Reviewing and enhancing our digital licensing service

The value of collective negotiation

Effective licensing is a critical foundation for UK education and research, ensuring institutions have affordable access to digital content and software solutions under terms and conditions that reflect UK institutional requirements.

We negotiate licensing agreements for over 300 software and digital content solutions on behalf of universities, colleges and customers. By aggregating the sector’s demand, members can get valuable discounts, terms and access conditions to licensed digital solutions.

In 2022/23 Jisc negotiations saved our members more than £300m on licences.

Licensing enhancement programme

We are expanding our licensing service in recognition of the increased need to secure affordable and sustainable agreements that match the evolving needs of UK education and research. This will empower our members and customers to realise their research, teaching and learning and organisational ambitions.

Key developments

We have been developing our portfolio of education, research and enterprise-wide solutions to align with the priority needs and future challenges of our members and customers.

Cyber security solutions

Software to address cyber security issues:

• Certero: IT asset management (ITAM) and software asset management (SAM) - provides a unified platform for managing IT hardware, software, SaaS, and cloud assets
• Gatewatcher: Network detection and response (NDR) and cyber threats intelligence (CTI) solution - analyses vulnerabilities to detect and respond quickly to cyber-attacks
• Microsoft Defender: (available through the broader Microsoft EES Education Qualified User Agreement): Integrated cyber security solution for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices - protects against malware, viruses, and other digital threats, with advanced threat detection and response
• Snow: SAM - manages software licences to optimise costs and ensure compliance
• Tanium: Extended detection and response platform (XDR) (including SAM) - provides endpoint management and security to manage software assets and improve IT operations

Employability and skills solutions

Software and content to build work readiness through digital, industry-relevant, and soft skills development:

Employability and digital skills

• Bodyswaps: A soft skills training solution offering a library of AI-powered VR simulations, empowering students to practise and develop their communication, job interview and leadership skills
• VirtualSpeech: A soft skills training platform, with a focus on communication skills such as public speaking, interviews, sales, and leadership. It offers web-based simulations or virtual reality and e-learning modules

Industry skills and resources

• Metaverse Learning: Interactive and immersive content using virtual and augmented reality solutions for technical and vocational curriculum
• FocusXR: Real-world training environments in 360° virtual reality. Workplace and difficult-to-access learning environments for learning and development, vocational training, and higher education, including office-based skills, job preparation and interview skills to hazardous construction and electric vehicle production, to health and social care
• Osmosis: Short, animated videos and interactive study tools support the teaching of the foundational content and essential sciences, clinical and practice skills of modern health programmes
• Visible Body: 3D anatomy, physiology, pathology, and biology content as well as LMS integration and the ability to create dynamic lessons, assignments, and assessments

Research solutions

The electronic research and laboratory notebook (ERN) dynamic purchasing system (DPS) can help you purchase electronic research and laboratory notebook (ERN) products from approved suppliers.

We are currently in negotiation with many prospective vendors to secure beneficial agreements to maximise your budget in the cyber security, employability and skills and research spaces.

In addition to launching new agreements, we are:

• Enhancing our strategic groups to ensure negotiation strategy reflects market conditions, continues to represent the diversity of our membership and maximises on the value of collective negotiation
• Fully integrating our Chest platform into our licensing offer and working towards delivering a new single portal for the discovery, procurement and management of all our agreements
• Growing our vendor relationship management and customer success function to ensure our vendors can respond to UK education and research requirements and support the effective implementation and use of their solutions
• Developing and implementing new due diligence (in addition to standard procurement due diligence) in areas such as AI and data to support flexibility, choice, and competition for our members
• Increasing our contribution to the sustainability of Jisc through the collection of fees in return for the services we provide to vendors