AppsAnywhere: enhancing access to teaching and learning software applications

22 Sep 2025

All IT-supported teaching and learning software applications should now be accessed via AppsAnywhere – information and guidance for staff and students.

All IT-supported teaching and learning software applications should now be accessed via AppsAnywhere. If you are in a teaching role or you support lesson delivery and haven’t already done so, please take the steps outlined in this previous StaffNet article to help students get the most out of AppsAnywhere.

What is AppsAnywhere?

AppsAnywhere provides staff and students easy access to IT-supported teaching and learning software applications across PC clusters on campus.

More than 100 apps are available to stream in any PC cluster across campus via AppsAnywhere, whilst some apps remain limited to access in specific clusters.

In total more than 300 applications are available to access on campus via AppsAnywhere.

What’s new for 2025/26?

Since launching, we’ve tripled the number of applications available to stream from any PC cluster on campus. And from today, AppsAnywhere also allows for some apps to be streamed to students’ personal laptops/PCs, and IT-managed staff laptops, both on and off campus. More apps will be made available via these routes throughout the year.

Note: The AppsAnywhere portal currently supports Windows operating systems only. If you or your students are using a Mac or Linux device, please visit Connect (see link below) for information on how to access the application you need.

Where can I access AppsAnywhere?

All IT-supported teaching and learning software applications are available in AppsAnywhere, but the route through which you access them will determine application availability. Not all apps available to access in PC clusters will be available on students’ personal laptops/PCs and IT-managed staff laptops.

The three access routes are:

AppsAnywhere: Local Cluster – Some apps must be accessed in specific PC clusters via AppsAnywhere
AppsAnywhere: Any Cluster – More than 100 apps can be streamed from any PC cluster via AppsAnywhere.
AppsAnywhere: My Device – Some apps will be available to stream from students’ personal laptops/PCs and IT-managed staff laptops via AppsAnywhere.

Benefits for students

You can find out about the benefits for students in this Student News article

Benefits for staff in teaching roles

Flexibility: Prepare and deliver teaching using the same applications students are using - from your IT-managed staff device, wherever you are.
Consistency: alignment between the apps used in teaching and what students can access independently.
Support for hybrid learning: as more apps become available on student devices, reliance on physical clusters decreases, supporting blended and flexible learning models.

“Whether you're teaching, supporting students, or using software in your research, this small change marks an important step forward in how we will access IT-supported teaching and learning applications across the University in future,” said our AppsAnywhere business owners, Professor Peter R Green and Professor Caroline Bowsher.

Supporting our strategic goals

This incremental enhancement of our AppsAnywhere offering supports the IT Services vision, the Flexible Learning Strategy, and the digital landscape that is foundational to the Manchester 2035 goals for the University.

We’re doing this are by:

Enhancing the student experience, supporting staff in their roles
Promoting a more agile and inclusive learning environment.
Reducing need for local installations, improving operational efficiency, and supporting a more sustainable IT estate.