Source: Own Illustration
Good news for all users of the Software Shop from RWTH Aachen University institutions: Starting immediately, items from the Microsoft (MS) Select Plus agreement can be ordered again.
Following a successful new tendering and the resulting change in the provider for B products, the RWTH Software Shop is once again the central point of contact for all software orders—whether A- or B-products. The shop is operated by our partner asknet.
In this post, you’ll learn what this means, why the ordering domain has changed, and what new features you can look forward to in the user interface.
Microsoft Select Plus in the Software Shop
The following products from the MS Select Plus agreement are now available to university departments through the RWTH Software Store:
- Licenses without Software Assurance
- Software Assurance (Maintenance)
Orders for licenses that include Software Assurance are expected to be available starting in August 2026. Currently, the monthly decreasing costs—which depend on the university-specific contract effective date—cannot yet be displayed in the system. However, our contract partner is already working on adapting the billing system accordingly. You can always find the latest information on IT Center Changes.
RWTH’s existing framework conditions for purchasing items under the MS Select Plus agreement remain unchanged. Only the prices have been renegotiated, and a new discount rate applies. For more information on the Microsoft contracts, visit IT Center Help.
The Software Shop is operated by our partner, asknet GmbH, which has been part of Academic Software BV since September 2024. Therefore, the ordering process takes place via a domain owned by Academic Software.
Improved User Interface in the Software Shop
In addition to integrating the MS Select Plus agreement, the update also includes several improvements to the Software Shop user experience:
- All available items are now displayed directly on the home page. You no longer need to select a price group before placing an order.
- Price groups can still be conveniently selected using a filter on the left side of the page.
- Price groups with an OrgID are now named according to their respective functions, which makes navigation easier.
- When items from different price groups are ordered, the system automatically separates them in the shopping cart (e.g., Students, “IT Orderers,” and “Product B – MS Select Plus”).
Further Information
You can find an overview of the features of the RWTH Software Shop in our previous blog post or on IT Center Changes.
Information on access and other details about the Software Shop can be found on IT Center Help. If you have any further questions, please contact the IT-ServiceDesk.
Responsible for the content of this article are Miriam Kohns, Hannah Loock and Nora Stahl.
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