Corel(R) Signs 41-State Pricing Agreement with Midwestern Higher Education Compact

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Feb. 5, 2014) - Corel is pleased to announce that it has signed a 41-state pricing agreement with the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC), one of four U.S. interstate compacts created for the purpose of advancing higher education through cooperation and resource sharing. Effective immediately the new agreement, which also includes the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), will provide public and private not-for-profit institutions, K-12 districts and schools, cities, states, and local governments with the member states, significant discounts on Corel's collection of creative software. Faculty, staff, and students will also be eligible to purchase under the MHEC agreement.

"Our primary goal is to provide world class software tools at affordable prices with flexibility for schools, faculties and students alike," said Jon Riis, VP North America License & Channel Sales. "While many vendors have implemented changes which have had dramatic effects on their customer's budgets, Corel has taken a different path," added Riis. "We've decided to reduce key pricing thresholds for volume purchasing in the academic market."

The agreement was as a result of a Request for Proposal conducted by MHEC for creative software in the design, print, media and web category. Corel was chosen for its impressive and innovative portfolio of software, flexible licensing options and streamlined procurement process.

"As a member of this RFP committee, we took a very serious look at the job of evaluating the functionality of design software and focused on meeting campus faculty and administrative needs," explained Karl Lutzen, information security officer for Missouri University of Science & Technology and chair of the Compact's RFP committee. "Folks will find the Corel contract offers a great solution for their design needs."

"We are honored that MHEC chose Corel as their new creative software provider," said Riis. "With over 25 years' experience serving the academic market and our long track record of creating value for our licensing customers, we are confident that we can meet the needs of MHEC and its sister compacts and look forward to introducing our products to a broader audience."

Availability and Pricing

For additional information on the Corel/MHEC Master Price Agreement for Creative Software, including a detailed list of included states, purchase eligibility, licensing options visit the FAQ and product information, please visit www.corel.com/mhec.

Media and Blogger Resources

For additional resources including reviewer's materials and images for each product, please visit www.corel.com/newsroom.

About MHEC

The Midwestern Higher Education Compact saves members time and money with technology, insurance, and tuition savings. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the Compact consists of twelve member states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Statutorily created, the member states' five commissioners are appointed and are leaders from higher education, the legislature, and the governor's office. Commissioners meet twice a year and will meet again June 5-6, in St. Paul, MN, for their Executive Committee meeting and on November 16-18 in Milwaukee, WI for the annual commission meeting and policy summit. The commission is currently chaired by The Honorable Sheila Harsdorf, senator for the Wisconsin State Legislator. For more information about the Compact, please visit www.mhec.org or call 612-677-2777, or for specific questions about the technology contracts and services, contact Nathan Sorensen, strategic information technology (IT) procurement officer, at nathans@mhec.org or 612-677-2767.

About Corel

Corel is one of the world's top software companies providing some of the industry's best-known graphics, productivity and digital media products. Boasting the most comprehensive portfolio of innovative software, we've built a reputation for delivering solutions that are easy to learn and use, helping people achieve new levels of creativity and productivity. The industry has responded with hundreds of awards for innovation, design and value.

Used by millions of people around the world, our product lines include CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite, Corel® Painter®, Corel® PaintShop® Pro, Corel® VideoStudio® and Corel® WordPerfect® Office.

For more information on Corel, please visit www.corel.com.

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