MSDN Pre MiuM
TechNeT PluS DirecT
Best for
MSDN Subscriptions offer comprehensive resources for
every role in the software development lifecycle, including:
Developers
Software Architects
Software Testers
Database Developers & DBAs
Project Managers
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TechNet Plus Direct delivers a one-stop resource
for iT Professionals.
IT Professionals are the deployment force and day-today
users of IT applications. They have the deepest
understanding of these applications and the daily
issues/challenges that arise in their environment. IT
Professionals are the primary end users of a TechNet
Plus Direct subscription.
Value
Proposition
MSDN Subscriptions is the foremost service for
professional developers and software development
teams, providing priority access to the latest Microsoft
technologies, extensive technical information, managed
support, and exclusive benefits.
Design— MSDN Subscriptions include powerful modeling tools
through Visual Studio Team System and Visio, enabling software
architects to design applications from schema to production.
Develop— Through Visual Studio and other Microsoft
development tools, MSDN Subscribers have the resources to
develop applications for Windows®, Office and the web.
Test— MSDN Subscribers can create unlimited environments to
test applications through any scenario, extending usage to nontechnical
users for UAT, and virtual users for stress testing.
Demonstrate— MSDN Subscribers have access to Microsoft
software to create environments in which solutions can be
effectively demonstrated.
Deploy— Visual Studio Team System includes tools to plan for
deployment. MSDN licenses environments right up to moving a
solution into staging.
In short, MSDN Subscriptions ensure individuals and teams
operate at their maximum productivity in developing
applications for Windows, Office and the web.
A TechNet Plus Direct subscription is the must-
have resource for iT Professionals.
it provides
immediate online access to the resources that
help them to:
Plan for and e
valuate New Technology—
A personal library of all Microsoft software is
at subscribers' fingertips to evaluate in their
environment. System Center Capacity Planner,
exclusively available in TechNet Plus, helps IT
Pros to accurately plan for and deploy Microsoft
Exchange Server and System Center Operations
Manager based on their capacity needs and
hardware capabilities prior to deployment.
Solve Technical Problems Fast— Two no-
charge Professional Support incidents, unlimited
managed newsgroups, support by Microsoft
professionals by the next business day, Knowledge
Base, regular security updates, service packs,
resource kits.
improve Technical Skills— Free E-Learning
resources.
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Software use
MSDN Subscriptions provide access to Microsoft
software for use in the design, development, testing or
demonstration of your software applications.
To enable this, software provided through MSDN may be
installed in unlimited test environments. However, MSDN
Subscriptions are individual licenses, meaning only the
designated individual may use any of the software or services.
While the software that is included with
TechNet Plus Direct is full-version (no time or
feature limitations), it is only licensed for use in
evaluation and planning scenarios.
Such uses would include evaluating Microsoft
Exchange for a future deployment, planning for an
upgrade from Windows 2000 to Windows XP, or for
other non-production uses. However, software on
TechNet Plus Direct is not licensed for developing
or testing applications that you have created or for
staging or production.
Office
Production
MSDN Premium Subscriptions include all Microsoft Office
System client and server applications. These may be
installed without limits for design, development, test and
demonstration purposes.
In addition, MSDN Subscribers may install one copy of Microsoft
Office Premium applications for general business purposes.
TechNet Plus Direct includes all Microsoft Office
applications.
However, these applications are only licensed for
evaluation and planning as described above. Office
applications are not licensed for use in production.
coMPAriNg MSDN® AND TechNeT PluS DirecT
Whether you are a software developer or an IT Professional, Microsoft® has a
subscription offering for you. Each of these subscriptions is very different and offers
unique benefits as outlined below.
Direct
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Developer
Tools
MSDN Subscriptions are sold alongside Visual Studio® 2005.
Subscribers may use their chosen edition of Visual Studio, Visual
Studio Tools for Office and multiple other Developer Tools, SDKs,
DDKs etc.
MSDN Subscriptions also include the rights to future editions,
and gives prority access to pre-release versions.
Visual Studio Professional offers a complete, integrated
development environment for the professional Developer.
Visual Studio Team System expands upon this with a range of
editions with specialized tools for specific roles in the software
development lifecycle.
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TechNet Plus Direct includes no Microsoft
developer tools.
If a customer requires developer tools, the correct
subscription offering is MSDN Premium.
library
MSDN library is a comprehensive resource comprising over
2gB of technical articles relating to software development.
The MSDN library includes the following:
Product documentation
Sample code
Whitepapers
Reference guides
Downloads
MSDN Community content
MSDN Magazine articles
Articles and guidance from MSDN.com
And much more
The MSDN Library is continuously updated online, and may also
be installed for offline access.
The offline MSDN Library is now updated with every milestone
in the Visual Studio range; this typically occurs 2-3 times per year.
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The TechNet library contains comprehensive
documentation all searchable in a convenient
library, include all of the following:
Microsoft Support Knowledge Base (PSS KB)
Product documentation
User documentation
Whitepapers
References
Security bulletins
TechNet Magazine articles
Articles and guidance from TechNet online
And much more
The TechNet Library is updated regularly with the
latest Microsoft content and information.
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Support
MSDN Premium Subscriptions include:
Four no-charge Professional Support incidents* per
subscription term, for use specifically targeted at development
scenarios.
Unlimited use of MSDN Managed Newsgroups.
MSDN Subscribers can post questions to 100+ Newsgroups
and receive a response—guaranteed—from a Microsoft
engineer within 2 business days.
Access to live MSDN Online Concierge chat. Online Concierge
offers subscribers a personal guide to the world of resources
on MSDN.com.
MSDN Customer Services offers subscribers personal support
with their MSDN Subscriptions.
*Toll charges may apply
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TechNet Plus Direct includes:
Two no-charge Professional Support incidents*
per year (valued at nearly $500).
A 20% discount on additional Professional
Support incidents.
Unlimited use of TechNet Managed Newsgroups
where subscribers can post questions in
100+ newsgroups and receive a response—
guaranteed—by the next business day.
Access to live TechNet Online Concierge chat.
Access to a wealth of technical content, including
whitepapers and technical briefs.
*Toll charges may apply
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e-learning
MSDN offers a range of free learning resources for
Developers:
Webcasts—MSDN Webcasts offer deep, how-to technical
information presented by knowledgeable Microsoft subject
matter experts in an interactive environment
Virtual Labs—MSDN Virtual Labs allow you to quickly learn
how to build great applications, through guided hands-on labs.
Courses—MSDN can help you find instructor-led, self-paced,
and online training options.
MSDN runs hundreds of events worldwide, helping developers
connect to Microsoft and discover the latest in software
development.
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All TechNet Plus Direct subscribers have access
to free learning resources to help keep their i
T
skills current:
E-Learning—Access to premium Microsoft
E-Learning courses at no additional charge (up to
three per calendar quarter) valued at thousands of
dollars per subscription year.
Access to the best Microsoft technical Webcasts.
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Microsoft Action Pack Subscription (MAPS)
— MAPS is a subscription offering only for Microsoft Partners who need access to Microsoft software to demonstrate to
customers during the sales process. It includes a limited set of software titles—not the full product offerings included with MSDN Premium and TechNet Plus Direct subscriptions. MAPS
does not contain the wealth of resources described above for Developers and IT Professionals. MAPS is not a substitute for MSDN Premium or TechNet Plus Direct.
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