General Software Information for University Owned Computers

Software Suite | Supported Software | Standard Software Upgrades | Operating System Upgrades | Software Purchasing Information | Buying Non-Standard Software | ITS Media Listing

Standard Software Upgrades

All software in the Standard Software Suite is charged to the central USF software account.

With the exception of MS Office, all upgrades to the Standard Software Suite can be requested simply by e-mailing itshelp@usfca.edu.

If you would like to upgrade to a current version of Microsoft Office, you will need to fill out the Software Request Form. The Software Request Form is required for license tracking. As with the rest of the Standard Software Suite, the cost for MS Office is charged to the central USF software account.

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Operating System Upgrades

If you would like to upgrade your USF-owned computer to a new supported version of the Windows or Macintosh operating system, please complete the Software Request Form and send the form to the ITS Help Desk. Once we receive your request, a Help Request ticket will be created and assigned to the appropriate technician. Because of compatibility issues for both platforms, the technician handling your request will review potential issues with you before performing the installation.

Please note: Operating System upgrades are charged to the central USF software account.

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Software Purchasing Information

Purchasing Software Not Included in the Standard Software Suite

Software not included in the Standard Software Suite must be purchased by the department, school or college. Exceptions to this policy may be made only in cases where the purchase is required by ITS and must be made without sufficient notice for the expense to be budgeted. Software purchases required by annual computer replacement cycle operating system upgrades or requested operating system upgrades must be planned for and funded by the department, school or college.

USF has identified Softmart as our vendor of choice for the purchase of many software applications that fall outside of the USF Standard Software Suite. Please review the 3 steps outlined below for details on selecting the software you need (licenses, CDs, documentation) and important information about filling out the Purchase Requisition.

Selecting your Software

Step 1: Getting the Software License

Go to the USF / Softmart Software website. Microsoft, Adobe and Macromedia are the basic software providers listed. Click on the licensing link to find the product you wish to purchase. You may also buy a maintenance agreement to provide yourself with all software upgrades during the maintenance period selected. Please note: this is for purchasing the license only.

Step 2: Getting the CDs or documentation

CD media and documentation needs to be ordered separately. You do not need to buy the CD media if all you want is the documentation. Click here for a list of software ITS currently maintains CDs for.

Option A: You have purchased only the license and would like to have ITS install the application(s) for you, e-mail itshelp@usfca.edu and request to have a technician come and do the installation for you. You will need to have your license available when the technician arrives for the installation. ITS can only install software we maintain CDs for, so be sure to make sure that the software you need installed is on our list.

Option B: If you would like to purchase the CD media and/or the CD documentation, go to the CDs and Docs link and select what you want to purchase. If you purchase the CD media for your application(s) you can install the software yourself, or you can e-mail itshelp@usfca.edu and ask to have a technician come by and do the installation for you. Please keep in mind in a University-wide audit, it is important for you to prove your department owns all the copies it has installed (i.e. if you buy 5 Photoshop licenses you can only install Photoshop on 5 computers).

Step 3: Purchasing the Software

Fill out a standard USF Purchase Requisition with the following Vendor information:

Softmart
450 Acorn Lane
Dowington PA 19335
Attention to: Eric Hadler

Be sure to include the e-mail address of the person receiving the software / license and their contact information in the "Special Instructions From Department" section of your Purchase Requisition. Submit your Purchase Requisition to the Purchasing Department, Hayes Healy Lower Level.

If you want to purchase software not listed on Softmart’s personalized USF website and would like a technical recommendation, please contact Computer Support at itshelp@usfca.edu. If you know which software you would like to purchase but do not know the price, you can contact our Sales Rep, Eric Hadler at 888-763-8627 x4162 or eric.hadler@softmart.com for a price quote.

When you submit the requisition to the Purchasing Department for processing, they will contact vendors to obtain the best available price, and purchase from the appropriate vendor. If you have questions about this process, please contact purchasing@usfca.edu.

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Buying Non-Standard Software FAQ

Why are licenses and CDs listed separately? Do I have to buy both?

Licenses and CDs are listed separately mainly for cost purposes. ITS has a range of CDs for commonly used software. Since ITS does have CDs available for installation (particularly common Adobe applications), purchasing just the license keeps the cost of the software lower. You need only buy both the license and the CD if the application you are purchasing is not one we have CDs for, or if you prefer to keep your own set of CDs.

What is maintenance?

Adobe calls it Maintenance and Microsoft calls it Software Assurance (SA) but they both work the same way. That is to say they are like an upgrade insurance program. When you order Maintenance for Acrobat through Adobe or SA from Microsoft you are entitled to all enhancements, bug fixes, updates, and upgrades to the software you are ordering. The Maintenance or SA usually expires two years from the date of purchase. Adobe will automatically send notification of available upgrades to SLP Maintenance customers.

Do I have to use Softmart? What if I found a cheaper price somewhere else?

We choose Softmart for many software purchases because they offer the University competitive educational pricing as compared with other vendors. The Purchasing department may find a lower price through bidding and use another vendor for a particular purchase. If you find a lower price than Softmart's for the software you wish to purchase, you can list that vendor on the purchase requisition when you submit it to Purchasing for processing. All software purchases should go through the regular purchase requisition process.

Can I purchase software for my personal computer?

USF faculty, staff and students cannot purchase license-only software for personal computers, but they can contact Softmart directly for discounted quotes on standard packaged software. Our Softmart Sales Rep is Eric Hadler at 888-763-8627 x4162 or eric.hadler@softmart.com.

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ITS Media Inventory Listing

ITS has the following media available so that we can install these applications for you if you prefer to purchase only the license. Please e-mail the ITS Help Desk at itshelp@usfca.edu to request installation after you have purchased the appropriate license(s) (you will need a confirmation e-mail or other proof of purchase for each copy to be installed). For information about purchasing software licenses please click here.

Adobe Software Installation Media

Microsoft Software Installation Media

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