Microsoft Revamps TechNet Subscriptions

Those of you who have or are eyeing a TechNet subscription with Microsoft (News - Alert) will find a few changes in the available options. A TechNet subscription, which I wrote about in a previous column, gives you free Microsoft software, 12 free e-learning courses, support forums, and a few other benefits.

 

In the past Microsoft offered two types of TechNet subscriptions-one with media and one without. These subscription choices are now known as TechNet Professional. Both provide the benefits I described above, including all of the company's core desktop, server, and enterprise software, two free support calls, and 20 percent off future support calls.

 

A TechNet Professional with Media subscription mails you all of the discs for your sofware and runs $599 for the first year and $449 to renew each additional year. A regular TechNet Professional subscription excludes the media, so you need to download all the software from the TechNet site, and costs $349 for the first year and $249 to renew each year.

 

But in a nod toward more budget-conscious IT pros and tech folks, Microsoft recently added a third option called TechNet Standard. The standard subscription excludes the Microsoft support calls, offers you 6 free e-learning courses instead of 12, and omits certain enterprise software. This one will run you $199 the first year and $149 to renew each year. As this option excludes some of the company's enterprise products, it may be a good choice for those of you who strictly work with or support Microsoft's desktop products, such as Windows and Office.

 

The TechNet Web site provides a page in which you can view and compare the differences among the three types of subscriptions.

 

There are a few things you'll want to keep in mind with TechNet subscriptions. The applications provided are the full working copies, but they're meant for evaluation or testing purposes only. So you're not supposed to use them in a live, production environment. Also, you can often locate discounts on the cost of the different subscriptions. Run a search for "technet subscription coupon," and you'll find coupon codes that offer a certain percentage off the price. The TechNet Subscription FAQ offers further details.

 

I have a TechNet subscription and have found it very helpful. It gives me access to all the software I need to test and the various Microsoft resources I need to use. Microsoft's new subscription options and pricing now make TechNet a more affordable option for a greater number of IT pros.