University Technology Purchases

• Software needs: Verify that the desired software is compatible with existing or new equipment, the number of licenses and location for install.
• Equipment needs: Please provide as much information as possible. Examples include:
  • Type of equipment: laptop, desktop, monitor, etc.
  • Model name
  • Model number
  • Manufacturer part number
  • Link to item found on website
• Reason for purchase (how the equipment will be used)
• Accessories
• Equipment location (building/room)
• Furniture/space for the equipment (contact Capital Planning)
• Electrical/network connection needed in that space

Software: All new software purchases must be approved by the appropriate department chair.

The initial software purchase is paid by the department making the request. Maintenance and support costs are paid by the Technology department after year one. Annual recurring costs will increase the University's overall software budget and will need approval by the VP of Finance and Administration before purchasing.

Equipment: For more information regarding what equipment is eligible for refresh by the Technology department refer to the User Device Refresh Policy (PDF).

Software Purchases: Please complete the Software Purchase Request Form (Web Form). Sign in with your Fitchburg State email address and Falcon Key password. If you are making the request for an Academic Department, be sure to select the department from the drop down menu on the form.

Equipment purchases: Once approval is obtained email the CIO Office at cjohnston@fitchburgstate.edu with the information gathered in Step 1.

The CIO Office will work with State and MHEC Contracted vendors to obtain a price quote. Additional ordering instructions will be provided to you with the quote for ordering.

Enter the order in Banner, referencing the quote number provided.

For software purchases be sure to do the following:

1. Assign delivery on requisition to “Cheryl Johnston for (insert your name)”
2. Include the State or MHEC contract number, and specify "End User: FSIT-Software@fitchburgstate.edu."

All software licensing and media for the campus is stored in a central location within the CIO Office area for inventory and auditing purposes.

IT Equipment will be received and asset tagged (depending on dollar amount) by Materials Management. Equipment will be delivered to the IT Help Desk for deployment to individuals or departments. IT Staff will contact you to schedule a date/time for deployment.

The following software is available to all faculty and staff members of the University. This software can only be installed on university owned systems per the licensing agreements. Items marked with an asterisk (*) are also available to students.

• Derive - Computer algebra software
• MATLAB - Mathematical software
• *Microsoft Office - Word processing, spreadsheets, presentation, database software and more (if purchasing Microsoft Office for a non-university owned computer, this must be purchased on the WebStore. See Software Discounts for pricing).
• Adobe Acrobat Pro - Create and edit PDF files
• Adobe Creative Cloud - Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, etc.
• *SPSS - Statistical software 
• Visio Pro - Business diagramming software

The following software is available to faculty/staff members on their personal computers.

• MATLAB - Mathematical software
• Logger Pro - Data collection and analysis software
• SPSS - Statistical software

Be sure the System is Energy Star rated, meaning the system meets low power requirements set by the Energy Star Program. Consider purchasing equipment with a Solid State Drive (no spinning, uses less power).

• Is the equipment manufacturer using recyclable materials in their product?
• Is the equipment manufacturer using recycled materials to produce their packaging? 25 – 50% recyclable is acceptable.
• Can the packaging material be recycled by the consumer? What percentage? It should be close to 100%.
• Is the equipment manufacturer making an effort to reduce the packaging size, which will ultimately reduce their carbon footprint? Smaller packages means more items will fit on planes, boats, and trucks, ultimately saving on CO2 emissions.
• Is the equipment manufacturer eliminating harmful substances from their products? Examples of harmful substances include:
  • Lead
  • Mercury
  • Cadmium
  • Hexavalent chromium
  • Brominated flame retardants (BFR)
  • Arsenic
  • Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
• Is the system EPEAT Gold rated? Gold rated systems meet the highest environmental standards set by EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) standards.

• Energy Savings through reduced power consumption
• Lower Equipment Cost
• Extended Life of the system – 10 yrs vs. 4 yrs
• Less Electronic Waste due to extended life
• Better disaster recovery – files stored on server not computer
• Good Ergonomics – height adjustable stand pivots, tilts and swivels
• Connects to network resulting in low heat, lower power consumption,
• Reduced energy and cooling costs
• According to a Samsung study, electricity can be cut by at least 60% when compared to a traditional PC.

• Lightweight
• 3-Cell (50Whr) Long-Life Battery - Longer battery life allows user the ability to save on power consumption
• Solid State Drive (SSD) – with no spinning parts, your drive uses less energy
• Product is 96.6% recyclable when properly disposed
• Use 50% recycled plastic in their packaging material
• Use 70% recycled material in their paper packaging
• Require 100% of their packaging material to be recyclable

• Meets Energy Star 6.1 qualifications – 6.1 sets higher efficiency limits for power supplies and aggressive limits for power consumption
• Made from Aluminum which is highly recyclable
• Removed harmful toxins making them more environmentally friendly – eliminating Brominated Flame Retardants(BFRs) and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) from its air circuit boards, internal and external cables, connectors, insulators, adhesives and more.

• Purchasing One of the smallest enterprise class desktops (the Mini) provides significant savings in energy consumption, material use, and physical space requirement
• Uses 39% less material by weight than the Ultra-Slim Desktop
• Consumes 22% less energy than the Ultra-Slim Desktop
• 11% reduction in product carbon footprint

• Packaging material is almost entirely recyclable
• Retail box is made from a minimum 25% post-consumer recycled content
• Enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum, and glass
• Arsenic-free display glass, brominated flame retardants (BFR)-free, internal cables free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), mercury-free LED-backlit display, PVC- free AC power cord

• Low Voltage Systems
• Low Voltage Power Supply
• Solid State Drive (SSD) – No spinning, uses less power
• 1U and 2U Rack servers – smaller, use less space in rack and allow for in-rack cooling (a more efficient way of cooling)

• Is RoHS (Restriction of Use of Hazardous Substances) compliant, and takes it one step further with the following restrictions: Brominated Flame Retardant (BFR)-free, PVC-free internal cables, and PVC-free AC power cord.
• Consumes 75% less energy than the limit for Energy Star 6.0 program requirements.
• Recyclable aluminum enclosure
• Packaging is made from at least 50% recycled material
• Packaging size was reduced by 35% from its original packaging of the first-generation Mac-mini

• Black & White (color printing is costly and can be performed by our Print Services Department more cost effectively)
• Reduced per-page carbon footprint by up to 46% compared to competing brands
• Power Consumption on average lower than comparable printer models
• Cost per page on average is lower than comparable printer models

• Projector has Sleep Mode which can be set from 1 to 30 minutes to save energy
• Longer bulb life while in ECO mode (up to 4000 hours). Reducing the need for bulb replacement also reduces the amount of hazardous waste. Projector bulbs contain mercury and therefore contain hazardous materials.
• Product is RoHS (Restriction of Use of Hazardous Substances) compliant which limits the amount of mercury that is used to manufacture the bulbs.
• Product is recyclable

• Recyclable Aluminum Enclosure
• Arsenic-free display glass, brominated flame retardants (BFR)-free, internal cables free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), mercury-free LED-backlit display, PVC-free AC power cord
• Packaging is recyclable, and is made from 38% recycled content

• Solid State Drive (SSD) no spinning parts, uses less power
• Recyclable Magnesium Enclosure

• Ergonomic features for comfort and health – Tilt, swivel adjustable
• Arsenic-free display glass, Mercury-free display backlights, low halogen
• Power consumption: typical wattage of 20W, maximum 28W

The Goal of Green IT at Fitchburg State University is to reduce the use of hazardous materials, maximize energy efficiency during the equipment lifecycle, and promote the recyclability of defunct equipment.

According to the Climate Savers Computing Initiative (CSCI) which was formed in 2007 and later joined The Green Grid in 2012, the typical desktop PC wastes more than half of the power it draws from a power outlet. Servers typically waste 30-40% of the power they consume. This energy is wasted as heat. As a result, offices, homes, and data centers have increased demands on air conditioning which in turn increases energy requirements and associated costs.

The Technology Department at Fitchburg State University works with vendors to purchase equipment that meets Energy Star ratings, and receives EPEAT GOLD ratings.

The Energy Star program is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency voluntary program that identifies energy efficient products. While the Energy Star rated product may cost slightly more than its less-efficient counterpart, the added cost will be recovered with increased energy efficiency through utility bill savings within a reasonable time period.

EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) is a program that evaluates desktops and laptops on 51 environmental criteria to determine if they are an Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP). Based on the number of criteria a product meets, it is registered as a bronze, silver or gold EPEAT product. All EPEAT products are compliant with the Energy Star standards when the product was released.