If you’ve ever tried to buy Adobe or Microsoft software — think Photoshop or Microsoft Word — you know it’s not cheap. That’s where a program offered by the University System of Georgia (USG) comes in handy.

The Software Resource and Services (SRS) personal software store was created to provide USG faculty, staff, and students with discounted, brand-name software for personal use. (Georgia Tech does offer free software downloads for certain programs that are used for work purposes.)

“The store was created back in 2011 and was initially only available to some institutions in the system,” said Jack Delinsky, director of SRS. “But now all USG colleges and universities participate.”

Read on for more about the personal store.

How do you determine an item’s price?      
SRS compares it against online stores such as Amazon.com and lowers it as much as possible. Depending on the cost we can get from the distributor, it can vary greatly. If we can’t provide the best price, based on our research or input from employees and students, we won’t put the item in our store.

What do I need to make a purchase?      
An account and a credit card. (Accounts are established using your Tech email, which will serve as your account ID.)

Can people download software online?        
Many of our products are available for download — meaning you don’t have to wait for us to ship you discs.

Can I continue to use software purchased in the store if I leave the USG?        
If you are purchasing something from the personal store, the license is yours to keep, even if you leave a system institution.

How does the full version of software differ from the student/educator version?       
The version for students/educators is often a slimmed down version offered at a lower price. In our case, we usually just offer the full version, because we can offer it at a lower cost than what the student/educator version would normally cost.

For more information about software available from the SRS personal store, click here.