Microsoft reture Technet subscriptions.

prowla

[FONT=&quot]As IT trends and business dynamics have evolved, so has Microsoft’s set of offerings for IT professionals who are looking to learn, evaluate and deploy Microsoft technologies and services. In recent years, we have seen a usage shift from paid to free evaluation experiences and resources. As a result, Microsoft has decided to retire the TechNet Subscriptions service and will discontinue sales on August 31, 2013.[/FONT]

mttylad

What does that mean?
Will technet become free?
Or will it just cease?

spannerzone

I'm guessing it will cease and they'll just offer 90 day trials instead. I dare say lots and lots of Technet software gets used for many things other than development, testing etc - I bet tons of Technet licences are used for other purposes.

Shame, I've got a number in use myself for personal evaluation and testing...shall I renew soon?

S0litaire

mttylad wrote: »

What does that mean?
Will technet become free?
Or will it just cease?

Think they are moving over to Virtual Web based service.
So you get access to virtual instances of the software for a period instead of an install for your own system.

(Many were using TechNet for cheap internal software rather than buying full licences.) ^_~ lol

paddyrg

Technet was brutally abused, people thought it was an as-much-as-you-can-eat buffet, and some independent fixit shops would install whatever you wanted for a tenner, including SQL server, etc!

These days there is plentiful access to timed versions, and excellent free express versions of the server side stuff.

John_Gray

Have a read of the article on The Register...