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E-rate and Microsoft IT solutions for schools and districts
The Universal Service Fund Schools and Libraries Program, also known as E-rate, can help provide eligible schools and districts—as determined by the number of students who qualify for free and reduced-price lunch—with the means to make strategic investments in critical technology infrastructure solutions.
E-rate divides products and services into four funding categories with two priorities:
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Priority one
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Telecommunications services
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Internet access
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Priority two
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Internal connections
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Basic maintenance
Priority one products and services are generally funded before those considered priority two. The internal connections category (priority two) includes communications technology such as email, voice mail, and PBXs, as well as video conferencing, web hosting, and virtualization. Microsoft solutions can be customized to help you reduce the cost of your overall communications services, boost productivity by streamlining communications technologies, and can help position your institution for the future of E-rate.
Click to view eligibility, technologies included, and customer stories.
Unified communications
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Solution
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E-rate eligibility
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Customer success
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Email and voice mail solutions See the Microsoft IT solution for unified communications
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- The Schools and Libraries Program includes Internet-based email as an eligible service under the Internet access category.
- Some functions of email services are not eligible, such as email archiving, and the cost allocation must be clearly delineated between eligible and ineligible email functionalities.
Technologies:
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Solution
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E-rate eligibility
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Customer success
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PBX replacement See the Microsoft IT solution for unified communications
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- The Schools and Libraries Program includes interconnected VoIP as an eligible service under priority-one funding if hosted as on off-site service.
- Software for server-based, VoIP user licenses is eligible under priority two funding, as is VoIP telephony equipment.
Technologies:
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Distance learning, web hosting, and virtualization
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Solution
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E-rate eligibility
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Customer success
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Distance learning with video conferencing See the Microsoft IT solution for Learning management systems
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- The Schools and Libraries Program includes voice or video conferencing services under priority one funding—if hosted as an off-site service—if they provide a means for multiple users to participate in group discussions and are limited only to eligible educational or library purposes.
- Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 provides users with web-based conferencing with integrated audio and video.
Technologies:
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Solution
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E-rate eligibility
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Customer success
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Web hosting See the Microsoft IT solution for Web portals for K-12.
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- E-rate helps provide funding for a web hosting service that offers a means for a school or library to display content on the Internet.
- The funding eligibility also includes password-protected pages.
Technologies:
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Solution
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E-rate eligibility
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Customer success
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Virtualization See the Microsoft IT solution for Virtualization.
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- Virtualization qualifies as priority one funding when it is offered as a managed service supplied by an outside provider to a school or library.
- Virtualization qualifies as a priority two service in the Internal Connections funding category when a school or library uses virtualization software.
- E-rate funding applies to the cost of installation, implementation, and ongoing maintenance costs.
Technologies:
*A virtualization server that is a server-based shared product is eligible if used
for an eligible server function, for example, SharePoint, Communication Server,
or Exchange.
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