Jul 09 2013

Microsoft Calls Time on TechNet

A lot of people out there will be disappointed to here that Microsoft will be wrapping up its TechNet program which allows users to evaluate full version software for an annual fee. It was a more affordable version compared to MSDN which remains the realm of  businesses or hardcore developers. It is a great way to try out the various versions of Windows, Office and some of the other major pieces of software such as SQL Server.

My initial reaction is that this is not a very wise move on the part of Microsoft.

Anyway, as subscriptions wind up people may look at downloading a stack of software from TechNet and claiming all of their license keys as a way of stockpiling whilst the going is good. That said, there are subscription options available for the latest version of Office which may be more affordable and given how cheap Windows 8 was at launch there may be a lot of spare copies out there to snap up.

I can only hope that Microsoft fills in this gap with some decent options as this could drive prospective developers away to other platforms which seems counterproductive to Microsoft’s platform unification strategy.

Microsoft works in strange and mysterious ways (although some may say Microsoft just doesn’t work at all).

Boydo

My name is Boyd and I’m a Service Management Specialist with a knack for operational data gathering, transformation, analysis and reporting.

In 2012, I obtained my Masters of Science in Information Technology through the University of New South Wales @ The Australia Defence Force Academy (UNSW@ADFA).

I was also part of an online community known as the Panasonic Insider Crew in the capacity of “Insider Guru” for Panasonic Australia where I interacted with other tech enthusiasts and find out more about Panasonic's latest gadgets.

I love technology, gadgets, and the Internet and maintain a keen interest in these areas locally, nationally, and globally. I hope by sharing my views on these topics that people will receive an honest point of view from someone with a genuine interest in these topics.

I have also written and edited articles for Neowin - you can check out my articles over @ https://www.neowin.net/news/poster/boyd_chan

I hope you enjoy reading my blog!

1 ping

  1. […] to a Microsoft TechNet subscription or were looking to signup you may no doubt be disappointed by the recent news of its phased cancellation leaving the only real alternative to be rather expensive MSDN subscriptions. This is hardly ideal […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.