An article published in the April 5 issue of the Alligator contained some misinformation about the UFApps service. On behalf of UF Information Technology, I would like to clarify these issues.
1. UFApps does not mean “free software.”
UFApps is a pilot service funded by the Student Technology Fee and administered by UFIT. The university negotiates software agreements to cover usage in classrooms, labs and administrative units. Software available through UFApps is licensed and provided for use in a virtual environment.
2. There are no technical difficulties with UFApps.
No technical problems have been reported with any applications. UFApps provides students access to licensed software from almost any computing device anywhere there’s an Internet connection. Student feedback about UFApps has been overwhelmingly positive.
3. UF’s Adobe license
UFIT has written permission from Adobe to include their applications in UFApps, which were initially available when the service launched March 12. Subsequent to launch, Adobe raised some licensing questions for discussion. As a gesture of good faith toward those discussions, UFIT removed the Adobe applications from UFApps. Our discussions with Adobe are positive and ongoing. We hope to have the issue resolved shortly.
The reporter stated that, due to the unavailability of Adobe via UFApps, students are “resorting to older version of the programs and cracked software to complete their assignments.”
This is an excellent opportunity to remind students that lawful use of software, media and all intellectual property is a core value of our university. Improperly acquired or unlicensed software puts you at legal risk. For more information, I encourage students to read the university’s Acceptable Use Policy.
Microsoft OneNote and InfoPath 2010 have been added since UFApps’ launch last month. We look forward to expanding and enhancing this student pilot.
