Officials tout benefits of Microsoft home use program

  • Published
  • By Phil Berube
  • Operations and Sustainment Systems Group Public Affairs
GUNTER ANNEX, Ala. (AFPN) --  For about the cost of a month’s subscription to an Internet service provider, most Airmen can get a copy of the software application they are currently using on their office desktops for use on their personal home computers.

The benefit, dubbed the Microsoft home use program, is part of Microsoft’s commercial Software Assurance program. It was included in the overall Air Force Microsoft Enterprise License Agreement, which consolidates more than 40 separate license agreements across the Air Force into one.

For a small fee, Airmen, civilian employees and certain contractors assigned to eligible units can get a licensed copy of the same software they are using at work for home use.

“Having the same software at home allows them to become more proficient at their jobs,” said Alphonso Bryant, the manager of the Air Force Microsoft Enterprise License Agreement at the Operations and Sustainment Systems Group here. “And if they become more proficient at their jobs, then they’ll be able to accomplish the Air Force mission more efficiently.”

Although the benefit almost sounds too good to be true, Mr. Bryant said only about 6 percent of eligible participants have actually taken advantage of the program.

“Several of the people I’ve talked to about the program said they weren’t even aware it existed,” he said. “A few others have said they don’t have a home computer.”

Complete program details and eligibility requirements can be found online at https://www.gunter.af.mil/contracting/microsoftea/homeuse.aspx. To get the program code needed to purchase the software on the program Web site, people need to contact their command or organization’s software benefits administrator. A complete list of administrators can be found online at https://www.gunter.af.mil/contracting/microsoftea/documents.aspx. People can click on “Air Force MS Enterprise Agreement MVLS SBA POCs.”

“The only condition attached with the home use program is personal usage rights are tied to continued employment with the Air Force and ends with termination of employment or expiration of the Air Force’s enrollment in Software Assurance,” Mr. Bryant said.

People transferring from one eligible unit to another eligible unit do not need to remove the software, he said.

Getting the inexpensive software is easier than people may believe, said Capt. Lee Beiermann, of OSSG, who recently purchased software for his home computer.

“The process is simple and easy, and I would definitely recommend anyone who is eligible to take advantage of the benefit,” he said.

Another lesser known benefit of the Microsoft agreement is the employee purchase program. This benefit allows eligible participants to purchase Microsoft licenses and other consumer products at discounted prices. Again, people need to contact their administrator for the program code needed to purchase the products.