A new scheme will allow all Isle of Man students to access multiple copies of Microsoft’s Office 365 suite of applications.
The scheme is available to all Isle of Man students, including those at University College Isle of Man (UCM), and has been launched by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture in collaboration with Government Technology Services.
Students simply log in to a dedicated Office 365 portal, using their usual school or UCM credentials, to make use of this industry-standard range of software, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
The applications will work on a variety of devices and platforms, from PCs to Macs and from tablets to mobile phones.
Once downloaded they can be used at home for study, homework and for any other personal use. The applications will remain available for as long as students remain in full-time education.
This new package will also save students a substantial amount of money, with Office 365 usually only available for an initial fee plus annual renewal charges. It has been made available, at no extra cost, as part of the general Microsoft licence agreement Government pays for access to Office 365 within schools.
Graham Cregeen MHK, Minister for Education, Sport and Culture, commented:
“This is great news for all Isle of Man students both on and off Island. With just a few clicks they will be able to make use of a whole package of software at absolutely no cost to themselves. And they will be able to use this software all the time they stay in education.
“This is ample evidence of the Department’s buying power being used to the benefit of all our students, and a clear indication of how seriously we take our commitment to a digitally connected Isle of Man.”
