Happy Birthday to BizSpark!

News from the PDC…

Microsoft’s BizSpark Fires Up Startups, Ignites a Community: Marking its one-year anniversary at PDC 2009, BizSpark continues to gain momentum, expand its reach with new offers, and put partners at the center of the equation to turn startups into successful businesses.

Microsoft’s BizSpark Fires Up Startups, Ignites a Community

REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 17, 2009 — For thousands of entrepreneurs huddling in coffee shops to thrash out business plans or tinkering in garages to build innovative applications, Microsoft’s BizSpark program has not only accelerated their software development process but also fine-tuned the equation for startup success by providing access to business acumen and mentorship.

Almost exactly a year ago, Microsoft launched BizSpark, a global program designed to catalyze the success of entrepreneurs by making Microsoft’s end-to-end software solutions available to early-stage startups with no upfront costs. In creating BizSpark, Microsoft realized that the startup community requires more than the right technology tools to succeed. Startups also need access to marketing channels, creative partnerships and coaching from industry experts. BizSpark was developed with that perspective in mind — to deliver a holistic infrastructure that supports startups and the entrepreneurial community on a worldwide basis.