Getting help

Buying software

Information for students, faculty, and staff in the professional schools:

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Before you make a purchase

Before you go online and buy, take a few minutes to review your needs. This first step will save you valuable time. If you have any questions, please contact your local support person.

To start, take a look at the ITS Software Library to see if there are any special license arrangements for the program you are looking for. Some common software packages (like Norton Antivirus) are available free of charge to the Yale community.

Students and faculty looking for certain Microsoft products should check the Microsoft Developer Network Academic Alliance site to see if the title they seek is covered by the program and thus available at no charge.

Please note that Yale University does not have an institutional site license for Microsoft products. A small number of departments have contracted with Microsoft under the Campus Agreement program for Office and Windows upgrades. If you are not sure you should check to see if your department or professional school is covered by this agreement before making a purchase. If not covered under the agreement you will need to purchase a license. When making an institutional purchase, you can simply purchase a license and a copy of the media (CD) under the Campus Select Agreement. However, if you are using a personal credit card to purchase Office for a personally owned machine, or for a family member, you cannot purchase a license under this program.

Where to buy software

When making institutional purchases it is recommended that faculty and staff use the ePortal. Within the last two years, Yale ITS and the Procurement Department have aggressively worked to build strong partnerships with hardware and software vendors. As a result, purchasing these items has never been easier. Every Yale faculty member, student, and staff member can use the ePortal to purchase computers, software, and supplies at discounts that have been carefully negotiated. It is strongly recommended that institutional purchases of Microsoft titles be made via the eportal as the deeply discounted licensing of our Microsoft Select agreement is available only via the eportal.

Going online to buy

To purchase software online using the ePortal, please follow these steps:

1. Point your browser to www.yale.edu/eportal.

2. Select "Computer Equipment, Software & Supplies."

3. Log in using your Yale NetID and password on the next screen.

4. From the ePortal page - select the type of software you wish to purchase from the menu on the left-hand side of the screen.

5. Clicking one of the links will spawn a smaller browser window and take you to the Yale-customized GovConnection web site.

6. If this is your first time going online to make a purchase you will need to click the link in the left-hand column "Enroll Now." This will lead you to a series of screens in which you will set up an account with GovConnection. You need to do this before making a purchase on line. This step will save you time later, if you make regular purchases.

7. Once logged in you will be asked to specify if you are making an institutional or personal purchase.

8. If you know the manufacturers product number you can enter it in the search box to the left side of the window.

9. Once you've found the product you are interested in purchasing, click the "Add to cart" button. You can then "Check out" or continue shopping. You can return to your shopping cart at any time by clicking the "View Cart" link to the left side of the window.

10. If you have any questions regarding the availability of a product, you can contact one of the campus representatives by email or phone. Email links and phone numbers can be accessed by clicking the "Your Account Team" link at the lower left side of the window.

Please note that GovConnection also offers special Yale pricing on printers and other peripherals.