Software and communication tools

It’s free for you to download and use Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus while you are studying. This includes the latest versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other Microsoft applications, such as Teams and OneDrive.  

• Teams – This app is recommended for collaborative activities and file sharing as well and 1-to-1 sessions/appointments with your teaching staff. For help and support with using Microsoft Teams take a look at these Microsoft videos.  
• OneDrive - gives you one terabyte (1TB) of cloud-based storage. For more information on using OneDrive, take a look at this storing your work information, or read this IT Knowledge Base article to get started. You can also find OneDrive help and video tutorials from Microsoft. 

As a BU student, you’re able to install Office on up to five personal devices, along with mobile applications for your phone.  

Visit https://www.office.com/ and log in with your BU email address and password to get started. 

AppsAnywhere is a web-based catalogue that provides easy access to a wide range of applications. AppsAnywhere will automatically open when you login with your student account details on any BU Windows PC across campus. Some applications can also be used off-campus or on a non-BU computer, as long as it’s running Windows 10 – please note, there are exceptions due to licencing and hardware restrictions.  

You should check the licence information for your chosen application on campus before trying to access it off-site*, as you won’t be able to see the application in the list of available software if there are restrictions.  

For instructions on how to access AppsAnywhere on your personal computer, through the https://appsanywhere.bournemouth.ac.uk web address, have a read of  this IT Knowledge Base article on the IT Services Portal. 

*Prior to trying to access it offsite, open AppsAnywhere on any BU​ Windows computer on either campus, click on the 'More Info' button on the application name, select the 'Delivery Methods' tab, and then 'Restrictions' below.

Zoom, the online video conferencing app, is available across BU for all students and staff, allowing you to host and join meetings of unlimited length with up to 300 participants at a time.  

Zoom is the main platform for the delivery of your teaching sessions online. You can easily join online lectures and seminars by accessing your unit of study on Brightspace and then clicking Communication > Zoom. From here you will see a list of your scheduled sessions with links to join.

Get started with Zoom: 

• To get started visit https://bournemouth-ac-uk.zoom.us from any web browser 
• If you are launching Zoom from AppsAnywhere or from a mobile app, you will need to select “Sign In with SSO” or “SSO” and use “bournemouth-ac-uk" when asked for your domain 
• For help with using Zoom, take a look at the BU Zoom User Guide which gives step-by-step instructions on how to access Zoom, how to join and host meetings, and instructions on how to navigate around the in-meeting features. Zoom also has a range of video tutorials and frequently asked questions available on the official Zoom website to help you..
• You can also read the Brightspace guidance for Zoom lectures and seminars.

Security note: Do not forward Zoom invites onto other students – always ask the meeting host to add them to the meeting invite. 

There are various options for connecting to the university from a personal computer in order to use the applications and software available on BU computers – both for timetabled online sessions, and for self-study. The most appropriate solution will depend on the speed of your internet connection, the programme you’re on and the tools and applications you need access to. Take a look through the resources on Brightspace (under Online Learning or the Help Page) to establish the best solution, and to access user guides.

If you are unsure on which IT solution to use, which type or ‘pool’ of computers to connect to, or which applications you might need access to for a specific teaching session, please speak to your programme leader.