Reply to: BizSpark - Free M$ software for disguised employees

[PAH]

You get Visual Studio 2008 Standard Edition with the Action Pack web kit add-on, though you need to pass an additional test to qualify, and it appears they only ship the web kit once a month or so, bit of a delay.

May as well download it for free and use the trial period, then re-install. Repeat until they replace it with another version.

[AtW]

Shame. I was on the Empower program which is more developer oriented, but that's limited to 2 years.

Yeah me too, Empower was okay, they should not have limited it to 2 years, also now they ask for stupid training to be had before Action Pack is renewed. And recently they made change that you could not have Action Pack and Empower

[d000hg]

The web toolkit is the standard pack PLUS stuff like visual studio and expression studio.

I know I also got:

10X vista licenses
Sever 2008/2003 license
Small business server (about 5 versions)
SQLServer license
Exchange server
10X Office 2007 license
About a 100 other things

[voodooflux]

I've got action pack too, very good value.

Sadly Visual Studio in it is web edition or something lowly like this.

Shame. I was on the Empower program which is more developer oriented, but that's limited to 2 years.

[ThomasSoerensen]

Do you get Visual Studio with the Action Pack now?

I think not.

Look here for the content.

[AtW]

Do you get Visual Studio with the Action Pack now?

I've got action pack too, very good value.

Sadly Visual Studio in it is web edition or something lowly like this.

[voodooflux]

For $200 a year you can get just about every piece of MS software through their Action Pack. I just received my copy of SQL Server 2008 to go with my 10 Vista licenses, various versions of Windows Server 2008, VS2008, and a whole bunch of software which I don't even know what it is/does.

Do you get Visual Studio with the Action Pack now?

[ThomasSoerensen]

For $200 a year you can get just about every piece of MS software through their Action Pack. I just received my copy of SQL Server 2008 to go with my 10 Vista licenses, various versions of Windows Server 2008, VS2008, and a whole bunch of software which I don't even know what it is/does.

I have this as well. Top tip.

[AtW]

it's the licenses for running workstations and especially servers on MS technology.

They need to cut down those too - especially prices of "server" editions - I use Windows XP Pro 64-bit on all servers because it is build on codebase of Windows Server 2003 but license costs are much lower.

[d000hg]

I don't think they need to. MS are the standard choice for C++/.net development, and development tools are not the expensive part anyway - it's the licenses for running workstations and especially servers on MS technology.

[AtW]

Typical MS con - you need to be "sponsored" by some partner of theirs, **** that - also they say 3 years trading max, so won't apply to established shops.

IMO Microsoft needs to treat dev tools as loss leader in order get people to use them to support their main platform.

[voodooflux]

Thanks for this DP. I fall foul of the 3 years bit, but I might be able to get around that for this new thing I'm working on by making it a separate new venture (absorb the existing one later). I'm going to look into this in more detail later this afternoon.

WHS - nice find DP, but I also fall foul of the 3 year rule unfortunately. It sounds like an evolution of the Empower for ISVs program.

[HairyArsedBloke]

http://www.asp.net/BizSpark/

What is BizSpark?

Microsoft BizSpark is a global program designed to help accelerate the success of entrepreneurs and early stage startups. In addition to a very generous software offer, BizSpark also provides professional support from Microsoft technical experts, as well as visibility on the BizSparkDB website.

......

In order to register for the BizSpark program, your company must:

Be privately held
Be in business for less than 3 years
Have less than $1 Million USD in revenue annually

Thanks for this DP. I fall foul of the 3 years bit, but I might be able to get around that for this new thing I'm working on by making it a separate new venture (absorb the existing one later). I'm going to look into this in more detail later this afternoon.

[themistry]

For a moment there I thought they were giving away Biztalk. After all, I can't imagine anyone would pay for that pile of petrified horse manure.

You know nothing...

[lambrini_socialist]

Me or the OP?

sorry, i meant the OP. (i keep meaning to sign up for Action Pack but can't be arsed to do the online exam or whatever. yes, i'm a lazy excuse for a developer).