Microsoft:

Bell Techlogix has received the award for one year as the reseller for the Microsoft agreement (August 1, 2024 - July 31, 2025). The official award for this one year reseller extension was approved at the Board of Regents meeting on April 19th. The Bell Techlogix renewal forms (true-up) were emailed to the primary contact at each institution. We will need the completed form returned by June 11th. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Microsoft will retire the Office 365 A1 Plus program. All existing Office 365 A1 Plus licenses will expire August 1, 2024. Office 365 A1 will continue to be free to Education customers. You can log into your M365 Admin Center (admin.microsoft.com) to view assigned licenses. Go to Billing and then Your Products to see your active licenses and quantity assigned to users.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is through 3/14/2026. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Note that Microsoft Surface devices are listed on this contract. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to receive a price quote.

Adobe:

The next opportunity to join the ETLA or add additional licenses to your agreement will be in August 2024. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for contract pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix will be closed on Monday, May 27th in observance of Memorial Day. We hope you have a nice Memorial Day to honor those who served our nation and are no longer with us.

Microsoft:

Microsoft 365 Copilot for Education is available for purchase. You may request a quote from your Bell Techlogix representative. M365 Copilot informational link - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2023/03/16/introducing-microsoft-365-copilot-a-whole-new-way-to-work/

Microsoft will retire the Office 365 A1 Plus program. All existing Office 365 A1 Plus licenses will expire August 1, 2024. Office 365 A1 will continue to be free to Education customers. You can log into your M365 Admin Center (admin.microsoft.com) to view assigned licenses. Go to Billing and then Your Products to see your active licenses and quantity assigned to users.

Contract information is located on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org or feel free to contact your Bell Techlogix representative with any questions.

Microsoft will retire the Office 365 A1 Plus program. All existing Office 365 A1 Plus licenses will expire August 1, 2024. Office 365 A1 will continue to be free to Education customers. You can log into your M365 Admin Center (admin.microsoft.com) to view assigned licenses. Go to Billing and then Your Products to see your active licenses and quantity assigned to users.

Contract information is located on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org or feel free to contact your Bell Techlogix representative with any questions.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is through 3/14/2026. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Note that Microsoft Surface devices are listed on this contract. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to receive a price quote.

Adobe:

The next opportunity to join the ETLA or add additional licenses to your agreement will be in August 2024. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for contract pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

The 2024 MEEC Member Conference and Vendor showcase is scheduled for Thursday, April 18th at Martin's West. Registration and additional information are posted on the MEEC website meec-edu.org. Make sure you stop by our table as we would love to see you.

Microsoft:

Microsoft 365 Copilot for Education will be available in January. Please see this link for additional information. https://educationblog.microsoft.com/en-us/2023/12/expanding-microsoft-copilot-access-in-education

Microsoft will retire the Office 365 A1 Plus program. All existing Office 365 A1 Plus licenses will expire August 1, 2024. Office 365 A1 will continue to be free to Education customers. You can log into your M365 Admin Center (admin.microsoft.com) to view assigned licenses. Go to Billing and then Your Products to see your active licenses and quantity assigned to users.

Contract information is located on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org or feel free to contact your Bell Techlogix representative with any questions.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is through 3/14/2026. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Note that Microsoft Surface devices are listed on this contract. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to receive a price quote.

Adobe:

The next opportunity to join the ETLA or add additional licenses to your agreement will be in August 2024. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for contract pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

Has the primary contact at your school for your Microsoft or Adobe ETLA agreement changed? If so, please let your Bell Techlogix representative know. We will be reaching out to the primary contacts later this year with renewal information and want to ensure we have the correct information for each MEEC member.

Microsoft:

Microsoft 365 Copilot for Education will be available in January. Please see this link for additional information. https://educationblog.microsoft.com/en-us/2023/12/expanding-microsoft-copilot-access-in-education

Microsoft will retire the Office 365 A1 Plus program. All existing Office 365 A1 Plus licenses will expire August 1, 2024. Office 365 A1 will continue to be free to Education customers. You can log into your M365 Admin Center (admin.microsoft.com) to view assigned licenses. Go to Billing and then Your Products to see your active licenses and quantity assigned to users.

Contract information is located on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org or feel free to contact your Bell Techlogix representative with any questions.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is through 3/14/2026. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Note that Microsoft Surface devices are listed on this contract. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to receive a price quote.

Adobe:

Members who are adding additional licenses to their ETLA agreement will need to issue a Purchase Order by February 6th. The next opportunity to join the ETLA or add additional licenses to your agreement will be in August 2024.

Bell Techlogix:

Has the primary contact at your school for your Microsoft or Adobe ETLA agreement changed? If so, please let your Bell Techlogix representative know. We will be reaching out to the primary contacts later this year with renewal information and want to ensure we have the correct information for each MEEC member.

Microsoft:

Microsoft 365 Copilot for Education will be available in January. Please see this link for additional information. https://educationblog.microsoft.com/en-us/2023/12/expanding-microsoft-copilot-access-in-education

Microsoft will retire the Office 365 A1 Plus program. All existing Office 365 A1 Plus licenses will expire August 1, 2024. Office 365 A1 will continue to be free to Education customers. You can log into your M365 Admin Center (admin.microsoft.com) to view assigned licenses. Go to Billing and then Your Products to see your active licenses and quantity assigned to users.

Contract information is located on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org or feel free to contact your Bell Techlogix representative with any questions.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is through 3/14/2026. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Note that Microsoft Surface devices are listed on this contract. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to receive a price quote.

Adobe:

There will be an opportunity to join the ETLA agreement in February 2024. Members who have already joined will be able to add additional licenses to your agreement at that time. Schools will need to commit in early January and Purchase Orders will need to be issued by February 6th. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for contract pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

Happy New Year! Please feel free to contact us with any questions or requests. Please note that our offices will be closed on Monday, January 1st.

Bryan Zatkulak - bzatkulak@belltechlogix.com - 888-989-8560
USM Institutions, JHU Affiliates and MSDE

Dana McNeil - dmcneil@belltechlogix.com - 877-394-7900
All K-12 Private Schools and K-12 Public Schools M-Z

Lisa Goolsby - lgoolsby@belltechlogix.com - 877-213-5990
Public Libraries, Community and Private Colleges, and K-12 Public Schools A-L

Sarah Taggart - staggart@belltechlogix.com - 800-962-3550
Outside Sales Account Manager - Primary Contact for Service Requests, Helpdesk Inquiries or Onsite Visits

Microsoft:

Microsoft will retire the Office 365 A1 Plus program. All existing Office 365 A1 Plus licenses will expire August 1, 2024. Office 365 A1 will continue to be free to Education customers. You can log into your M365 Admin Center (admin.microsoft.com) to view assigned licenses. Go to Billing and then Your Products to see your active licenses and quantity assigned to users.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is through 3/14/2026. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Note that Microsoft Surface devices are listed on this contract. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to receive a price quote.

Adobe:

There will be an opportunity to join the ETLA agreement in February 2024. Members who have already joined will be able to add additional licenses to your agreement at that time. Schools will need to commit in early January and Purchase Orders will need to be issued by February 6th. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for contract pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

Our offices will be closed on December 22nd, 25th and 29th for the holidays. We wish you all a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season!

Microsoft:

Microsoft will retire the Office 365 A1 Plus program. All existing Office 365 A1 Plus licenses will expire August 1, 2024. Office 365 A1 will continue to be free to Education customers.

Microsoft has renamed Azure AD to Microsoft Entra ID. There are no changes to any Azure AD capabilities, APIs, login URLs, PowerShell cmdlets, Microsoft authentication library (MSAL), developer experiences, or tooling. All deployments, configurations, and integrations will continue to work without interruption.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is through 3/14/2026. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Note that Microsoft Surface devices are listed on this contract. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to receive a price quote.

Adobe:

There will be an opportunity to join the ETLA agreement in February 2024. Members who have already joined will be able to add additional licenses to your agreement at that time. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for contract pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

Our offices will be closed on November 23rd and 24th for Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!

Microsoft:

Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 support will end on October 10, 2023. After that date, those titles will no longer receive security updates, bug fixes, technical support, or online technical content updates. You may want to consider upgrading to the latest release of Windows Server or you can purchase the Extended Security license.

Microsoft will retire the Office 365 A1 Plus program. All existing Office 365 A1 Plus licenses will expire August 1, 2024. Office 365 A1 will continue to be free to Education customers.

Microsoft has renamed Azure AD to Microsoft Entra ID. There are no changes to any Azure AD capabilities, APIs, login URLs, PowerShell cmdlets, Microsoft authentication library (MSAL), developer experiences, or tooling. All deployments, configurations, and integrations will continue to work without interruption.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is through 3/14/2026. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Note that Microsoft Surface devices are listed on this contract. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to receive a price quote.

Adobe:

There will be an opportunity to join the ETLA agreement in February 2024. Members who have already joined will be able to add additional licenses to your agreement at that time. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for contract pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

We are emailing out invoices whenever possible. Please let us know if you have an email address that we can use when sending out automatically generated invoices. You may send your accounts payable email address to your Bell Techlogix representative or btlcredit@belltechlogix.com. Invoices will be emailed from btl.ap@belltechlogix.com with the subject line "Bell Techlogix: Invoice #------ (Customer PO. -----) is now available".

Microsoft:

Thank you for your patience and support as we navigated through the process of the first year of the new agreement. Feel free to contact us if you have any agreement questions.

Contact your Bell Techlogix Representative if you would like to add any O365 Pro Plus Device subscriptions (#RQL-00001-M) to your agreement at no extra charge.

Microsoft has renamed Azure AD to Microsoft Entra ID. There are no changes to any Azure AD capabilities, APIs, login URLs, PowerShell cmdlets, Microsoft authentication library (MSAL), developer experiences, or tooling. All deployments, configurations, and integrations will continue to work without interruption.

Microsoft will retire the Office 365 A1 Plus program. All existing Office 365 A1 Plus licenses will expire August 1, 2024. Office 365 A1 will continue to be free to Education customers.

Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 support will end on October 10, 2023. After that date, those titles will no longer receive security updates, bug fixes, technical support, or online technical content updates. You may want to consider upgrading to the latest release of Windows Server over the next few months.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is through 3/14/2026. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.
Note that Microsoft Surface devices are listed on this contract. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to receive a price quote.

Note that Microsoft Surface devices are listed on this contract. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to receive a price quote.

Adobe:

There will be an opportunity to join the ETLA agreement in February 2024. Members who have already joined will be able to add additional licenses to your agreement at that time. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for contract pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix offices will be closed on Monday, September 4th. We hope you have a wonderful Labor Day and a great start to the new school year!

Microsoft:

The primary contact at each institution will receive the renewal confirmation email in August from Microsoft for the 08/01/23 to 07/31/24 term. We recommend that you read and retain all future Microsoft emails which will include an email for the instructions on accessing the MAC portal (Microsoft 365 Admin Center) and the Azure portal (if utilizing Azure). To have these emails resent, requires contacting Microsoft Support. As always, if there are any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at any time.

Microsoft has renamed Azure AD to Microsoft Entra ID. There are no changes to any Azure AD capabilities, APIs, login URLs, PowerShell cmdlets, Microsoft authentication library (MSAL), developer experiences, or tooling. All deployments, configurations, and integrations will continue to work without interruption. Microsoft will retire the Office 365 A1 Plus program. All existing Office 365 A1 Plus licenses will expire August 1, 2024. Office 365 A1 will continue to be free to Education customers. Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 support will end on October 10, 2023. After that date, those titles will no longer receive security updates, bug fixes, technical support, or online technical content updates. You may want to consider upgrading to the latest release of Windows Server over the next few months.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is through 3/14/2026. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.
Note that Microsoft Surface devices are listed on this contract. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to receive a price quote.

Note that Microsoft Surface devices are listed on this contract. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to receive a price quote.

Adobe:

You can now join the ETLA agreement for the August 2023 renewal. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for contract pricing. Year two renewal quotes were emailed to members currently enrolled in the ETLA. Purchase Orders will need to be issued by August 15th. Note that we must submit all MEEC orders to Adobe as one group. Your delay in providing a Purchase Order will hold up the renewal for all MEEC members in this agreement.

Bell Techlogix:

Thank you for your patience and support as we worked through the process for the first year of the new MEEC Microsoft EES agreement. Feel free to contact us if you have any agreement questions.

Microsoft:

The official award for the one-year reseller extension (August 1, 2023 - July 31, 2024) was approved in the June USM Board of Regents meeting. The current Microsoft agreement expires on July 31, 2023. Please issue Purchase Orders to Bell Techlogix by July 12th for your renewal.

Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 support will end on October 10, 2023. After that date, those titles will no longer receive security updates, bug fixes, technical support, or online technical content updates. You may want to consider upgrading to the latest release of Windows Server over the next few months.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is through 3/14/2026. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.
Note that Microsoft Surface devices are listed on this contract. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to receive a price quote.

Note that Microsoft Surface devices are listed on this contract. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to receive a price quote.

Adobe:

The next opportunity to join the ETLA agreement (or for current members to add additional licenses) will be August 2023. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for contract pricing. Year two renewal quotes will be emailed to members currently enrolled in the ETLA. Purchase Orders will need to be issued by August 15th. Note that we must submit all MEEC orders to Adobe as one group. Your delay in providing a Purchase Order will hold up the renewal for all MEEC members in this agreement.

Bell Techlogix:

In observance of Independence Day, the offices of Bell Techlogix will be closed on Monday, July 3rd and Tuesday, July 4th . We wish you and your families a safe and happy holiday.

Microsoft:

The current Microsoft agreement expires on July 31, 2023. Bell Techlogix received the "intent to award" for one year as the reseller for the new Microsoft agreement (August 1, 2023 - July 31, 2024). The official award for this one year reseller extension is expected to be approved in the June Board of Regents meeting. The Bell Techlogix renewal forms (true-up) were emailed out in May. Please return the completed form by June 13th.

Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 support will end on October 10, 2023. After that date, those titles will no longer receive security updates, bug fixes, technical support, or online technical content updates. You may want to consider upgrading to the latest release of Windows Server over the next few months.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is through 3/14/2026. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Note that Microsoft Surface devices are listed on this contract. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to receive a price quote.

Adobe:

Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for contract pricing. Year two renewal quotes will be emailed to members currently enrolled in the ETLA. Purchase Orders will need to be issued by August 15th. Note that we must submit all MEEC orders to Adobe as one group. Your delay in providing a Purchase Order will hold up the renewal for all MEEC members in this agreement.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix will be closed on Monday, June 19th in observance of Juneteenth. We hope you have a fulfilled day with family and friends.

Microsoft:

The current Microsoft agreement expires on July 31, 2023. MEEC has not awarded the new agreement but we will pass along information as soon as it is available.
Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 support will end on October 10, 2023. After that date, those titles will no longer receive security updates, bug fixes, technical support, or online technical content updates. You may want to consider upgrading to the latest release of Windows Server over the next few months.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is through 3/14/2026. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.
Note that Microsoft Surface devices are listed on this contract. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to receive a price quote.

Adobe:

The next opportunity to join the ETLA agreement (or for current members to add additional licenses) will be in August 2023. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for contract pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix will be closed on Monday, May 29th in observance of Memorial Day. We hope you have a nice Memorial Day to honor those who served our nation and are no longer with us.

Microsoft:

The current Microsoft agreement expires on July 31, 2023. MEEC will provide information on the new agreement over the next couple of weeks. Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 support will end on October 10, 2023. After that date, those titles will no longer receive security updates, bug fixes, technical support, or online technical content updates. You may want to consider upgrading to the latest release of Windows Server over the next few months.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is through 3/14/2026. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org. www.meec-edu.org.

Adobe:

The next opportunity to join the ETLA agreement (or for current members to add additional licenses) will be in August 2023. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for contract pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

The 2023 MEEC Member Conference and Vendor showcase is scheduled for Wednesday, April 26th at Martin's West. Registration and additional information are posted on the MEEC website https://meec-edu.org/. Don't forget to stop by our tables (5 & 6) as we would love to see you.

Microsoft:

The current Microsoft agreement expires on July 31, 2023. MEEC will provide information on the new agreement over the next couple of months.
Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 support will end on October 10, 2023. After that date, those titles will no longer receive security updates, bug fixes, technical support, or online technical content updates. You may want to consider upgrading to the latest release of Windows Server over the next few months.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is 3/15/2017 to 3/14/2023 with one optional 3 year extension. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Adobe:

The next opportunity to join the ETLA agreement (or for current members to add additional licenses) will be in August 2023. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for contract pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

The 2023 MEEC Member Conference and Vendor showcase is scheduled for Wednesday, April 26th at Martin's West. Registration and additional information are posted on the MEEC website https://meec-edu.org/. We hope to see you there.

Microsoft:

The current Microsoft agreement expires on July 31, 2023. MEEC will provide information on the new agreement over the next couple of months. On January 25th, Microsoft hosted a webinar titled "Protect Your Data with the Microsoft Compliance Deep Dive". You may go to the MEEC website https://meec-edu.org/ to locate the recording.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is 3/15/2017 to 3/14/2023 with one optional 3 year extension. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Adobe:

There is an opportunity to join the ETLA agreement in February. Members who have already joined can add additional licenses to their agreement in February. August 2023 will be the next opportunity to join the ETLA or add additional licenses. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for contract pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

The primary contact at each school should have received an email from your Bell Techlogix representative asking if we needed to update our database to reflect a new contact for the upcoming year. This confirmation is important as we will be sending out Microsoft and Adobe updates. If an email has not been received by someone at your school, please reach out to us directly to provide an update.

Bryan Zatkulak - bzatkulak@belltechlogix.com - 888-989-8560
USM Institutions, JHU Affiliates and MSDE

Dana McNeil - dmcneil@belltechlogix.com - 877-394-7900
All K-12 Private Schools and K-12 Public Schools M-Z

Lisa Goolsby - lgoolsby@belltechlogix.com - 877-213-5990
Public Libraries, Community and Private Colleges, and K-12 Public Schools A-L

Sarah Taggart - staggart@belltechlogix.com - 800-962-3550
Outside Sales Account Manager - Primary Contact for Service Requests, Helpdesk Inquiries or Onsite Visits

Microsoft:

The current Microsoft agreement expires on July 31, 2023. MEEC will provide information on the new agreement over the next couple of months.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is 3/15/2017 to 3/14/2023 with one optional 3 year extension. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Adobe:

There is an opportunity to join the ETLA agreement in February. Members who have already joined can add additional licenses to their agreement in February. August 2023 will be the next opportunity to join the ETLA or add additional licenses. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for contract pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

Happy New Year! We hope you continue to stay safe and healthy in 2023. As a reminder, Bell Techlogix offices will be closed on Monday, January 2nd.

Microsoft:

Please sign up for Azure Hour where Microsoft Azure Architects host open office hours and sessions on specific topics. The CSAs will be able to help you on there with any Azure questions. They have had specific sessions on Backup and Disaster Recovery.
https://azureforeducation.azurefd.net/

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is 3/15/2017 to 3/14/2023 with one optional 3 year extension. Contract your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Adobe:

The new 3 Year Adobe ETLA Agreement began on August 27th. In February 2023, there will be an opportunity to join the ETLA agreement. Members who have already joined will be able to add additional licenses to your agreement in February 2023. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for contract pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix offices will be closed on December 23rd, 26th and 30th. We wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season!

Microsoft:

Have you heard about Azure Cloud services? Azure is a public cloud service. All hardware, software, and other supporting infrastructure is owned and managed by Microsoft. The Azure cloud platform has more than 200 products and cloud services designed to help you resolve challenges. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative to obtain information on adding Azure to your MEEC Microsoft EES agreement.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is 3/15/2017 to 3/14/2023 with one optional 3 year extension. Contract your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Adobe:

MEEC is hosting a webinar on November 1st at 11am called Powering Digital Transformation Across Education. You may email meec-office@usmd.edu to register for this webinar.

Bell Techlogix:

Just as a reminder, our offices will be closed on November 24th and 25th for Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!

Microsoft:

Keep an eye out for the October MEEC Microsoft webinar. Make sure your email address is listed with MEEC so you receive the webinar invites Meec-office@usmd.edu

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is 3/15/2017 to 3/14/2023 with one optional 3 year extension. Contract your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Adobe:

Let us know if you are interested in Adobe Sign and we can connect you to Julie Persin (MEEC Adobe Account Executive for Sign) or feel free to reach out to her directly jpersin@adobe.com / 312-728-5716.

Bell Techlogix:

As a reminder, we have moved away from sending out physical invoices whenever possible. Please let us know if you have an email address that we can use when sending out automatically generated invoices. You may send your accounts payable email address to your Bell Techlogix representative or btlcredit@belltechlogix.com. Invoices will be emailed to customers from btl.ap@belltechlogix.com with the subject line "Bell Techlogix: Invoice #------ (Customer PO. -----) is now available".

Microsoft:

We had another successful Microsoft renewal season. Thank you to all our MEEC customers for providing the true-ups and purchase orders so quickly. Remember that you may add to your Microsoft agreement anytime throughout the year. Just contact your Bell Techlogix representative to obtain a quote.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is 3/15/2017 to 3/14/2023 with one optional 3 year extension. Contract your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Adobe:

The new 3-Year Adobe ETLA Agreement began on Saturday, August 27th. If you haven't already done so, please return your signed Exhibit A document as soon as possible.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix offices will be closed on Monday, September 5th. We hope you have a wonderful Labor Day and a good start to the new school year!

Microsoft:

The primary contact at each institution should have received the renewal confirmation email from Microsoft for the 08/01/22 to 07/31/23 term. If not, contact your Bell Techlogix representative and we will email you the order confirmation.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is 3/15/2017 to 3/14/2023 with one optional 3 year extension. Contract your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Adobe:

Please complete and return your ELTA form if you haven't done so already. Purchase Orders need to be issued by 8/15/22 as we must submit all MEEC orders to Adobe as one group. A delay in providing a Purchase Order will hold up the renewal for all MEEC members in this agreement.

Bell Techlogix:

We had another successful Microsoft renewal season! Thank you to all our MEEC customers for providing the true-ups and purchase orders so quickly. Remember that you may add to your Microsoft agreement anytime throughout the year. Just contact your Bell Techlogix representative to obtain a quote. Also, we are excited about the launch of our new website https://belltechlogix.com. We hope this new website will help you to get a better understanding of the services that Bell Techlogix offers.

Microsoft:

Please issue a Purchase Order for your Microsoft renewal by Monday, July 11th. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you are not able to send a Purchase Order by that date.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is 3/15/2017 to 3/14/2023 with one optional 3 year extension. Contract your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Adobe:

If you currently participate in the MEEC Adobe ETLA agreement, we sent out true-up renewal documents in May. Please complete and return your form by Monday, July 18th. Let your Bell Techlogix representative know if you would like information on this new agreement which has a start date of August 2022. A Purchase Order will need to be issued by Monday, August 15th.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix will be closed on Monday, July 4th. We hope you have a wonderful Independence Day with family and friends.

Microsoft:

Completed Microsoft true-ups will need to be returned to your Bell Techlogix representative by June 6th. Purchase Orders will need to be issued by July 11th.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is 3/15/2017 to 3/14/2023 with one optional 3 year extension. Contract your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Adobe:

If you currently participate in the MEEC Adobe ETLA agreement, we sent out true-up renewal documents in May. Please complete and return your form by July 18th. Let your Bell Techlogix representative know if you would like information on this new agreement which has a start date of August 2022. MEEC will be hosting a webinar for the new ETLA agreement on June 2nd at 1pm. Please email Meec-office@usmd.edu to register for this webinar session.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix will be closed on Monday, June 20th in observance of Juneteenth. We hope you have a fulfilled day with family and friends.

Microsoft:

The Microsoft true-up renewal documents were emailed out in April. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you did not receive the renewal email. Completed true-ups will need to be returned back to your Bell Techlogix representative by June 6th.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is 3/15/2017 to 3/14/2023 with one optional 3 year extension. Contract your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Adobe:

If you currently participate in the MEEC Adobe ETLA agreement, we will be sending out true-up renewal documents this month. Let your Bell Techlogix representative know if you would like information on this agreement which has a start date of August 27, 2022.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix will be closed on Monday, May 30th. We hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day!

Microsoft:

The primary contact for the MEEC Microsoft Agreement will receive the true-up renewal form before the end of April. You may contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to confirm who we have listed as the primary contact in our database.

Hardware:

A reminder that Bell Techlogix offers more than just software. Feel free to visit our website https://belltechlogix.com/ or contact your Bell Techlogix representative for a hardware quote.

Adobe:

MEEC is hosting a webinar on April 7th at 10am called Adobe Acrobat Sign & Microsoft. You may email meec-office@usmd.edu if you would like to attend this webinar or you may locate the recording on the MEEC website https://meec-edu.org/

Adobe has instituted a new process when needing to change the reseller assigned to your VIP Agreement. Reach out to your Bell Techlogix representative listing your VIP agreement number and the email address of the VIP Portal Administrator. We will submit a request to Adobe which will generate a code that will be emailed to the email address listed as well as any other admins listed in the portal with instructions on how to proceed. Anyone receiving the email, will have 72 hours to log into the Adobe Admin Console, and follow the simple instructions.

Bell Techlogix:

We hope to see you at the MEEC Member Conference and Vendor showcase on Wednesday, April 27th. Additional conference information is posted on the MEEC website https://meec-edu.org/

Microsoft:

The release of System Center 2022 will be on the April 2022 price list. SQL 2008 has supported ESU (Extended Security Updates) licenses for 3 years July 2019 -July 2022. Effective August 1st, the only way to receive extended support will be through Azure. SQL 2012 Microsoft Extended Support will end on July 12, 2022. Customers will need to purchase the new SQL 2012 ESU sku for July 2022 - July 2023 (skus will be available on the July 2022 price list). Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 Extended Support will end on October 10, 2023

Know your options for SQL Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 End of Support - Microsoft SQL Server Blog

Hardware:

With summer approaching, let us know if we can assist you with your summer refresh projects.

Adobe:

Bell Techlogix was awarded the MEEC Adobe contact last year which was the final year of that three year agreement. MEEC and Adobe are currently in negotiations for the next contract. We will share additional information once it is available.

Bell Techlogix:

The 2022 MEEC Member Conference and Vendor showcase is scheduled for Wednesday, April 27th. MEEC Registration will open on March 7th. Additional information is posted on the MEEC website https://meec-edu.org/

Microsoft:

The Primary Contact at each MEEC institution may log into the Microsoft VLSC website to change contact roles, download software, and obtain key codes. Please make sure a license has been purchased before installing software from this site. VLSC website: https://www.microsoft.com/Licensing/servicecenter/default.aspx

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is named on MEEC contract 972016 for some of the hardware groups. You may find additional information on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org or by contacting your Bell Techlogix representative.

Adobe:

Contact your Bell Techlogix representative to make sure your school is linked to the MEEC Adobe agreement under Bell Techlogix. We will send you the Adobe Change of Reseller form to complete if you are not listed under Bell Techlogix.

Bell Techlogix:

Please make sure we have the correct main contact for your institution in our database. This update is important as we will be sending out Microsoft and Adobe renewal information later this spring. You may reach out to us directly to verify this information.

Bryan Zatkulak - bzatkulak@belltechlogix.com - 888-989-8560
USM Institutions, JHU Affiliates and MSDE

Dana McNeil - dmcneil@belltechlogix.com - 877-394-7900
All K-12 Private Schools and K-12 Public Schools M-Z

Lisa Goolsby - lgoolsby@belltechlogix.com - 877-213-5990
Public Libraries, Community and Private Colleges, and K-12 Public Schools A-L

Sarah Taggart - staggart@belltechlogix.com - 800-962-3550
Outside Sales Account Manager - Primary Contact for Service Requests, Helpdesk Inquiries or Onsite Visits

Microsoft:

The current Microsoft agreement expires on July 31, 2022. We will be sending out True-Ups in late April for the August 1, 2022 - July 31, 2023 renewal (Year 5). This will be the last renewal under this contact. The bundle prices will remain the same as last year. As a reminder, as per the MEEC Microsoft contract, the renewal this year will have an additional 5% increase on your year 4 (last year) FTE count. We will calculate the FTE increase for you and list that number on your True-Up form this year. Feel free to contact your Bell Techlogix representative with any specific questions that you may have.

McAfee:

Bell Techlogix is named on MEEC contract 972016 for some of the hardware groups. You may find additional information on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org or by contacting your Bell Techlogix representative.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is named on MEEC contract 972016 for some of the hardware groups. You may find additional information on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org or by contacting your Bell Techlogix representative

Adobe:

Contact your Bell Techlogix representative to make sure your school is linked to the MEEC Adobe agreement under Bell Techlogix. We will send you the Adobe Change of Reseller form to complete if you are not listed under Bell Techlogix.

Bell Techlogix:

Happy New Year! Please feel free to contact us with any questions or requests.

Bryan Zatkulak - bzatkulak@belltechlogix.com - 888-989-8560
USM Institutions, JHU Affiliates and MSDE

Dana McNeil - dmcneil@belltechlogix.com - 877-394-7900
All K-12 Private Schools and K-12 Public Schools M-Z

Lisa Goolsby - lgoolsby@belltechlogix.com - 877-213-5990
Public Libraries, Community and Private Colleges, and K-12 Public Schools A-L

Sarah Taggart - staggart@belltechlogix.com - 800-962-3550
Outside Sales Account Manager - Primary Contact for Service Requests, Helpdesk Inquiries or Onsite Visits

Microsoft:

Windows 11 is available for installation and the software may be accessed through either your VLSC portal or your O365 tenant. MEEC hosted a Microsoft webinar on Windows 11 back in November. Please reach out to the MEEC office (Meec-office@usmd.edu) if you would like to receive that webinar recording.

McAfee:

The MEEC McAfee agreement that was held by Bell Techlogix ended on September 30, 2021. We will still be able to provide quotes for McAfee software. Reach out to your Bell Techlogix representative for pricing.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is named on MEEC contract 972016 for some of the hardware groups. You may find additional information on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org or by contacting your Bell Techlogix representative

Adobe:

Contact your Bell Techlogix representative to make sure your school is linked to the MEEC Adobe agreement under Bell Techlogix. We will send you the Adobe Change of Reseller form to complete if you are not listed under Bell Techlogix.

Bell Techlogix:

Our offices will be closed on December 24th, 27th and 31st. Warmest thoughts and Best Wishes for a Wonderful Holiday and a very Happy New Year!

Microsoft:

On October 20th, MEEC hosted a Microsoft webinar on many solutions of the Microsoft Azure Platform. Please reach out to the MEEC office (Meec-office@usmd.edu) if you would like to receive that webinar recording.

McAfee:

The MEEC McAfee agreement that was held by Bell Techlogix ended on September 30, 2021. We will still be able to provide quotes for McAfee software. Reach out to your Bell Techlogix representative for pricing.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is named on MEEC contract 972016 for some of the hardware groups. You may find additional information on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org or by contacting your Bell Techlogix representative

Adobe:

On October 21st, MEEC hosted an Adobe webinar on Higher Education Student Licensing. Please reach out to the MEEC office (Meec-office@usmd.edu) if you would like to receive that webinar recording.

Bell Techlogix:

It is hard to believe that the holidays are almost upon us again. As a reminder, our offices will be closed on November 25th and 26th for Thanksgiving. We wish you a wonderful and joyous time with family and friends.

Microsoft:

Microsoft has released Windows 2022 Server Software bits to VLSC a few weeks ago. Microsoft has also announced Windows 11 will start to become available on October 5, 2021.

McAfee:

The MEEC McAfee agreement that was held by Bell Techlogix ended on September 30, 2021. We will still be able to provide quotes for McAfee software. Reach out to your Bell Techlogix representative for pricing.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC contract for some of the hardware groups (#972016). You may find additional information on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org or by contacting your Bell Techlogix representative.

Adobe:

Bell Techlogix holds the MEEC Adobe contract. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you need an Adobe renewal quote or have a new license request.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix is looking to move away from sending out physical invoices whenever possible. We are asking all customers to let us know if they have an email address that we can use when sending out invoices. You may send that email address to your Bell Techlogix representative.

Microsoft:

You should have received a confirmation email from Microsoft regarding your renewal completion. Now that licenses are set for another year (8/1/21 to 7/31/22), we wanted to pass along an offering from Microsoft regarding one-on-one consultations to review your licenses and assess how to best use and deploy them. If you think this would benefit your institution, please email LaRecia Tripp - LaRecia.Tripp@microsoft.com.

McAfee:

If you participate in the McAfee agreement, renewal quotes will be emailed at least 30 days before your agreement expires. The following titles have been discontinued. Please speak with your Bell rep regarding replacement options.

VirusScan for Mac is discontinued (#AVMYFM-AA-JI / #AVMCDE-AA-JI).
Host Intrusion is discontinued (#HISCDE-AA / #HISYFM-AA).
Endpoint for Personal Use is discontinued with no replacement (#VSSGBE-AA / #AMSGBE-AA).

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC contract for some of the hardware groups (#972016). You may find additional information on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org or by contacting your Bell Techlogix representative.

Adobe:

We are excited to announce that we were awarded the new reseller contract which supports the MEEC Adobe agreement (Agreement Term: 4/24/2021 - 4/23/2024 including options for two additional two-year renewal periods). Contact your Bell Techlogix representative regarding your Adobe renewal or new license requests. Contract details may be found on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix offices will be closed on Monday, September 6th. We hope you have a wonderful Labor Day and good luck with the start of the new school year!

Microsoft:

The primary contact at each institution should have received the renewal confirmation email from Microsoft for the 08/01/21 to 07/31/22 term. If not, contact your Bell Techlogix representative and we will email you the order confirmation.

Microsoft is extending free Extended Security Updates (ESUs) for Windows Server 2012/R2 and SQL Server 2012 for on-premises customers who want to migrate to and modernize on Azure. Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 extended support will end October 10, 2023, while SQL Server 2012 extended support ends July 12, 2022. Customers unable to meet those deadlines can protect their apps and data running on those releases for an additional three years if they migrate to Windows Server and SQL Server on Azure and take advantage of the free ESUs on Azure. Customers running those releases on-premises will have the option to purchase ESUs.

McAfee:

If you participate in the McAfee agreement, renewal quotes will be emailed at least 30 days before your agreement expires. The following titles have been discontinued. Please speak with your Bell rep regarding replacement options.

VirusScan for Mac is discontinued (#AVMYFM-AA-JI / #AVMCDE-AA-JI).
Host Intrusion is discontinued (#HISCDE-AA / #HISYFM-AA).
Endpoint for Personal Use is discontinued with no replacement (#VSSGBE-AA / #AMSGBE-AA).

Hardware:

Do you need a hardware quote? Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative and we will be glad to provide you with pricing.

Adobe:

We are excited to announce that we were awarded the new reseller contract which supports the MEEC Adobe agreement (Agreement Term: 4/24/2021 - 4/23/2024 including options for two additional two-year renewal periods). Contact your Bell Techlogix representative regarding your Adobe renewal or new license requests. Additional contract details may be found on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org

Bell Techlogix:

We had another successful renewal season! Thank you to all our MEEC customers for providing the true-ups and purchase orders in a timely manner. You may add licenses to your agreements anytime throughout the year. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative to obtain a quote.

Microsoft:

The MEEC Microsoft agreement expires on 7/31/21. A Purchase Order for your Microsoft renewal is due by Monday, July 12th. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you are not able to issue a Purchase Order by that date.

McAfee:

If you participate in the McAfee agreement, renewal quotes will be emailed at least 30 days before your agreement expires. The following titles have been discontinued. Please speak with your Bell rep regarding replacement options.

VirusScan for Mac is discontinued (#AVMYFM-AA-JI / #AVMCDE-AA-JI).
Host Intrusion is discontinued (#HISCDE-AA / #HISYFM-AA).
Endpoint for Personal Use is discontinued with no replacement (#VSSGBE-AA / #AMSGBE-AA).

Hardware:

Do you need a laptop or workstation quote for your faculty, staff and students? Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative and we will be glad to provide you with a quote.

Adobe:

We are excited to announce that we were awarded the new reseller contract which supports the MEEC Adobe agreement (Agreement Term: 4/24/2021 - 4/23/2024 including options for two additional two-year renewal periods). Contact your Bell Techlogix representative regarding your Adobe renewal or new license requests. Additional contract details may be found on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix will be closed on Monday, July 5th. Hope you have a wonderful Independence Day with family and friends.

Microsoft:

The MEEC Microsoft agreement expires on 7/31/21. True-Up renewal documents have been sent to our main point of contact and are due back to Bell Techlogix by Monday, June7th. MEEC hosted a webinar in April to answer common questions asked during the renewal process. Please contact MEEC if you would like to obtain a copy of that recording. You can always contact your Bell Techlogix representative directly to discuss any True-Up questions that you may have.

McAfee:

If you participate in the McAfee agreement, renewal quotes will be emailed at least 30 days before your agreement expires. The following titles have been discontinued. Please speak with your Bell rep regarding replacement options.

VirusScan for Mac is discontinued (#AVMYFM-AA-JI / #AVMCDE-AA-JI).
Host Intrusion is discontinued (#HISCDE-AA / #HISYFM-AA).
Endpoint for Personal Use is discontinued with no replacement (#VSSGBE-AA / #AMSGBE-AA).

Hardware:

Microsoft has introduced the new Laptop 4! Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like receive a price quote.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix will be closed on Monday, May 24th. We hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day!

Microsoft:

Please sign up for Azure Hour where Microsoft Azure Architects host open office hours and sessions on specific topics. The CSAs will be able to help you on there with Azure questions. They have had specific sessions on Backup and DR. https://azurehourforeducation.azurewebsites.net

McAfee:

If you participate in the MEEC McAfee agreement, your agreement has an individual renewal date which is noted on your McAfee Grant Letter. Your Bell Techlogix representative will be emailing your renewal quote which you will need to review and respond with any changes you would like to make for the 2021-2022 renewal. Feel free to reach out to McAfee or your Bell Techlogix rep with any security questions or demos that you may need.

Hardware:

Reminder that Microsoft has introduced the new Surface Pro 7+. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like receive a price quote.

Bell Techlogix:

Microsoft True Ups will be emailed to the main contract at each institution this month. Feel free to contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to confirm who we have listed as the main contact in our database.

Microsoft:

Microsoft has released patches for multiple different on-premises Microsoft Exchange Server zero-day vulnerabilities that are being exploited by a nation-state affiliated group. The vulnerabilities exist in on-premises Exchange Servers 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019. We ask that you help drive immediate remediation steps.

For on-premises Exchange Servers, we ask that you direct your teams to start immediate action to assess your Exchange infrastructure and patch vulnerable servers, with the first priority being servers which are accessible from the Internet (e.g., servers publishing Outlook on the web/OWA and ECP). To patch these vulnerabilities, you should move to the latest Exchange Cumulative Updates and then install the relevant security updates on each Exchange Server. You can use the Exchange Server Health Checker script, which can be downloaded from GitHub (use the latest release). Running this script will tell you if you are behind on your on-premises Exchange Server updates (note that the script does not support Exchange Server 2010).

We also recommend that your security team assess whether or not the vulnerabilities were being exploited by using the Indicators of Compromise we shared here -
https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2021/03/02/hafnium-targeting-exchange-servers/

Microsoft is committed to working with you through this issue. Please let us know if you need additional help.

McAfee:

Technical Phone Support (24/7): 1-800-937-2237 and Technical Support Site: https://mysupport.mcafee.com In the event that you have a security breach and there is a high impact on your environment, McAfee has a team that can help: Emergency Incident Response & Forensics 1-877-913-6863

Hardware:

Reminder that Microsoft has just introduced the new Surface Pro 7+. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like receive a price quote.

Bell Techlogix:

Unfortunately the MEEC conference has been postponed again this year due to the pandemic. Feel free to contact your Bell Techlogix representative at any time with questions about the Microsoft, McAfee or Hardware contracts.

Bryan Zatkulak - bzatkulak@belltechlogix.com - 888-989-8560
USM Institutions and JHU Affiliates

Dana McNeil - dmcneil@belltechlogix.com - 877-394-7900
All K-12 Private Schools and K-12 Public Schools M-Z

Lisa Goolsby - lgoolsby@belltechlogix.com - 877-213-5990
Public Libraries, Community and Private Colleges, and K-12 Public Schools A-L

Sarah Taggart - staggart@belltechlogix.com - 800-962-3550

Microsoft:

The Primary Contact at each MEEC institution may log into the Microsoft VLSC website to change contact roles, download software and obtain key codes. Please make sure a license has been purchased before installing software from this site. The link to the VLSC website is listed below. https://www.microsoft.com/Licensing/servicecenter/default.aspx

McAfee:

Technical Phone Support (24/7): 1-800-937-2237 and Technical Support Site: https://mysupport.mcafee.com In the event that you have a security breach and there is a high impact on your environment, McAfee has a team that can help: Emergency Incident Response & Forensics 1-877-913-6863

Hardware:

Microsoft has just introduced the new Surface Pro 7+. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like receive a price quote.

Bell Techlogix:

The main contact at each school should have received an email from your Bell Techlogix representative in January asking if we needed to update our database to reflect a new contact or if the contact we have on file will remain the same. This confirmation is important as we will be sending out Microsoft and McAfee renewal information later this spring. If an email has not been received by someone at your school, please reach out to us directly to provide an update.

Microsoft:

The current Microsoft agreement expires on July 31, 2021. We will be sending out True-Ups in late April for the August 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022 renewal. Purchase Orders will need to be issued by mid-July. The bundle prices will remain the same as last year. As a reminder, as per the MEEC Microsoft contract, the renewal this year will have an additional 5% increase on your year 3 (last year) FTE count. I will calculate the FTE increase for you and list that number on your True-Up form this year. Note that this FTE increase will also affect the Server Platform counts and any title where you license the entire FTE (such as Project, Visio or Windows RDS CAL). Feel free to contact your Bell Techlogix representative with any specific questions that you may have.

McAfee:

For the fourth consecutive year, Gartner named McAfee a Leader in the 2020 Magic Quadrant for Cloud Access Security Brokers and placed McAfee for both ability to execute and completeness of vision. In response to Gartner positioning McAfee in the Leaders quadrant, McAfee Senior Vice President for Cloud Security, Rajiv Gupta said, "McAfee has always offered industry-leading CASB capabilities to help organizations secure their use of cloud and safeguard them from attacks and vulnerabilities of all kinds,"" said Rajiv Gupta, senior vice president of cloud security, McAfee. "I'm incredibly proud of our team that McAfee MVISION Cloud, which embodies their innovation and hard work, has been recognized by Gartner as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for CASB for four years in a row. To us, it is very gratifying that this year MVISION Cloud is placed in the Leaders Quadrant, for both ability to execute and completeness of vision. We believe McAfee remains synonymous with trust, security, and innovation as we deliver on our mission to keep the world safe from cyber threats."

McAfee:

The Endpoint product "McAfee Endpoint Protection Essential for SMB" is going EOL (End of Life). The End of Sale and Support for this title is 12/31/2021. We will want to look at migrating all existing users who are due for renewal to the latest MVISION product line.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC hardware contract #972016 for certain manufactures. We were awarded: Lenovo Servers, VMware, IBM, Extreme Networks (Formally Aerohive) and peripherals for HP and Lenovo. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

Happy New Year! We look forward to working with you again in 2021 and hope that you continue to stay safe and healthy. If there is anything that we can assist you with, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at any time.

Microsoft:

Some schools still haven't upgraded to Windows 10 or to newer Windows Server versions. The ESU (Extended Security Update) licenses requires that schools buy these licensing keys every year. These keys are good for one year and have to be installed on devices. Even though Year 1 ESU keys may be installed already, schools will need to install Year 2 keys if they still need support. The Year 2 keys are only good through January 11, 2022. Note that schools can't just buy Year 2 keys alone. They will need to have also paid for Year 1 keys to obtain support. The ESU program is a 3 year program altogether which means that Microsoft will stop offering ESU keys after the Year 3 distribution.

McAfee:

For the fourth consecutive year, Gartner named McAfee a Leader in the 2020 Magic Quadrant for Cloud Access Security Brokers and placed McAfee for both ability to execute and completeness of vision. In response to Gartner positioning McAfee in the Leaders quadrant, McAfee Senior Vice President for Cloud Security, Rajiv Gupta said, "McAfee has always offered industry-leading CASB capabilities to help organizations secure their use of cloud and safeguard them from attacks and vulnerabilities of all kinds,"" said Rajiv Gupta, senior vice president of cloud security, McAfee. "I'm incredibly proud of our team that McAfee MVISION Cloud, which embodies their innovation and hard work, has been recognized by Gartner as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for CASB for four years in a row. To us, it is very gratifying that this year MVISION Cloud is placed in the Leaders Quadrant, for both ability to execute and completeness of vision. We believe McAfee remains synonymous with trust, security, and innovation as we deliver on our mission to keep the world safe from cyber threats."

Hardware:

Reminder that Bell Techlogix offers more than just software. Feel free to visit our website http://belltechlogix.com or contact your Bell Techlogix representative for a hardware quote.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix offices will be closed on Thursday, December 24th and Friday 25th. We wish you all a happy, healthy and safe holiday season!

Microsoft:

Do you need assistance with setting up your Office 365 tenant or with training? The Microsoft EDU Team would like to discuss how they can assist with educational technology and learning opportunities to meet your needs. Let your Bell Techlogix representative know if you are interested in setting up a call to learn more about this free support.

McAfee:

The named McAfee Account Manager for MEEC is now Jim Baker. Feel free to reach out to Jim (Jim_Baker@mcafee.com 202-925-6000 ) or your Bell Techlogix representative with any McAfee questions.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is listed on the MEEC hardware contract for Microsoft devices. This would also include Surface devices. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

We are very thankful to have clients like you. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! Just as a reminder, our offices will be closed on November 26th and 27th for Thanksgiving.

Microsoft:

Microsoft made the decision to close all retail locations with a new initiative for local remote Store Teams specializing in specific fields. The primary goal of the Microsoft Education Team is to support all education customers in Delaware and the local surrounding area with educator/administration training. The Microsoft Innovative Educator Programs (MIE) educators will receive CEU credit getting trained on how to use Microsoft 365 education tools to address challenges for online teaching and learning, student engagement and focus, and enabling secure online meetings/classrooms. The Microsoft EDU Team would like to discuss how they can assist with educational technology and learning opportunities to meet the diverse needs. Let your Bell Techlogix representative know if you are interested in setting up a call to learn more about this free support.

McAfee:

The named McAfee Account Manager for MEEC is now Jim Baker. Feel free to reach out to Jim (Jim_Baker@mcafee.com 202-925-6000 ) or your Bell Techlogix representative with any McAfee questions.

Hardware:

Reminder that the acquisition of Aerohive by Extreme Networks was completed at the end of 2019. Consider the Extreme Networks solution when needing access points, switches and routers. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for a competitive price quote.

Bell Techlogix:

The first week of October is "Customer Service Week" and each year we participate in this national celebration. We wanted to say thank you so much for giving us the honor of servicing the MEEC community.

Microsoft:

Have you activated your Office 365 tenant? If not, contact your Bell Techlogix representative and we will provide guidance on how to get the Microsoft welcome email resent to your institution. The Office 365 subscriptions are included in your MEEC Microsoft bundle.

McAfee:

If you participate in the MEEC McAfee agreement, your agreement has an individual renewal date which is noted on your McAfee Grant Letter. Your Bell Techlogix representative will be emailing your renewal quote which you will need to review and respond with any changes you would like to make for the 2020-2021 renewal. Feel free to reach out to McAfee or your Bell Techlogix rep with any renewal questions.

Hardware:

Do you have a hardware request? Bell Techlogix can provide you with a quote. Just contact your Bell Techlogix representative with the specifics of your request.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix offices will be closed on Monday, September 7th. We hope you have a wonderful Labor Day and good luck with the start of the new school year!

Microsoft:

You should have received your Microsoft renewal confirmation email from Microsoft for the 08/01/20 to 07/31/21 term. If not, contact your Bell Techlogix representative and we can email you the order confirmation.

McAfee:

If you participate in the MEEC McAfee agreement, your agreement has an individual renewal date which is noted on your McAfee Grant Letter. Your Bell Techlogix representative will be emailing your renewal quote which you will need to review and respond with any changes you would like to make for the 2020-2021 renewal. Feel free to reach out to McAfee or your Bell Techlogix rep with any renewal questions.

Hardware:

Do you need to purchase a laptop for your faculty, staff and students? If so, contact your Bell Techlogix representative and we will provide you with a price quote.

Bell Techlogix:

We had another successful Microsoft renewal season. Thank you to all our MEEC customers for providing the true-ups and purchase orders so quickly. Remember that you may add to your Microsoft and McAfee agreement anytime throughout the year. Just contact your Bell Techlogix representative to obtain a quote.

Microsoft:

Purchase Orders for your Microsoft renewal are due on July 10th. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you need to make other arrangements.

McAfee:

If you participate in the MEEC McAfee agreement, your agreement has an individual renewal date which is noted on your McAfee Grant Letter. Your Bell Techlogix representative will be emailing your renewal quote which you will need to review and respond with any changes you would like to make for the 2020-2021 renewal. Feel free to reach out to McAfee or your Bell Techlogix rep with any renewal questions.

Hardware:

Reminder that Bell Techlogix can assist you with your "summer IT projects". Please let us know if you are working on wireless upgrades, server refreshes, or virtualization projects and we would be happy to help in any way that we can.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix will be closed on July 3rd. Hope you have a wonderful Independence Day with family and friends.

Remote Learning Support: The past few months have all of us floating in uncharted waters, with temporarily closing schools and businesses and "stay at home" orders in place for most of us. We have all had to adapt to working from home, as well as providing virtual learning for students of all ages.

Without knowing what we will face in the coming months, Bell Techlogix is assisting our customers by providing additional services to support these new remote initiatives. These services are structured to relieve some of the pressure from IT departments that are already stretched thin with the increased demand on technology to support working from home as well as virtual learning for students, faculty and staff.

For more information, please visit our website (https://belltechlogix.com/elearning/) or reach out to Sarah Taggart (staggart@belltechlogix.com) to learn more.

Microsoft:

Completed Bell Techlogix true-up documents are due June 5th. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you did not receive the renewal email.

McAfee:

If you participate in the MEEC McAfee agreement, your agreement has an individual renewal date which is noted on your McAfee Grant Letter. Your Bell Techlogix representative will be emailing your renewal quote which you will need to review and respond with any changes you would like to make for the 2020-2021 renewal. Feel free to reach out to McAfee or your Bell Techlogix rep with any security questions or demos that you may need.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is 3/15/2017 to 3/14/2023 with one optional 3 year extension. Contract your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix will be closed on July 3rd. Hope you have a wonderful Independence Day with family and friends.

Microsoft:

Bell Techlogix emailed out the true-up renewal documents in April. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you did not receive the renewal email. Completed true-ups will need to be returned back to your Bell Techlogix representative by June 5th.

McAfee:

The named McAfee Account Manager for MEEC is Jackie Grifka. Feel free to reach out to Jackie ( Jackie_grifka@mcafee.com 616-818-8944 ) or your Bell Techlogix representative with any McAfee questions.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC Hardware Contract #: UMD-972016. The Contract Term is 3/15/2017 to 3/14/2023 with one optional 3 year extension. Contract your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or visit the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org.

Bell Techlogix:

We are excited to announce that we were named among 250 Tech Elite! In addition, for the second consecutive year, CRN ranks our managed services on top 500 MSP list! View release: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bell-techlogix-named-among-250-tech-elite-301041639.html?tc=eml_cleartime

Microsoft:

Bell Techlogix will email out the True-Up renewal documents by April 17th. Please make sure Bell Techlogix has the correct main contact for your school so you don't miss out on the renewal email.

McAfee:

McAfee offers more than just endpoint protection. McAfee products and solutions span the following areas:
Advanced Threat Analysis
Data Protection & Encryption
Database Security
Endpoint Protection
Network Security
Security Management
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
Server Security
Web Security
Cloud Security
Endpoint Security

Contact your Bell Techlogix representative to obtain additional information on these McAfee solutions.

Hardware:

A reminder that Bell Techlogix offers more than just software. Feel free to visit our website http://belltechlogix.com or contact your Bell Techlogix representative for a hardware quote.

Bell Techlogix:

We hope you and your family and colleagues are doing well and staying healthy during this outbreak. No doubt the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic are being felt everywhere. Most of our employees are working remotely which has impacted our ability to get customer invoices out in the mail. If there is an accounts payable email that all future invoices can go to, we'd be happy to take that information and move to email delivery going forward. If not, we will continue US mail delivery and whatever temporary steps necessary during the recommended social distancing.

Microsoft:

True-Up renewal documents will be emailed out next month. Please make sure Bell Techlogix has the correct main contact for your school so you don't miss out on the email notification.

McAfee:

Companies adopting point solutions for cloud security are often finding these siloed products leave gaps in their security posture - and that the different interfaces and need to set policy multiple times across devices creates a nightmare for administrators. McAfee MVISION Unified Cloud Edge provides a single place to set up security policies that are enforced uniformly across the cloud surface and enterprise devices, with converging capabilities previously found in disparate platforms: CASB, Secure Web Gateway, and DLP. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information.

Hardware:

The MEEC hardware contract is located on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org. Let your Bell Techlogix representative know if you need a quote on any of the manufactures awarded to Bell Techlogix

Bell Techlogix:

The 2020 MEEC Member Conference and Vendor showcase is on April 1st. Over 160 members have already registered. Registration will close on March 18th Don't delay register now!

Microsoft:

The Primary Contact at each MEEC institution may log into the Microsoft VLSC website to change contact roles, download software and obtain key codes. Please make sure a license has been purchased before installing software from this site. The link to the VLSC website is listed below. https://www.microsoft.com/Licensing/servicecenter/default.aspx

McAfee:

Do you know how to keep up with unknown threats, reduce overhead associated with whitelisting in McAfee Application Control, and integration with McAfee Advanced Threat Defense? Let us know your interest and we will connect you to the correct McAfee representative so you can obtain a better understanding.

Hardware:

The acquisition of Aerohive by Extreme Networks was complete at the end of 2019. One of the main reasons for the acquisition was due to the robustness of the HiveManager Next Generation cloud platform, now called Extreme Cloud IQ. Over the next few months, the Extreme APs and switches will be viewable and configurable through the HiveManager. If you have any questions, please reach out to your Bell Techlogix contact.

Bell Techlogix:

Did you know that we have a private LinkedIn page? If you would like to join this page, email your Bell Techlogix contact to request access to this secure site.

Microsoft:

Windows 7 support will end on January 14, 2020. If you continue to use Windows 7 after support has ended, your PC will still work, but it will become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses because you will no longer receive software updates, including security updates, from Microsoft. If you have not moved your Windows 7 devices to Windows 10, we recommend you consider virtualization with Windows Virtual Desktop or stand-alone Extended Security Updates. An FAQ document is attached.

For organizations where a virtualization solution might be appropriate, Windows Virtual Desktop is the only cloud-based service that delivers a multi-user Windows 10 experience, optimized for Office 365 ProPlus, and includes free Windows 7 Extended Security Updates. These Extended Security Updates can also be purchased separately for Windows 7 (and Windows Server 2008/R2 and SQL Server 2008/R2) by organizations that require more time to shift to Microsoft 365.

You may purchase Extended Security Updates for Windows 7 as well as Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2007. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like more information.

McAfee:

There are a lot of internal changes at McAfee and they are working to have a new territory map published. Please reach out to your Bell Techlogix representative if you need McAfee pricing or have any questions. We will provide updated McAfee contacts as soon as we are notified.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is listed on the MEEC hardware contract for Microsoft devices. This would also include Surface devices. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

Happy New Year! We look forward to working with you in 2020. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or requests.

Microsoft:

Microsoft is offering two in-person trainings for IT Professionals and Curriculum/Academic Technology leaders. These trainings are for MEEC members only, and the MEEC organization will be providing lunch for all participants. Don't miss this opportunity to receive valuable guidance from our subject matter experts, and meet your peers who are working on similar initiatives.

Full descriptions and links to register are below. Please share with your colleagues who may benefit from these trainings. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Trainings will be held at our Elkridge office. Participants are strongly encouraged to bring their own device.

Microsoft Teams Deployment, Governance, and Usage!
12/4/19,9:00am to 4:00pm- register here by 12/2/19
Join a full-day instructor-led training for IT professionals and Curriculum leads. This day will be split in two parts: IT Pros will learn how to administer Teams in your organization, including core foundations (AAD, Office 365 Groups, etc.), governance, compliance and security. We will also discuss Teams interoperability with Google. Curriculum leads will learn the core functions of Teams chat, meetings, collaboration, assignments, apps and content storage. Pedagogical examples along with admin and student usage will be shared.

Microsoft 365 Technical Fundamentals Training and Certification Prep
12/5/19, 9:00am to 4:00pm - register here by 12/2/19
Microsoft 365 Technical Fundamentals Training and Certification Prep. Join for full-day instructor-led training for IT professionals. This course will cover the principles of cloud computing, and guidance for deployment of Windows 10 and Office ProPlus. You will also receive a thorough overview of organizational security fundamentals, specific security features in M365, identity and access management, device and information protection, and compliance in M365. The content of this course will prepare you for the MS-900 M365 Fundamentals exam, and important resume-building certification.

McAfee:

The MEEC McAfee 3 year contract with Bell Techlogix ended on September 30, 2019 but there are 2 additional one year options available. MEEC did a 1 year extension for this agreement (expiring on September 30, 2020). Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you need a copy of the 1 year extension amendment or a price quote.

Hardware:

Bell Techlogix is listed on some of the groups within the hardware contract #972016 for MEEC. Bell Techlogix was awarded the following manufactures: Lenovo Servers, VMware, IBM, Aerohive and peripherals for HPI and Lenovo. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix offices will be closed on Tuesday, December 24th through Thursday, December 26th. We wish all of you a happy and healthy holiday season!

Microsoft:

You are invited to attend the event for leaders in education taking place Tuesday, November 12th at the Maritime Conference Center in Linthicum Heights, MD. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for the link to register.

What to expect:
Specialized conference tracks for K12 and higher ed leaders focused on current issues and trends
Solutions you can start using and/or better leverage today
Resources & tools to get the most out of what you already own
Networking and best practices and learnings from your counterparts and Microsoft experts

McAfee:

The MEEC McAfee 3 year contract with Bell Techlogix ended on September 30, 2019 but there are 2 additional one year options available. MEEC did move forward with a 1 year extension for this agreement (expiring on September 30, 2020). Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you need a copy of the 1 year extension amendment.

Hardware:

Consider the Aerohive solution when needing access points, switches and routers. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for a competitive price quote.

Bell Techlogix:

Just as a reminder, our offices will be closed on November 28th and 29th for Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!

Microsoft:

Microsoft announced a change with the end of support date for Exchange Server 2010. This change will affect all customers who are still currently using Exchange Server 2010. Microsoft said after investigating and analyzing the deployment state of an extensive number of Exchange customers, they have decided to extend the end of support date for Exchange Server 2010 from January 14, 2020 to October 13, 2020 to give Exchange Server 2010 customers more time to complete their migrations. This extension also aligns with the end of support for Office 2010.

McAfee:

The MEEC McAfee 3 year contract with Bell Techlogix ended on September 30, 2019 but there are 2 additional one year options available. MEEC did move forward with a 1 year extension for this agreement (expiring on September 30, 2020). Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you need a copy of the 1 year extension amendment.

Hardware:

Consider the Aerohive solution when needing access points, switches and routers. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for a competitive price quote.

Bell Techlogix:

Happy Fall! We hope that the 2019-2020 school year has started off very well for everyone. If there is anything that we can help you with, please do not hesitate to reach out to anyone on your Bell team.

Microsoft:

Contact your Bell Techlogix Representative if you would like to add the new O365 Pro Plus Device subscriptions (#RQL-00001-M) to your agreement. This is a new title that may be added throughout the year at no extra charge.

McAfee:

Feel free to reach out to McAfee or your Bell Techlogix rep with any security questions or demos that you may need.


Matt Markle / 717.578.6077 / matthew_markle@mcafee.com
Brian Adams / 972.987.2912 / Brian_Adams@McAfee.com

Hardware:

Are you aware that Bell Techlogix is on the MEEC contract for some of the hardware groups (#972016)? This contract is valid until 3/14/20 with two optional three year renewals (total of 9 years). Bell Techlogix was awarded the following manufactures: Lenovo Servers, VMware, IBM, Aerohive and peripherals for HPI and Lenovo. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

We are excited to announce our new partnership with the City of Indianapolis-Marion County. We were awarded a 5 year contract to provide Managed Workplace Services and Infrastructure Services for the City-County.

Microsoft:

Your primary contact should have received the renewal confirmation email from Microsoft for the 08/01/19 to 07/31/20 term. If not, contact your Bell Techlogix representative and we will email you the order confirmation.

McAfee:

If you participate in the MEEC McAfee agreement, your agreement has an individual renewal date which is noted on your McAfee Grant Letter. Your Bell Techlogix representative will be emailing your renewal quote which you will need to review and respond with any changes you would like to make for the 2019-2020 renewal. Feel free to reach out to McAfee or your Bell Techlogix rep with any security questions or demos that you may need.


Matt Markle / 717.578.6077 / matthew_markle@mcafee.com
Brian Adams / 972.987.2912 / Brian_Adams@McAfee.com

Hardware:

Do you need a laptop or workstation quote for your faculty, staff and students? We can provide you with a quote. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative and we will be glad to assist you.

Bell Techlogix:

We had another successful renewal season! Thank you to all our MEEC customers for providing the true-ups and purchase orders so quickly. Remember that you may add to your Microsoft and McAfee agreement anytime throughout the year. Just contact your Bell Techlogix representative to obtain a quote.

Microsoft:

The Purchase Order for your Microsoft renewal are due by Thursday, July 11th. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you are not able to issue a Purchase Order by that date.

McAfee:

If you participate in the MEEC McAfee agreement, your agreement has an individual renewal date which is noted on your McAfee Grant Letter. Your Bell Techlogix representative will be emailing your renewal quote which you will need to review and respond with any changes you would like to make for the 2019-2020 renewal. Feel free to reach out to McAfee or your Bell Techlogix rep with any security questions or demos that you may need.


Matt Markle / 717.578.6077 / matthew_markle@mcafee.com
Brian Adams / 972.987.2912 / Brian_Adams@McAfee.com

Hardware:

Reminder that Bell Techlogix can assist you with your "summer IT projects". If you are working on wireless upgrades, server refreshes, or virtualization projects, please let us know and we would be happy to help in any way that we can.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix will be closed on July 4th and 5th. Hope you have a wonderful Independence Day with family and friends

Microsoft:

MEEC Microsoft True Up documents are due back to Bell Techlogix by Friday, June7th. A Purchase Order will need to be emailed or faxed by July 11th. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative with any questions you may have.

McAfee:

If you participate in the MEEC McAfee agreement, your agreement has an individual renewal date which is noted on your McAfee Grant Letter. Your Bell Techlogix representative will be emailing your renewal quote which you will need to review and respond with any changes you would like to make for the 2019-2020 renewal.
Feel free to reach out to McAfee or your Bell Techlogix rep with any security questions or demos that you may need.


Matt Markle / 717.578.6077 / matthew_markle@mcafee.com
Brian Adams / 972.987.2912 / Brian_Adams@McAfee.com

Hardware:

Reminder that Bell Techlogix can assist you with your "summer IT projects". If you are working on wireless upgrades, server refreshes, or virtualization projects, please let us know and we would be happy to help in any way that we can.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix will be closed on July 4th and 5th. Hope you have a wonderful Independence Day with family and friends.

Microsoft:

MEEC Microsoft True Up documents have been sent to our main point of contact and are due back to Bell Techlogix by Friday, June7th. We are hosting a MEEC webinar on April 30th at 10am to discuss answers to common questions asked during the renewal process. The recording should be posted to the MEEC website. You can always contact your Bell Techlogix representative directly to discuss any True Up questions that you may have.

McAfee:

If you participate in the MEEC McAfee agreement, your agreement has an individual renewal date which is noted on your McAfee Grant Letter. Your Bell Techlogix representative will be emailing your renewal quote which you will need to review and respond with any changes you would like to make for the 2019-2020 renewal. Feel free to reach out to McAfee or your Bell Techlogix rep with any security questions or demos that you may need.


Matt Markle / 717.578.6077 / matthew_markle@mcafee.com
Brian Adams / 972.987.2912 / Brian_Adams@McAfee.com

Hardware:

Are looking to upgrade your wireless networking solution to the latest ax standard? If so, let us know and we would happy to talk to you about replacing some of your older AP's with Aerohive's ax product line.

Bell Techlogix:

We are excited to share that we will be sponsoring Indy 500 racecar driver, Pippa Mann, again this year. As an Indianapolis-based company, we are proud to sponsor Pippa as she takes to the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 103rd running of the greatest race in the world. We partner with Pippa because she embodies-dedication, talent, professionalism, experience and a winning attitude. We are proud to be a part of helping her continue her career on the track!

Microsoft:

Microsoft Renames Windows Defender ATP to Microsoft Defender ATP. Recently announced Microsoft security changes include a rebrand of its Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) to reflect its support for non-Windows platforms. Now called "Microsoft Defender ATP," the security solution now has the ability to support Mac clients along with Windows clients. The Microsoft Defender ATP for Mac protections are available at the "limited preview" stage for testing, per Microsoft's announcement. Organizations need to be using the Microsoft 365 A5 plan to have access to Microsoft Defender ATP.

McAfee:

Brian Adams is the new MEEC McAfee inside representative working with Matt Markle. Feel free to reach out to them with any security questions or demos.

Matt Markle / 717.578.6077 / matthew_markle@mcafee.com
Brian Adams / 972.987.2912 / Brian_Adams@McAfee.com

Hardware:

Reminder that Bell Techlogix was awarded some of the groups within the hardware contract for the MEEC contract #972016. This contract is for three years and there are two optional three year renewals (total of 9 years). Bell Techlogix was awarded the following manufactures: Lenovo Servers, VMware, IBM, Aerohive and peripherals for HPI and Lenovo. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

Microsoft True Ups will be emailed to the main contract at each institution this month. Feel free to contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to confirm who we have listed as the main contact in our database.

Microsoft:

Microsoft: End of Support for SQL Server and Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2

End of Support for SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 is July 9, 2019.
End of Support for Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 is January 14, 2020.

What does End of Support mean? Microsoft Lifecycle Policy offers 10 years of support (5 years for Mainstream Support and 5 years for Extended Support) for Business and Developer products (such as SQL Server and Windows Server). As per the policy, after the end of the Extended Support period there will be no patches or security updates, which may cause security and compliance issues, and expose customers' applications and business to serious security risks. What End of Support options are available for SQL Server and Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2? We recommend upgrading to the latest versions of our software, leveraging Software Assurance benefits to modernize on-premises or on Azure (i.e. Azure Hybrid Benefit), to help reduce security risks and continue to get regular security updates. However, for customers that are not able to transition before the End of Support date, we are announcing offers to help protect data and applications during the End of Support transition:

McAfee:

Matt Markle (McAfee rep for MEEC) will be attending the MEEC vendor conference. Make sure you stop by booth 55 to discuss your security needs.

Hardware:

With summer quickly approaching, let us know if we can assist you with your summer refresh projects.

Bell Techlogix:

Below is the link to our latest news release highlighting our inclusion in the CRN 150 top Managed Service Providers.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bell-techlogix-among-elite-150-managed-services-providers-300803231.html?tc=eml_cleartime
We are excited to see everyone at the MEEC Conference on March 28th. We will be located at booths 6 & 7 in the vendor room.

Microsoft:

Microsoft: Some MEEC Microsoft members received and email from Microsoft in January titled "Microsoft Home Use Program Change Notification - Action Required for Continued Access to the Benefit" If you are already using HUP, you may use your old store until the new one is available to the United States. However, users may download 15 copies of Office through O365 MEEC Microsoft agreement (through their O365 tenant). Therefore, HUP is really no longer necessary. Reach out to your Bell Techlogix representative if you have specific questions.

McAfee:

If you previously worked with Anton we wanted to notify you that he is no longer with McAfee. Jason will assist until a permanent inside replacement is hired. If you have any McAfee questions, please let us know or if you need to speak with McAfee directly, feel free to contact Matt or Jason.

Matt Markle / Field Account Executive / 717.578.6077 / matthew_markle@mcafee.com
Jason S. Vicknair / Inside Sales / Account Manager / 214.872.5291 / Jason_Vicknair@mcafee.com

Hardware:

Don't forget that Bell Techlogix is a named reseller for specific products on the MEEC hardware contract (contract #972016). Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you are in need of pricing for Lenovo Servers, VMware, IBM, Aerohive, or peripherals for HPI and Lenovo.

Bell Techlogix:

Has the primary contact at your college/school/library for the MEEC Microsoft Agreement changed? If so, please let your Bell Techlogix representative know so they can directly reach out to the new contact later this spring with renewal information.

Microsoft:

MEEC is hosting a Microsoft webinar on January 15th at 10am on Converting Data into Intelligence with Power BI. You may email Patricia Collins pcollins@usmd.edu for the registration link.

McAfee:

MEEC is also hosting a McAfee webinar on January 8th at 11am. MVISION, a dramatically simple solution for managing Windows Defender and McAfee Security Technologies. Email Patricia Collins pcollins@usmd.edu for the registration link.

Hardware:

Don't forget the Aerohive solution when needing access points, switches and routers. Contact us for a competitive price quote.

Bell Techlogix:

Happy New Year! We look forward to working with you in 2019. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or requests.

Bryan Zatkulak - bzatkulak@belltechlogix.com - 888-989-8560
USM Institutions, JHU Affiliates and MSDE

Dana McNeil - dmcneil@belltechlogix.com - 877-394-7900
All K-12 Private Schools and K-12 Public Schools M-Z

Lisa Goolsby - lgoolsby@belltechlogix.com - 877-213-5990
Public Libraries, Community and Private Colleges, and K-12 Public Schools A-L

Sarah Taggart - staggart@belltechlogix.com - 800-962-3550
Outside Sales Account Manager - Primary Contact for Service Requests, Helpdesk Inquiries or Onsite Visits

Microsoft:

Windows Server 2019 is now available and bridges on-premise environments with Azure services for hybrid scenarios, has built-in layers of protection for increased security, and provides hyper-converged infrastructure for greater efficiency and scale.

McAfee:

McAfee was named a 2018 Gartner Peer Insights Customers� Choice for Endpoint Protection Platforms. Below is the link to the article. https://www.mcafee.com/enterprise/en-us/about/newsroom/press-releases/press-release.html?news_id=20181119005565

Hardware:

Just a reminder that Bell Techlogix offers more than just software. Feel free to visit our website http://belltechlogix.com or contact your Bell Techlogix representative for a hardware quote.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix offices will be closed on Tuesday, December 25th and January 1st. We wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season!

Microsoft:

Microsoft will be hosting the 1st Annual Education Summit on Thursday, November 29th from 8:30am - 4:30pm at the Maritime Conference Center. The focus will be on our shared goals of improving student outcomes and intuitional effectiveness.

In this first Microsoft Education Summit, Microsoft will discuss key topics and trends impacting schools today including, but not limited to, data security, personalized learning, and operational effectiveness. They will also provide time for you to connect with others so you can walk away with valuable information you can leverage immediately

What to expect:

Specialized conference tracks for IT and Instructional leaders (specific for higher-education & K-12) focused on current issues and trends

Solutions you can start using and/or better leveraging today

Resources & tools to get the most out of what you already own

Best practices and learnings from your counterparts

Networking with peers, partners and Microsoft

To register for this event, please go to the following link - https://www.microsoftevents.com/profile/form/index.cfm?PKformID=0x5052937abcd

McAfee:

Please welcome Matt Markle as your new MEEC McAfee account executive. You may contact him directly at 717.578.6077 or matthew_markle@mcafee.com. We will be working with Matt to schedule future McAfee webinars. Feel free to let us know of any topics that you would like to see a webinar on.

Hardware:

The new Surface Pro 6 and Surface Laptop 2 are now available for order. The new Surface Pro 6 now comes in Black and is faster than ever with the latest 8th Gen Intel Quad Core processor, all day battery life, and an 8.0MP autofocus HD camera. The new Surface Laptop 2 now comes in Black as well. Surface Laptop 2 comes with a 13.5" PixelSense Display, an 8th Gen Intel Quad Core processor, and a luxurious Alcantara covered keyboard. Surface Laptop 2 is 85 percent more powerful than Surface Laptop. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or to obtain a quote.

Bell Techlogix:

It is hard to believe that the holidays are almost upon us again. Just as a reminder, our offices will be closed on November 22nd and 23rd for Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!

Microsoft:

If your Office 365 activation email was lost and you need a new one sent to the OSM (Online Services Manager), call Office 365 support at 1-800-865-9408. Have your EES enrollment number available and you should be able to get the activation email resent to the OSM.

The following titles moved to 2019 versions. If you already own any of these titles with Software Assurance, you should be able to download the new version on October 1st. If you are unsure if you purchased a license or if it includes Software Assurance, contact your Bell Techlogix representative for confirmation.

Office

Project

Visio

Windows Server

McAfee:

Interested in a demo on McAfee products? Just contact your Bell Techlogix representative and we will work with McAfee to get a demo scheduled.

Hardware:

Price increases on HP went into effective on Monday, September 24th. Estimated increases are $25 on Desktops, $30-$50 on Workstations, $40 on Point of Sale, $20 on Thin Clients. No increase currently on any device that has a screen built into it (laptops and all-in-one desktops). We have not yet been notified of changes by Dell, but it should be anticipated.

Bell Techlogix:

The first week of October is "Customer Service Week" and each year we participate in this national celebration. The focus for this year is around Service Excellence and we strive every day to provide the best level of customer service that we can to all our customers. We wanted to say thank you so much for giving us the honor of servicing the MEEC community.

Microsoft:

Microsoft: Microsoft: Reminder to activate the new licenses in your tenant as your users will only retain full functionality for a limited time. The link below provides additional details in what you can expect when a paid Office 365 subscription expires. (https://support.office.com/en-us/article/What-happens-to-my-data-and-access-when-my-Office-365-for-business-subscription-ends-4436582f-211a-45ec-b72e-33647f97d8a3).

McAfee:

McAfee MVISION is a new portfolio family featuring innovations that offer a single point of visibility, comprehension, and control across your digital estate. With the flexibility to manage and deploy both McAfee, third-party, and even the security that's built-in on modern devices, MVISION supports your current and evolving security needs as you migrate to the cloud and to newer secure operating systems. We hope to offer a MEEC webinar on this title soon. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to your Bell Techlogix representative to learn more about this new offering.

Hardware:

Aerohive just announced the end of sale on 2 of their switch products - SR2124P and SR2148P. The end of sale will be January 28, 2019 or when the current inventory is depleted. There are many other switch options available if you have any interest.

Bell Techlogix:

The Channel Company has named us to its 2018 Fast Growth 150 list. To learn more about this please visit the press release on our website

Microsoft:

The new contract begins on August 1, 2018. The primary contact listed at each institution will receive a Welcome email from Microsoft once your enrollment has been accepted and processed. That email will contain your new enrollment number along with a brief introduction to various aspects of your Agreement and Enrollment. Let us know if that email was never received by someone at your institution. Also, if you had a previous tenant for O365, you will not receive an email from Microsoft. Those who did not have an O365 tenant previously will receive an email for set up and activation.

McAfee:

Once we receive your PO and process the renewal with McAfee, you will receive your Grant Letter via email. The Grant Letter contains your Grant Number which is required to download and receive support on products and to access cloud services. Please keep this number secure and only distribute that email to the required individuals within your organization.

Hardware:

It isn't too late to purchase Win10 devices prior to the start of the fall semester. Please let us know if we can help find the perfect device to fit your specific needs.

Bell Techlogix:

We are very excited to kick off the first year of the new Microsoft EES Agreement. We really appreciate all your help in getting us the required forms back so that we could make this a smooth transition. We look forward to the next 5 years.

Microsoft:

Microsoft: True-up documents are due back to Bell Techlogix by Friday, June 8th. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you have any questions regarding the renewal process. The PowerPoint from the MEEC roadshow event is located on the MEEC website. If you would like a copy of the recording, please contact Sarah Taggart (staggart@belltechlogix.com).

McAfee:

The McAfee True-ups have been emailed out to all MEEC members who participate in this agreement. These agreements have individual renewal dates which was noted on the email you received.

Hardware:

Did you know that Lenovo has a number of new devices that are affordable for K-16? Windows 10 Pro & Windows S devices starting as low as $189 and even 2-1 touch devices starting as low as $279. If you would like to learn more, please reach out to our Bell Techlogix rep.

Bell Techlogix:

Earlier this year we announced that we are positioned in Gartner January 2018 for "Magic Quadrant for Managed Workplace Services, North America". For more information and to access the report, please visit our website - https://belltechlogix.com/about-us/news/bell-techlogix-gartner-magic-quadrant

Microsoft:

Bell Techlogix is excited to announce that we have been awarded the new Microsoft/MEEC Agreement for the next 3 years plus 2 optional years. MEEC, Microsoft and Bell will be hosting three road shows in Maryland on May 1st, 2nd and 3rd. These roads shows will provide additional information regarding the new MEEC Microsoft contract and the bundled options that are available. You can contact MEEC or Bell for the registration link that provides exact dates and times of the events. Registration will close on April 27th.

True-up documents will be sent to the main contact by Friday, April 27th so that you have time to review the information prior to the road show events. If you do not receive your true-up form by the end of the week, or if you need to change the main contact, please contact your Bell representative.

McAfee:

McAfee and Bell will be hosting a webinar on April 26th at 10am regarding Skyhigh. Please register for this informational session. If you didn't receive the email and would like to attend, contact MEEC or your Bell Techlogix representative and we will forward you the link to register.

Hardware:

The Aerohive ATOM is now shipping. This is the industry's first pluggable enterprise access point that will plug into any US power socket enabling faster deployments, reduced cabling and installation costs, and flexible network access anywhere. These are sold in a package of three and list price is $599. Contact your Bell rep for more information.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix will be one of the sponsors for Pippa Mann in the upcoming Indy 500 which will be held on May 27th. We are very excited about this opportunity and her support of "Donate Life".

Microsoft:

Have you activated your Office 365 tenant? If not, contact your Bell Techlogix representative and we can work with Microsoft to get the welcome email resent to your institution. The Office 365 subscriptions are included in your MEEC Microsoft bundle.

McAfee:

McAfee will be hosting a webinar on April 26th at 10am regarding Skyhigh. MEEC will email the webinar announcement soon. Please register for this informational session. If you don't receive the email and would like to attend, contact MEEC or your Bell Techlogix representative and we will forward you the link to register.

Hardware:

Would you like a refined and powerful Windows laptop? Microsoft Surface devices, like Surface Laptop, Surface Pro, Surface Book 2, and Surface Studio can replace your PC, laptop, tablet, and sketch pad. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information or pricing on any of these devices or any other hardware devices that you may have in mind.

Bell Techlogix:

Hope to see you at the MEEC conference on Thursday, April 19th. This conference provides a lot of educational sessions and gives you a chance to speak with vendors in person. Make sure you register with MEEC if you are planning to attend. Don't forget to stop by our booth as we would love to see you.

Microsoft:

The changes to VLSC sign in have gone into effect. You can still sign in with your previous login but now have additional methods of signing in. The Microsoft VLSC site should prompt you when you go to the website.

McAfee:

With McAfee acquiring Skyhigh, it now enables the combined companies to offer customers market-leading security capabilities on the endpoint and in the cloud to address the most significant threats that target enterprise data, applications, and infrastructure. In the near future we will be working with MEEC and McAfee to host a Skyhigh webinar. MEEC will email the webinar announcement once a date is set.

Hardware:

Are you aware that Bell Techlogix in on the MEEC Hardware contract for some of the groups within the contract? This contract was awarded in 2017 for three years with two optional three year renewals (total of 9 years). Bell Techlogix was awarded the following manufacturers: Lenovo Servers, VMware, IBM, Aerohive and peripherals for HP and Lenovo. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

If the main contact at your organization is already our LinkedIn contact, we emailed them an invite to our new private LinkedIn page. If you would like to also join this page, email your Bell Techlogix representative to request access to this secure site.

Microsoft:

The changes to VLSC sign in went into effect on 1/25/2018. In addition to using your previous login, you now have other signin options. The Microsoft VLSC site will prompt you when you go to the website.

McAfee:

McAfee closed its acquisition of Skyhigh Networks on January 3, 2018. Skyhigh's leadership in cloud security, combined with the strength of their existing security portfolio, sets McAfee apart in helping secure your organization from devices to the cloud. With the addition of Skyhigh, McAfee cloud security solutions now provide visibility, advanced threat prevention, and data protection controls across all clouds to secure network traffic, workloads, and data. The multi-cloud security management of Skyhigh Security Cloud, McAfee Cloud Workload Security, and McAfee Virtual Network Security Platform allows you to confidently move to the cloud and accelerate your business. Visit the Skyhigh Networks website to learn more about how Skyhigh Security Cloud helps the world's largest organizations unleash the power of the cloud by providing real-time protection for enterprise data and users across all cloud services.

Hardware:

Aerohive has announced their new 802.11ax access points that are coming soon. 802.11ax, compared to previous generations, will be better balanced with nearly equivalent upload and download performance; 802.11ax will handle client density more efficiently through a new channel sharing capability; 802.11ax will improve battery life using wake-time scheduling that enables access points to tell clients when to go to sleep to preserve energy; and 802.11ax efficiency improvements will deliver at least 4x more throughput than 802.11ac. (Aerohive)

Bell Techlogix:

We have created a private LinkedIn page. The main contact at your organization will receive a notification to join this page in the coming weeks. If you would like to also join this page, email your Bell Techlogix contact to request access to this secure site.

Microsoft:

Microsoft is updating the sign-in process for VLSC. Effective January 19, 2018, users will no longer sign in using a Microsoft account (e.g., john.smith@hotmail.com). VLSC users must sign in using a work or school account (e.g., john.smith@yourorgdomain.com) from January 19th. Microsoft is introducing the use of work accounts across Microsoft services so that organizations can gain centralized user management benefits. Employees can use the same work account to access VLSC and other services to enjoy a single sign-in experience. Organizations can maintain control of work or school accounts and disable them when necessary. This change will align the VLSC sign-in experience to the current Store for Business (SfB) experience. Microsoft will provide detailed instructions for the new sign-in process ahead of the go-live date and we will share additional details as we receive them.

McAfee:

Technical Phone Support (24/7): 1-800-937-2237 and Technical Support Site: https://mysupport.mcafee.com In the event that you have a security breach and there is a high impact on your environment, McAfee has a team that can help: Emergency Incident Response & Forensics 1-877-913-6863

Hardware:

Is it time to start thinking about summer refresh for your faculty, staff and students? Lenovo has many great Windows 10 options that are designed with education in mind including the N22, N24, N23, ThinkPad 11e and many other great options. Please reach out to your Bell rep for assistance.

Bell Techlogix:

Happy New Year! We are looking forward to moving into 2018 together. Feel free to reach out of us for any questions or quote requests.

Microsoft:

Have you heard about Azure? Azure is a comprehensive set of cloud services that developers and IT professionals use to build, deploy, and manage applications through our global network of datacenters. Integrated tools, DevOps, and a marketplace support you in efficiently building anything from simple mobile apps to internet-scale solutions. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative to obtain information and pricing to add Azure to your MEEC Microsoft EES agreement.

McAfee:

Recently McAfee hosted another webinar. If you were unable to attend, the recording is posted on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org under events journal. You may also reach out to your Bell Techlogix rep and we can send it to you or set up a call to discuss in more detail.

Hardware:

Lenovo has some great laptops and tablets that are designed specifically for education. If you are in the market for new Win10 devices for your faculty, staff and/or students, then you should consider these options
Lenovo N24 - 2 in 1, 4gb RAM, 64gb HD - List Price = $279
Lenovo N22 - Notebook, 4gb RAM, 64gb HD - List Price = $184

Bell Techlogix:

Warmest thoughts and Best Wishes for a Wonderful Holiday and a very Happy New Year!

Microsoft:

Introducing the new Surface Book 2. Experience 4 times more power than with the original Surface Book1 and up to 17 hours of battery life2. Now available in two sizes: a new 15" and 13.5" PixelSenseTM Display. You may pre-order by contacting your Bell Techlogix rep on November 9th.

McAfee:

Did you miss the Secure Schools webinar in October? The webinar PowerPoint will be posted on the MEEC website www.meec-edu.org under events journal. You may also reach out to your Bell Techlogix rep and we can send it to you or set up a call to discuss in more detail.

Hardware:

Aerohive has announced the AP122X as the latest addition to their growing access point portfolio. This AP as an external antenna with 2x2 MIMO, dual-radio 802.11ac, and come IoT and location based services ready with built in BLE and USB technology. This AP will be available to ship in December.

Bell Techlogix:

For more information on Bell Techlogix, please visit us on the web at belltechlogix.com, follow us on Twitter @BellTechlogixHQ, like us on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Microsoft:

SQL Server 2017 (Standard and Enterprise) is available for download as of October 2, 2017 from the Microsoft VLSC portal. Microsoft will continue to offer express and developer editions for free download.

McAfee:

Secure Schools webinar MEEC will be sending out an email this month regarding the MEEC McAfee online webinar scheduled for October 18th at 10am. We are excited about this webinar and hope that someone from your school will be able to attend. You may contact MEEC directly to register if you didn't receive the webinar email (Meec-office@usmd.edu).

Hardware:

Aerohive has recently announced the end of sale for some of their older 100 and 300 series AP's. While they will continue to provide support for these AP's for a few years, it is recommended that you start looking at upgrading these devices. Aerohive has released a number of 802.11ac wave 2 AP's that are great for a school environment. These newer AP's provide better coverage and have the ability to support the newer devices that are on the market today. Aerohive is running a special promotion where you buy 12 AP122's or AP250's and you get 2 free. Please reach out to your Bell representative for additional information.

Bell Techlogix:

Feel free to contact your representative at any time regarding pricing, ordering or any additional product information.

Microsoft:

All institutions should have received an EES renewal confirmation email from Microsoft for the 08/01/17 to 07/31/18 term. If not did not receive an email, please contact your Bell Techlogix representative and we can email it to you. SQL 2017 Severs and Cals are being released on October 1st. If you normally purchase licenses from the Select Plus agreement, you may want to wait a few weeks before purchasing SQL licenses. Also, Imagine Academy will no longer be sold on Select Plus starting October 1st. You may continue to add this title to your EES agreement.

McAfee:

Keep an eye out for an email from MEEC regarding the MEEC/ McAfee online webinar on October 18th. We are excited about this webinar and hope that someone from your school is able to attend.

Hardware:

Do you have a hardware request? Bell Techlogix can provide you with a quote. Just contact your Bell Techlogix representative with the specifics of your request.

Bell Techlogix:

Have you checked out our website? If not, please take a few minutes to view our site, belltechlogix.com

Microsoft:

You should have received your Microsoft renewal confirmation email from Microsoft for the 08/01/17 to 07/31/18 term. If not, contact your Bell Techlogix representative and we can email you the order confirmation.

McAfee:

McAfee offers more than just endpoint protection. McAfee products and solutions span the following areas:

Advanced Threat Analysis
Data Protection & Encryption
Database Security
Endpoint Protection
Network Security
Security Management
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
Server Security
Web Security
Cloud Security
Endpoint Security

Contact your Bell Techlogix representative to obtain additional information on these McAfee solutions.

Hardware:

Do you need a laptop or workstation quote for your faculty, staff and students? We can provide you with a quote. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative and we will be glad to assist you.

Bell Techlogix:

We had another successful renewal season. Thank you to all our MEEC customers for providing the true-ups and purchase orders so quickly. Remember that you may add to your Microsoft and McAfee agreement anytime throughout the year. Just contact your Bell Techlogix representative to obtain a quote.

Microsoft:

Dynamics 365 continues to change. There are 17 new products added to this month�s EES Price list. If you are interested in this product, contact your Bell Techlogix rep and we can engage the Microsoft Dynamics SME�S to go over the new titles.

McAfee:

As you may have heard, there is a new Ransomware circulating, a Petya variant. This ransomware encrypts the master file table and modifies the MBR. It appears to ask the users to reboot. Once the system is rebooted, it displays a ransom message. You should not reboot if you suspect you are infected with this ransomware. The support team is tracking/updating SR�s via KB89540 for reporting purposes. If you suspect you are a victim of Ransomware, please ensure call the Support number, (800)-937-2237, to open an SR and provide symptoms and number of machines impacted.

Hardware:

Microsoft has announced the sleek new Surface Pro 5 and the Surface laptop. Also, Lenovo has announced the world�s smallest workstation, the ThinkStation P320 Tiny. If you would like more information on either of these or other devices for your faculty, staff and students, please contact your representative.

Bell Techlogix:

The Microsoft renewal Purchase Orders are due to Bell Techlogix by July 14th. McAfee has individual renewal dates and we provided the McAfee Purchase Order due date in your renewal email. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you have questions regarding the True-Up process or titles offered.

Microsoft:

Microsoft has announced the Surface Pro 5. We are also able to sell Surface Studio and Surface Hub as well. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for a quote. Reminder that Arvato Student Media will not be available after 6/30/17. Kivuto will become the solution for all Work at Home and Student Use downloads. If you need to order Work At Home media, send that email request to your Bell Techlogix representative as soon as possible.

McAfee:

We sent an email out earlier this month about how to protect yourself from the "WannaCry" ransomware attack that has affected many people around the world. If you need additional information about this latest threat, please reach out to your Bell representative.

Hardware:

Summer is around the corner so it is time to start the "summer IT projects". If you are working on wireless upgrades, server refreshes, or virtualization projects, please let us know and we would be happy to help in any way that we can.

Bell Techlogix:

The Microsoft True-Up is due back to Bell Techlogix on June 9th. The McAfee True-Up has individual renewal dates and we provided the McAfee True-Up due date in that email. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you have questions regarding the True-Up process or titles offered.

Microsoft:

Did you know that Skype for Business Online has an Auto Attendant Feature? Auto Attendant will allow calls to be channeled to groups or individuals on Skype for Business Online / Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDVBQlYn5UQ Requirements: Cloud PBX License Users

Reminder that Arvato Student Media will not be available after 6/30/17. Kivuto will become the solution for all Work at Home and Student Use downloads. If you need to order Work At Home media, send that email request to your Bell Techlogix representative as soon as possible.

Intel Security/McAfee:

Global cyber-security firm Intel Security has been renamed McAfee and now operates as an independent company, completing a split from Intel that was flagged in September.

Mastering Endpoint Security webcast on Wednesday, May 10th at 2pm EDT. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for the registration link.

Hardware:

Need a hardware quote? Bell Techlogix was awarded some of the groups within the hardware contract for the MEEC contract #972016. This contract is for three years and there are two optional three year renewals (total of 9 years). Bell Techlogix was awarded the following manufactures: Lenovo Servers, VMware, IBM, Aerohive and peripherals for HPI and Lenovo. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

The Microsoft and McAfee True-Ups were emailed out last month to the primary contact listed in our database. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you have questions regarding the True-Up process or titles offered. The Microsoft True-Up is due back to Bell Techlogix by June 9th. The McAfee True-Up has individual renewal dates and we provided the McAfee True-Up due date in that email.

Microsoft:

Did you know that Microsoft offers webcasts for highlighting new and upcoming updates available for Office 365 Education? Office 365 releases new updates monthly and they provide a live presentation with Q&A that will help you stay informed. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like registration information for these webcasts.

Intel Security/McAfee:

Government and Education are very high on the list of most breached industries and a new form of ransomware adds a malicious twist by combining your personal information with ransomware - doxware. Not only does it encrypt your files, but also threatens to post them to the Internet if the ransom is not met. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to register for this webinar on April 13th at 11am titled Government & Education One of the Most Prominent Industries Targeted by Latest Cyber Threat

Hardware:

Need a hardware quote? Bell Techlogix was awarded some of the groups within the hardware contract for the MEEC contract #972016. This contract is for three years and there are two optional three year renewals (total of 9 years). Bell Techlogix was awarded the following manufactures: Lenovo Servers, VMware, IBM, Aerohive and peripherals for HPI and Lenovo. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

Thanks to all who attended the MEEC conference and stopped by our booth. It was great to see everyone again and meet new people. Please feel free to contact us if you would like more information about our services. Note that we will be sending out the Microsoft and McAfee True-Ups this month. These documents will be emailed to the primary contact listed in our database. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like to confirm who we have listed as the primary contact for your institution.

Microsoft:

Microsoft just announced on January 28th they are discontinuing the sale of media kits effective March 1, 2017 for all volume licensing programs in North America. Customers who were buying Microsoft media under their Select Plus or EES agreements will need to use the digital downloads from Microsoft VLSC site.

Interested in Azure? Check out the pricing calculator: http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/calculator/ Let us know if you would like to schedule a call with Bell Techlogix and your Microsoft Azure specialist to learn more about Microsoft cloud storage.

Intel Security/McAfee:

Webinar on How to Defend Against Zero-Day Threats: Understanding Machine Feel free to share the registration link below and or attend yourself. Wednesday, March 1, 2017 at 11AM. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative and we will send you the webcast registration link.

Hardware:

We are excited to announce that Bell Techlogix has been awarded some of the groups within the hardware contract for MEEC again contract #972016. This contract is for three years and there are two optional three year renewals (total of 9 years). Bell Techlogix was awarded the following manufactures: Lenovo Servers, VMware, IBM, Aerohive and peripherals for HPI and Lenovo. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

We are looking forward to the MEEC conference on Thursday, March 30th. Make sure you stop by our table as we would love to see you. Please contact MEEC if you have not registered for this event.

Microsoft:

Microsoft is conducting an O365 E5 webinar on February 17th at 1PM EDT/ 10AM PST:
Office 365 E5 Update w/ Voice Spotlight "Customer story telling".
Registration Link: https://www.microsoftevents.com/profile/form/index.cfm?PKformID=0x13751076d5e

Microsoft just announced on January 28th they are discontinuing the sale of media kits effective March 1, 2017 for all volume licensing programs in North America. Customers who were buying Microsoft media under their Select Plus or EES agreements will need to use the digital downloads from Microsoft VLSC site.

Microsoft announced that Arvato Student Media will not be available after June 30, 2017. Kivuto will become the solution for all Work at Home and Student Use downloads. If you currently do not offer an online store through Kivuto, contact your Bell Techlogix representative to learn more about this offering.

Intel Security/McAfee:

Are you looking for antivirus software under the MEEC contact? Bell Techlogix holds the MEEC Intel Security/McAfee contract #88300JH until September 30, 2019. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like a quote or additional information.

Hardware:

We are excited to announce that Bell Techlogix has been awarded some of the groups within the hardware contract for MEEC again contract #972016. This contract is for three years and there are two optional three year renewals (total of 9 years). Bell Techlogix was awarded the following manufactures: Lenovo Servers, VMware, IBM, Aerohive and peripherals for HPI and Lenovo. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for pricing.

Bell Techlogix:

The main contact at each school would have received an email from your Bell Techlogix representative in January asking if we needed to update our database to reflect a new contact or if the contact we have on file will remain the same. This confirmation is important as we will be sending out Microsoft and Intel Security/McAfee renewal information later this spring. If an email has not been received by someone at your school, please reach out to us directly to provide an update.

The MEEC conference is Thursday, March 30th. Hope you see you there!

Microsoft:

Microsoft announced that Arvato Student Media will not be available after 6/30/17. Kivuto will become the solution for all Work at Home and Student Use downloads. If you currently do no offer an online store through Kivuto, contact your Bell Techlogix representative to learn more about this offering.

Starting January 1, 2017, the System Center Client Management Suite (CMS) license will be split into individual component licenses. The System Center CMS sold as a single license providing client management rights to Data Protection Manager, Operations Manager, Orchestrator and Service Manager will be transitioned into corresponding four individual component client management licenses.

Product Family	Comment
SYS CTR DATA PRTCN MGR CLT MGMT LIC	Replacing System Center Client Management Suite (CMS)
SYS CTR OPS MGR CLT MGMT LIC	Replacing System Center Client Management Suite (CMS)
SYS CTR ORCHESTRATOR SVR	Replacing System Center Client Management Suite (CMS)
SYS CTR SERVICE MGR CLT MGMT LIC	Replacing System Center Client Management Suite (CMS)

McAfee:

End of Life (EOL) for the following products:

McAfee SaaS Email Protection

McAfee SaaS Endpoint Protection

McAfee SaaS Web Protection

You may contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you currently have any of these titles and have specific questions.

Bell Techlogix:

We are excited to announce that Bell Techlogix has been awarded some of the groups within the hardware contract for MEEC again. Specific details on what is included will be provided by MEEC in a few weeks.

Microsoft O365 Email:

Many MEEC customers received the Microsoft "You're about to lose access" notification. All renewals were done back in August. Microsoft is referencing old licenses in these notices. Please make sure you are using your active O365 subscriptions in the tenant instead of the older subscriptions.

You may take the following steps. Let your Bell Techlogix contact know if you are not able to get this resolved.
1. Login to their Office 365 Admin Center
2. Click on Billing
3. Click on Subscriptions
4. Then check to see if you have the licenses that you are going to lose access to in the Active area.
5. If you have the same licenses in the Active Area, then there is nothing to worry about.

You may also email the O365 team at o365edu@microsoft.com and they will work with you directly.

Microsoft Webinar:

Microsoft will be hosting a webinar on Thursday, 12/15 at 1pm discussing Azure. Email MEEC/Pat Collins for registration information pcollins@usmd.edu.

McAfee: If you were unable to attend the McAfee webinar on 11/9, please contact your Bell Techlogix representative for any questions you may have about the new agreement or if you would like a copy of the presentation.

Bell Techlogix:

Bell Techlogix offices will be closed on Monday, December 26th and January 2nd. We wish all of you a happy and healthy holiday season!

McAfee Award:

Bell Techlogix was awarded the MEEC McAfee contract. Visit the MEEC website for additional information www.meec-edu.org or contact your Bell Techlogix representative.

Webinar: McAfee and Bell Techlogix will be hosting a webinar on Wednesday, 11/9 at 10am. Email MEEC/Pat Collins for registration information pcollins@usmd.edu

Bell Techlogix: Just a reminder that Bell Techlogix offers more than just software. Feel free to visit our website http://belltechlogix.com or contact your Bell Techlogix representative for additional information.

Hardware

Service Desk

Mobility

Wireless Networking

Deskside Services

IT Management

Microsoft Services

Bell Techlogix responded to the MEEC/Intel Security-McAfee bid. MEEC is expected to announce the awarded vendor in early October.

McAfee Email Security Solutions:

Effective January 11, 2016, McAfee SaaS Email Protection reached End of Sale; these products will reach End of Life on January 11, 2017. After this date, email will no longer be delivered to monthly-billed customer recipients.

McAfee partnered with Proofpoint to assist with the migration of accounts for partners and customers that would like to transition their email security services. Please email Proofpoint at partners@proofpoint.com with questions.

McAfee SaaS Endpoint Protection Suites:

Effective January 11, 2016, McAfee SaaS Endpoint Protection suites reached End of Sale. End of Life and End of Support will be effective January 11, 2019.

McAfee Endpoint Protection Essential for SMB (TSH SKU) is the replacement SKU for McAfee SaaS Endpoint Protection. You may upgrade your current McAfee SaaS Endpoint Protection suites customers to McAfee Endpoint Protection Essential. Please follow instructions for this on the Partner Portal.

Microsoft Licensing Changes:

Reminder that Microsoft has announced the release of Windows Server 2016 and System Center 2016. The licensing model for these titles has changed to per core. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative if you would like more information about this licensing change.

Microsoft has announced that Windows Server 2016 will be generally available on October 1st. The licensing model for Windows Server is changing from per processor to per core. Schools who already have Windows Servers on their agreements can continue to order the processor based licenses. School adding Windows Server to their agreements for the first time will need to purchase the per-core model.

Have you heard about Minecraft: Education Edition? Available September 2016 with features, pricing and distribution optimized for education. Annual subscription through volume licensing (EES). Option for org-wide or non-org-wide purchasing with volume licensing: Purchase as needed for any number of faculty, staff and students at $5 (list price) per user. If you commit to organization-wide coverage at $13.20 (list price) per user for faculty and staff, all students are covered. Available cross platform to maximize the opportunity to win share: only Windows 10 and OS X El Capitan. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for MEEC pricing or additional information.

Bell Techlogix is pleased to announce that we have appointed a new CEO, Ron Frankenfield. To learn more about this, please read the press release located on our main corporate website. http://belltechlogix.com/about-us/news/ron-frankenfield-as-new-ceo/

Now that the renewal season is behind us, let us know if we can help you with maximizing your Microsoft investment. We have an experienced engineering team that can provide assistance with implementation, migration and/or deployment of Microsoft technologies such as

Security and Identity Management

Cloud (Azure, Productivity, Apps, etc.)

Enterprise Mobility Solutions

Enterprise Strategy and Architectural Guidance

Datacenter Services

Workstations Management (imaging)

Office 365

System Center Configuration Manager

If you are looking for assistance or guidance, please reach out to your Bell Techlogix representation for more information and to set up a discovery call.

The MEEC Microsoft renewals are being submitted the last week of July and MEEC members should see email order confirmations as Microsoft completes the processing. Any expiration notices that you may receive from Microsoft are automated messages. As long as Bell Techlogix has your PO for the renewal, you can ignore these email notices. With the amount of orders being submitted, Microsoft processing times are a bit longer than normal. Please notify your Bell Techlogix rep if you don’t see the order confirmation by end of the first week in August.

Please turn in your completed Microsoft true-up if you haven’t already done so. We will need to you issue your Microsoft renewal Purchase Order by July 11th.

McAfee quotes are also being created for anyone enrolled in that contract. You may contact your Bell Techlogix representative with any questions.

Microsoft true-ups have been emailed out to the main contact at each school. Please return your completed true-up by June 1st. Feel free to contact your Bell Techlogix representative regarding any questions you may have about the renewal this year.

Microsoft/MEEC Webinar to discuss Azure and adding EMS to your MEEC renewal is scheduled for May 31, 2016 @ 10am

The primary contact at your school for the MEEC/Microsoft Agreement with Bell Techlogix will receive the true-ups by May 2nd. Please let your Bell Techlogix representative know if the main contact has changed so they can reach out directly to the new contact with the renewal information.

If your school participates in the MEEC/McAfee agreement, those renewal true-ups will also be emailed out soon. That agreement has been extended to September 2016.

Wanted to highlight THREE just launched tools that will be integrated in the near future:

1. Microsoft Classroom - homepage for managing all of your classes
2. Microsoft Forms - quickly asses student progress and provide real time feedback
3. School Data Sync - SDS helps automate integration with your SIS


Learn more about the latest O365 for Education Features here

True-Up documents will be coming out next month. Please make sure Bell Techlogix has the correct main contact for your school so you don't miss out on the email notification.

Keep in mind that Bell Techlogix can assist you with implementing and/or deploying various Microsoft products such as SCCM, O365 and EMS. Contact your inside representative or Sarah Taggart (staggart@belltechlogix.com) for more information.

If your school is using Office 365, you may want to consider Advanced Threat Protection (ATP). You already have access to deploy Exchange Online Protection (EOP) for $0 which will protect your mail against known spam, viruses and malware. ATP will take this protection a step further to cover the zero day attacks and unknown threats. Since this is Office 365 based, you will need to purchase a license these for each user, not FTE. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative to obtain a price quote.

Imagine Academy is replacing the IT Academy title. IT Academy renamed to Imagine Academy effective January 1st 2016. As an organization, Microsoft is aligning their learning programs under a single identity, Microsoft Imagine, to demonstrate their commitment to technology and computer science education. Microsoft IT Academy is being renamed to Microsoft Imagine Academy to more easily identify where students get access to software, curriculum, encouragement and challenge. There is no change the mix of products, offerings, existing skus or benefits of the newly renamed Imagine Academy program.

OneDrive for Business update: MEEC customers will be very excited about the new sync client (see the blog post below).

https://blogs.office.com/2015/12/16/onedrive-for-business-update-on-storage-plans-and-next-generation-sync-client/

OneNote in Education: Microsoft launched Learning Tools for OneNote, which helps everyone improve their reading and writing skills -- including students with learning differences such as Dyslexia or Dysgraphia, English Language Learners (ELL) and ESL, or a combination of any number of unique student differences. Learning Tools for OneNote does not require a specific Office 365 plan; it is a free public preview. To enable the dictation feature, you need to have either an Office 365 ID or MSA ID. It works as an add-in for OneNote 2013 and OneNote 2016 for Windows desktop.

Learn more at the Learning Tools for OneNote website

Learning Tools for OneNote public demo

Windows and System Center Server is transitioning to the per Core model licensing used for SQL Server (with minor exceptions). Note that this won’t release until the second half of 2016. Below is the basic overview that has been released by Microsoft. Pricing will not be available until 30 days prior to the release. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for FAQ documents and Datasheets for these titles. These changes to the Windows Server will not impact those institutions that participate in the Core Server Site License. During the MEEC renewal this summer, institutions are encouraged to look at the Core Server Site License to fully license all Windows Servers and the Enterprise Server Site License for System Center prior to these changes.

The Windows Server 2016 licensing model for Standard and Datacenter will be Cores + CAL. The current model is processers + CAL

License all the physical cores in the server. Core licenses will be sold in packs of two.

A minimum of 8 core licenses is required for each physical processor in the server and a minimum of 16 cores is required to be licensed for servers with one processor. This means 8 two-core packs will be the minimum required to license each physical server.

The price of 16-core licenses of Windows Server 2016 Datacenter and Standard Edition will be same price as the 2 proc license of the corresponding editions of the Windows Server 2012 R2 version.

The two-core pack for each edition is 1/8th the price of a two proc license for corresponding 2012 R2 editions.

Customers with processor licenses with Software Assurance (SA) can upgrade to Windows Server 2016 at no additional cost. At end of the SA term, processor licenses will be exchanged for core licenses and customers can renew their SA on core licenses.

There is also a hybrid Azure/Server benefit that will allow deployment of Windows Server licenses with Software Assurance on Azure coming in Q1 of 2016. More details to be announced later.

The server management licensing of System Center 2016 will move to be based on physical cores. The current model is physical processers. The core based licensing will align with Windows Server 2016 model to provide a consistent licensing metric for managed VMs.

License all the physical cores in the server being managed. Core licenses will be sold in packs of two.

A minimum of 8 core licenses is required for each physical processor in the server and a minimum of 16 core licenses required for each server. This means 8 two-core packs will be the minimum required to license each physical server under management.

The price of 16 core licenses of System Center 2016 will be same price as the 2 proc license for the corresponding editions of System Center 2012 R2.

The two-core pack for each edition is 1/8th the price of 16 cores for the 2016 editions.

Customers with processor licenses with Software Assurance (SA) can upgrade to System Center 2016 at no additional cost. At end of the SA term, processor licenses will be exchanged for core licenses and customers can renew their SA on core licenses.

All System Center 2016 server management licenses with active Software Assurance qualify for License Mobility through the Software Assurance benefits. Server MLs can be assigned to manage OSEs running in public cloud infrastructure. SA on a Standard Edition license permits management of 2 OSEs and SA on a Datacenter Edition licenses permits management of 10 OSEs in the cloud. Licenses for 16 physical cores will be required for the license mobility SA benefit.

Free Visual Studio download options: https://www.visualstudio.com/products/free-developer-offers-vs.aspx
If you are attempting to acquire the free version and run into a problem, you will have to enter a support ticket via the Microsoft portal.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/getsupport?oaspworkflow=start_1.0.0.0&wf=0&wfName=productselection&gprid=1117&ccsid=635816337390659704

Visual Studio Pro 2013 was part of the previous MEEC Campus Agreement Program. Therefore, the downloads were only good to use through the end of July 2015. This title is not part of MEEC Plan A or Plan B in the new contract.

Visual Studio is also part of the DreamSpark Program which is one way to get the download if you are signed up and renew the free subscription through EES on the VLSC site. It is for teaching purposes for faculty and students. https://www.dreamspark.com

Individual Developers can buy MSDN Subscriptions to Use Visual Studio Pro for development purposes. It is licensed per user to allow them to install on as many machines as needed in their development projects. Contact your Bell Techlogix representative to request a quote. This link has a comparison for each subscription type https://www.visualstudio.com/products/msdn-subscriptions-vs

New titles are available on Microsoft VLSC. Office for both Windows and Macintosh, Project and Visio along with a few other titles are now available for you to download.

November 2015 - With SQL Server 2005 EOS date quickly approaching on April 12, 2016, security updates and hotfixes are no longer available from Microsoft. There’s never been a better time to upgrade and achieve Mission Critical Performance, Maintain Security and Compliance and Optimize the data platform infrastructure SQL with Server 2014. Please contact your Bell Techlogix representative to obtain a SQL 2014 price quote.

Did you know that Microsoft has announced several new and exciting products specific to the Surface family including the Surface Pro 4 and the ultimate new laptop… the Microsoft Surface Book! Contact your Bell Techlogix representative for all available models or to obtain a price quote.