About the KU GIS Site License

The purpose of the KU GIS site license is to ensure that geographic information system (GIS) technology is available for research, teaching, and management at the University of Kansas (KU). This is accomplished by providing faculty, staff, and students with cost-effective access to a broad array of GIS technology, including the industry standards ArcGIS ArcInfo and ArcView software, under a site license with Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI).

The GIS site license involves a contractual agreement between The University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc. (KUCR) and ESRI, under which KU access to ESRI GIS products is provided in exchange for an annual maintenance fee of $25,000. The site license enables substantial cost savings compared to past costs for the individual KU users already using ESRI products. The annual fee is paid by users of the software. Broad participation in the site license means lower annual costs for all. The Kansas Applied Remote Sensing (KARS) Program serves the role of coordinating activities under the site license, while administration of the site license, including billing, is handled by KUCR.