Audience response systems are wireless devices used for interactive polling in face-to-face situations, such as large lectures and classroom sessions.

The University is participating in the Microsoft DreamSpark program, which offers students the option to download Microsoft developer software and designer tools free of charge.

Design, develop, and maintain Web sites and Web applications with Adobe Dreamweaver.

Firefox is a popular, standards-compliant Web browser. Like Internet Explorer and Safari, it can be used to connect to Web-based campus systems such as NetFiles, WebVista, myU, Web-based E-mail, and UMCal.

Adobe Flash software is used to design and deliver low-bandwidth animations, presentations, and Web sites.

HostExplorer is a full featured PC-to-host and Web-to-host terminal emulation solution that provides connections from a desktop to enterprise hosts.

The NetFiles service is a secure online file storage and collaboration solution that is accessible using a Web browser or, for faculty and staff only, a desktop client. The software is based on the Digital Locker Suite from Xythos Software.

Microsoft Office is a suite of interrelated desktop applications, servers, and services. The Enterprise suite includes Access, Communicator, Excel, Groove, InfoPath, PowerPoint, Publisher, OneNote, Outlook, and Word.

PuTTY is a SSH and Telnet client, developed originally by Simon Tatham for the Windows platform. PuTTY is open source software that is available with source code and is developed and supported by a group of volunteers.

Office SharePoint Designer 2007 provides the powerful tools you need to deliver compelling and attractive SharePoint sites and quickly build workflow-enabled applications and reporting tools on the SharePoint platform, all in an IT-managed environment.

The University of Minnesota provides common-good e-mail accounts to all eligible students, staff, and faculty, as well as two e-mail services: Gophermail and Gmail. Both enable users to send and receive e-mail through Web-based and desktop clients. Mozilla Thunderbird is the recommended desktop client.

UMChat is an instant messaging (IM) service that enables University of Minnesota faculty, staff, and students to exchange messages on the Internet in real time.

UMContent is an enterprise Web-content-management system that enables technical staff to design and develop sophisticated Web sites and non-technical staff to create and manage the content.

Virtual Private Network (VPN) enables you to create secure connections to remote networks using a protected, individual tunnel to that network.

WinZip software "compresses" large files into smaller files for transfer over a network or for storage.

With Windows Server you can develop, deliver, and manage rich user experiences and applications, provide a highly secure network infrastructure, and increase technological efficiency and value within your organization.

X-Win32 server software connects Windows PCs with UNIX servers (including Sun Solaris, HP/UX, IBM AIX, SCO, and FreeBSD) and with Linux machines running Red Hat, SuSE, Mandrake, and other distributions of Linux.

iTunes is a free application for your Mac or PC that enables you to organizes and play your digital music and video on your computer, sync all your media with your iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV, and access the iTunes store with your computer, iPod touch, iPhone, and Apple TV.

See Ordering & Details tab to learn about iTunesU.