Microsoft MSDN Expression 4

[PNWDweller]

Somehow, I was included in a special program verified by Microsoft to obtain at no cost*, the following products:

* Visual Studio 2010 at no cost

* Three Visual Studio? 2008 licenses.

* Two Expression? Web 3 licenses plus an Expression Studio 3 license. - They gave me one for Expression 4 Studio Premium DVD

* One Windows Web Server? 2008 R2 license. - Might do this later

* One SQL Server? 2008 Web Edition license. - Downloading now

With a special footnote:

This offer is only valid for two weeks and will expire on 6/29/10.

*At the end of the three year program there is a one-time $100 program fee.

---Not forwarding the email per the instructions ---

I found this a bit curious as it almost seems to be too good to be true, but I did verify everything and it appears to be legit. I do have the right to cancel within 60 days with no cause and not have to pay per the contract that I signed. Anyone else get set up with something like this?

I am a Mac user, and developer of web sites, but do have a couple of PC's laying around and will surely be checking this out very soon. I do want to grow my business and these might be some good tools to do so. If this doesn't work out for me, I will do the cancellation and provide total proof as they request of destruction of documents/downloads/materials.

[Raa]

That's from the Website Spark program.

And yes, it's legit - Microsoft are helping out small business ventures (known as "startups").

Edit : It's not Dreamspark, that program doesn't charge you at the end of the subscription (12 months).

Edited June 24, 2010 by Raa

[hjf288]

Dreamspark.com

Ahh didnt know they did a business one

[wrack]

No it's WebsiteSpark program not a DreamSpark program.

DreamSpark is for uni and school students.

It is legit.

[PNWDweller]

Looking closely at their program requirements, I am seeing something a bit concerning as I have my own host which I am very pleased with:

  Quote

In accordance with Program requirements, please use the field(s) below to list the URL for each new Website you?ve created and deployed using the Program development software and servers during your participation in the Program. Please do not list any duplicate URLs. We will use these URLs to verify your compliance with the Program requirements by: a) visiting the URL, and b) connecting to the server hosting each URL to collect information about the server OS, web server, and scripting technologies.

I presently have 4 sites of my own online and 2 client web sites that I cannot move and won't, but any new ones I will develop and host on the server 2008, or move to a hosting partner that they have listed. I am a bit concerned with this though as my ISP Charter frowns upon web sites being hosted on their system w/o a special agreement. I do host one dev server on a dedicated box right now just for that purpose and point my clients to that server while the site is being developed to keep control of it until it is signed off on.

Their download servers are a bit slow though, I should be getting about 1.6mb/s for downloads but getting around 126kb/s with NO multipart downloading. :( Good thing I am setting up the downloads to run tonight while I am sleeping. :)

[Raa]

They won't force you to move servers. They're merely going to connect and gather a bit of information. It's safe.

[PNWDweller]

Right but if I go and give them the URLS of my sites, they will verify if I am with a hosting partner which none are (I just checked), those then would disqualify my entries I would presume. I understand the whole leveraging and advertising power behind their program with it all being "Look at the power behind our servers, look at what our business partners have built and are doing with them." So I do see that part being a vital ingredient in it.

I must say though that this did come in good timing though as I am about to deploy 2 other sites which are in the works and can list those once those are completed. One at least can go on my own server, the other is already hosted by a different company which also is not part of the partner program.