   
9. PSDD cannot deploy any application that compromises the security of the IU network, interferes with the operation of other applications, or requires access to services not provided by the STCs.
   
   
   • Should a security vulnerability be found in any requested software, PSDD retains the right to remove the offending software from the build pending an upgrade to a non-vulnerable version.
     
     
   • If an upgrade is required, the requester will need to recertify the software.
     
     
   • If the software is unsupported or does not have a patch to correct the issue, PSDD may remove the software from the build until the security issue is resolved.
     
     
   • If the software requires new licensing to upgrade, this is the responsibility of the requester.
     
     
10. PSDD may discontinue deployment of any application that ceases to function properly as the result of a change in the STC computing environment.
    
    
    • The STC computing environment is highly complex and may undergo significant changes from one academic year to another. Most of these changes are the result of periodic operating system upgrades, but may also include changes to the STC environment itself. Occasionally, applications cease to function when the STC environment undergoes such a change. PSDD will work with vendors whenever possible to seek out a suitable solution, and will make every effort to accommodate departments dependent upon such software.
    
    
11. All departmentally sponsored applications will be reviewed annually.
    
    
    • Each spring, departmental sponsors will be asked to review the applications deployed on their behalf during the current academic year.
      
      
    • Sponsors will have the opportunity to indicate if they wish to renew deployment for the upcoming academic year or upgrade the application (e.g., to a newer version).
      
      
    • If PSDD does not receive a request for renewal or upgrade of an application, the application will be retired.

Terms are subject to change without notice. This information addresses a number of contingencies. Still, some circumstances require unique partnership arrangements. Over time, this information will be modified to reflect those changes that can be applied broadly.

For additional information, contact UITS Leveraged Services.