Program Scope:
Qualified members of the academic community 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. Faculty can obtain and install program software on computers within shared lab environments for use by students as part of the courses offered. 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 research projects. Program software can be installed in research labs as well on the personal computers of faculty and students involved in research projects.
Infrastructure – Member Institutions and affiliated organizations can gain access to VMware software licenses at a discounted price for use within their institutional IT and administrative infrastructure. Contact your authorized reseller for more information.
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). The use of software for infrastructure purposes is governed by the VMware Commercial EULA.
Eligibility:
General Eligibility
- Accredited, degree-granting higher education institutions worldwide offering 2- or 4- year college programs are eligible to participate in the program
- Technical schools offering accredited degrees through distance education programs are also eligible to participate in the program
Free Academic Licenses
- Free licenses are available for academic instruction and research use only
- Membership in the VMware Academic Program and acceptance of the academic EULA are required. Register here
- Technology-focused departments such as Computer Science, Engineering, and Information Systems can participate in the program
- Multiple academic groups such as departments, labs, research groups or clusters within member institutions can participate in the program
Discounted Academic Licenses
- Discounted licenses are available for use in the IT department or other infrastructure departments of an eligible institution
- Organizations directly related to the academic institution (e.g. teaching hospitals) are eligible for the educational discount
Membership Details:
- Membership is free for eligible institutions that register for the program
- Membership will be for an initial three-year term and can be renewed after this period
- An institution may join the program at any time of the year
- Only faculty, students and IT administrators within member institutions can access program resources under specific usage guidelines
Program Requirements:
Following are the minimum requirements that need to be met by members to enjoy the benefits of the program:
- Free VMware licenses may be used only for instruction and not-for-profit research—not to run the infrastructure of the department nor as part of commercial research projects
- Institutions must buy separate licenses to utilize VMware software for infrastructure use. These licenses are available at a discount through regular sales channels
- Each department within a member institution must designate a program Administrator as the central administrator of the program. The Program Administrator will be responsible for registration and communication with VMware and will also be responsible for ensuring all program guidelines are met across the department.
Products Included:
The departments at member institutions qualifying for free licenses will gain access to a powerful suite of VMware products, upgrades and a host of technical resources. The free products are ideal for instructional and research use within academic institutions.
Included products are:
- VMware Infrastructure 3 - Standard Edition
- VMware Fusion
- VMware SDK
- VMware Converter
- VMware Workstation
- VMware Server
For IT and other infrastructure use, eligible institutions can access the entire suite of VMware software, at a special discounted price, through standard VMware commercial sales channels.
Benchmark Testing:
Publishing of benchmark results is allowed with the Academic Software EULA. While VMware does not require approval before publication, we welcome the opportunity to work with researchers to review the methodology, assumptions, and other parameters of the study. As part of our review process, we will also ensure that no VMware confidential information is included in the publication and ask for a courtesy copy of submitted papers.To submit results and test plans please send us an email
Questions?
If you have any questions or comments you can contact us or request more program info at any time.