Microsoft Select Agreement:

All other Microsoft products not included under the Campus Agreement must be purchased separately and can be obtained at a discount through our Microsoft Academic Select agreement. This would include all of the server products and other frequently requested items such as Visio and Project.

Virtually all software purchased under the Select agreement is granted as a perpetual license with a one-time payment.  Software Assurance (SA) is available for an extra fee that provides upgrades to any new versions released during the time the purchase is covered by SA. SA must be purchased for the full remaining time the Select Agreement is scheduled to be in effect.  UAB's Select Agreement runs through August 2008, thereby requiring that any SA purchases also run through August 2008.  SA is sold in full year increments only, so if you purchase a product with SA in May of 2007, you will pay for 2 years of SA (September 2006 through August 2008).  Purchases beginning in September 2007 will only pay for 1 year through August 2008.

Once SA benefits expire the user still owns the perpetual license and any version upgrades that were released during the SA term.  While SA is not required and not always cost effective, users should pay close attention to when new version upgrades/releases are planned by MS as it may make sense to purchase SA especially if a purchase must be made immediately and a new release is only a few months away.