VMware Academic Program

The College of Letters & Science has provided access to VMware’s virtualization software for certain members of the college.

Program Scope

Qualified members of the academic community – students, faculty and technical staff – can utilize the VMware Academic Program in the following areas:

Instruction – Faculty within member institutions gain access to VMware software licenses free of cost for the purpose of classroom instruction. Students taking qualified courses can also install program software on their personal computers.

Research – Faculty within member institutions gain access to VMware software licenses free of cost as a part of their non-commercial research projects. Program software can be installed in research labs as well on the personal computers of faculty and students involved in research projects.

Use of VMware software for instruction and research is governed by specific program guidelines and the conditions described within the VMware Academic Program EULA (End-User License Agreement).

Products Included

Participating departments gain access to a comprehensive suite of VMware products and a host of technical resources. The free products provided are ideal for instructional and research use within academic institutions, and for gaining hands-on experience with core infrastructure products. Included products are:

  • VMware Workstation
  • VMware Fusion
  • VMware eLearning and VMware Sales Professional training materials
  • VMware vCloud Suite Standard
  • VMware vSphere Enterprise
  • VMware vCenter Server Standard
  • VMware vCloud Director

Free licenses to available VMware products and eLearning are regularly updated and posted to the self-service web portal. VMAP aims to provide the latest release of the core products, and one or two prior releases to provide compatibility with older hardware.

The free licenses available to program members are 365-day evaluation licenses that require a one-time, annual download. Annual product downloads ensure that members receive the most up to date versions of products and also allows us to better maintain accurate member data. Licenses will be administered by Kivuto Solutions, Inc., who will contact schools to set up the Electronic License Management and Distribution system (ELMS).

Usage Guidelines

The free single use licenses provided through The VMware Academic Program may be used for instruction and non-commercial research only. Please refer to the following definitions of instructional and research use:

  • Instructional use is defined as conducting educational classes, labs, or related programs.
  • Research use is defined as conducting non-commercial, not-for-profit research projects within an academic department or associated research group.
  • Infrastructure use is defined as use of software as a part of the affiliated organization’s infrastructure that is not intended to be used primarily for instructional or research use (as defined above).

Examples of Acceptable Use:

  • Lab licenses may only be installed in lab environments where the lab is primarily used for instructional or research uses.
  • Program software installed in shared lab environments can be used across different courses offered by different faculty members.
  • Faculty members as well as staff directly involved in administering systems and providing support for program software may install the software on their personal computers.
  • Students taking qualified courses or conducting research can access program software within lab machines or download program software on their personal computers. Students receiving licenses through a qualifying course or research project may use the licenses after the course or project is concluded.
  • Infrastructure product licenses – vSphere, vCloud and related products – are provided by VMAP for personal use in gaining hands-on experience with the products.
  • Multiple academic groups in an institution may join the Program if each group meets the eligibility requirements. In such cases a campus subscription may be more cost-effective.

The designated Program Administrator (PA) must be an employee of the department or group and is responsible for administering, managing, and enforcing the guidelines set by the EULA for the VMware Academic Program (“Academic EULA”).

Examples of Unacceptable Use:

  • Students, faculty members, or other parties that received a license under the program but no longer attend or are employed by the institution.
  • Staff members who are not directly involved with system administration related to the program, such as administrative assistants, may not install the software on their personal computers.
  • Software that is part of the program may not be shared with non-approved departments. However, it may be installed on shared labs if the approved department’s students regularly use that lab.
  • The designated Program Administrator for the member approved may not be a teaching assistant or a student. However, teaching assistants or students may help the Program Administrator with the program.
  • The software provided by VMAP may not be sold, rented, leased, or transferred to any third party including contractors, consultants, other companies, and other department personnel.
  • Software cannot be used for infrastructure purposes. Licenses acquired through the VMware Academic Program are for instructional, research and personal use only.
  • The software provided by VMAP may not be used for any purpose outside of instructional, research or personal use. vSphere licenses provided under this program may not be used for desktop virtualization.

Use of free VMware software for instruction and research is governed by the specific program guidelines and the conditions described within the Academic EULA.

IMPORTANT: These guidelines are provided for your convenience only. Please refer to the VMware Academic Program EULA for specific license rights.