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Online (Electronic Fulfillment) Subscription FAQs

Priced lower, it's better for the environment, too.

Online (Electronic Fulfillment) subscriptions eliminate the need for costly media production and delivery by making it possible for all products and product keys to be delivered to each department via the MSDN Subscriber Downloads. These subscriptions offer MSDN Academic Alliance members a lower purchase cost, quicker fulfillment and update cycles of MSDNAA products and product keys, and a chance to help save the environment!

Q. How can I get MSDNAA products from Microsoft with my Electronic Fulfillment (Online) Subscription?

A. After signing up, you will receive a mail from Microsoft containing important information, including your department number and your log in to MSDN Downloads. Once you log in, you'll be able to access products, keys, FAQs, and many other resources available to professional developers. Bear in mind that logging onto the MSDN download server is available to Administrators only. MSDNAA gives Administrators all the tools needed to create software distribution mechanisms for the students in their departments.

Q. How can I disseminate these products to my students with my Online (Electronic Fulfillment) Subscription?

A. Online (Electronic Fulfillment) subscriptions offer Administrators great flexibility and several methods of software distribution:

  • Shared Drive Method: Frequently, Administrators have access to shared drives at their Universities that they can use to post and share items with their students. The Shared Drive Method allows MSDNAA Administrators to:
    • Download software products from the MSDN download server.
    • Post products to a shared drive where the students can access them.
    • Distribute product keys to students on a one-to-one basis.
    This saves time and allows Administrators to get software to their students quickly. Note: Administrators must keep a manual log of key distribution activity to be in accordance with the terms of the MSDNAA License Terms.

  • E-academy License Management System (ELMS): ELMS is a Web-based software distribution system that Program Administrators can tailor to their department’s needs. ELMS is offered as a free benefit to MSDN Academic Alliance member departments worldwide, so no additional fees apply in order to use it. Essentially, ELMS enables Administrators to create a customized Web-based software and key distribution mechanism for their department, deploy it to their students, and enjoy the benefit of the maintenance-free record keeping inherent to the ELMS system. Note: There is a brief deployment process, but the seamless record keeping, broad distribution, and easy maintenance are significant! We highly recommend that all Administrators consider the use of ELMS, which can be deployed in one of three ways:

    1. Campus Hosted Downloads: This method of deployment allows Administrators to create an account for their department on the ELMS Application Server, upload identities of all students in their department, and create a locally hosted (on-campus) download server that eligible students can use to get their software.

    Advantages: Identities, transactions, and records are automatically managed; locally hosted server enables student downloads to be very fast.

    Disadvantages: Requires administrators to create a local download server (using a tool provided by Microsoft); MSDNAA software inventory must be downloaded to local server.

    2. Direct Student Download: This method of deployment allows Administrators to create an account for their department on the ELMS Application Server, upload identities of all students in their department, and give eligible students access to a pre-configured download server.

    Advantages: Extremely rapid, hassle-free set-up; requires no server maintenance on the part of the administrator.

    Disadvantages: Available in Europe, Middle East, and Africa only; remote server can cause slow downloads.

    3. Burn Station: This is a variation of the Campus Hosted Download. The Burn Station method follows nearly the same deployment scheme as the campus-hosted download, but it allows students to obtain product keys and burn copies of products in their computer labs.

    Advantages: Does not require students to have an Internet connection.

    Disadvantages: Does not allow students to download remotely.

    Learn more about ELMS and read a step-by-step deployment guide.

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