Microsoft Office 365, also known as Microsoft Office or Office 365, includes productivity tools like Outlook, Word, and Excel. Standard versions of these classic tools are available online through an A1 license for all Cornell employees. Eligible Cornell faculty and staff in need of additional features can contact their Technical Service Provider (TSP) about an A3 license for a desktop version of Microsoft Office 365.

A1 and A3 Licenses

Cornell's Office 365 licenses for faculty and staff come in two flavors: A1 and A3.

• A1: 50GB mailbox quota, can use Microsoft Office 365 Online Apps (cannot download apps). Sign in at m365.cloud.microsoft/ (formerly office.com) for quick access to the online apps; they appear in the left column. The A1 license and its associated Microsoft 365 apps are available to all Cornell employees, including temporary employees, affiliate employees and sponsored employees until you leave the university.
• A3: 100GB mailbox quota, ability to administer MS Bookings sites, can download and install MS Office apps on computers used for Cornell business. Contact your Technical Service Provider if you have a specific business need* for the A3 license and its associated Microsoft 365 apps and features.

To find out which license you have:

1. Go to portal.office.com/account.
2. Select Subscriptions in the left-hand column.
3. You will then see your Office 365 license (A1 or A3).

If you are unable to access the portal, and aren't sure whether you have an A1 or an A3 license, please contact the IT Service Desk, and they will be able to tell you.

Appropriate Business Needs for an A3 License

If you have an A1 license and believe you have a business need and are eligible (with an appropriate Cornell affiliation) for an A3 license, refer to our A3 License Request page for details on requesting an A3 license. The justifications for an A3 license are if you need one of the following for Cornell business purposes:

• larger mailbox
• ability to administer a Bookings site
• downloaded apps (rather than use the online versions available to everyone)

Install Microsoft 365 for Desktop on Cornell-Managed Computers

If your Cornell-owned computer is managed by your department's IT support staff, please work with them to obtain Microsoft 365 software. Most Cornell employees do not have sufficient access rights to install software on their Cornell-provided computers. Your department can install a version of Microsoft 365 for Desktop on a Cornell-managed computer regardless of which license you have.

For A3 Licenses: Desktop Microsoft 365 Installation on Cornell-Managed Computers

If you have an A3 Microsoft license and your Cornell-owned computer is managed by your department's IT support staff, please work with them to obtain Microsoft 365 software. Most Cornell employees do not have sufficient access rights to install software on their Cornell-provided computers.

If you are a Microsoft 365 A1 licensee with a computer that you manage yourself, whether a Cornell-provided or personally-owned, you can use the Microsoft Office 365 Online Apps; no installation necessary.

If you are a Microsoft 365 A3 licensee with a computer that you manage yourself, whether a Cornell-provided or personally-owned, please see Microsoft's Install Microsoft 365 page for installation instructions.

If you have an earlier version of Microsoft Office installed, you should uninstall it first.

Microsoft 365 License Information for IT Support Professionals

Cornell IT teams specializing in licensing, email, and calendars created supplemental technical details for IT support professionals to use as they guide their units through the Microsoft 365 license navigation and selection process.