Reflections on MSDN Subscription Changes

It’s been nearly two weeks since I returned from what was, for me, one of the best PDC events in recent memory. 

While many may think that I attended PDC for the sessions and the attendee party at Universal Studios (very worthwhile, I must say), I also spent a fair amount of my time at the MSDN Subscriptions booth in the Product Pavilion interacting with many current and prospective MSDN subscribers.  I may be a bit of odd duck in this way, as I truly enjoy the opportunity to talk and interact with subscribers, both to find out what we’re doing right, and, in learning and understanding their concerns, find out what we can do to improve our product offerings.

In talking to subscribers and handing out the requisite tradeshow giveaways, which this year included some pretty cool wireless mini-mice, flexible keyboards, and MSDN playing cards, I learned that many subscribers haven’t really examined the implications of the upcoming subscription changes and the benefits they receive by being an active MSDN Subscriber.

And, yes, I do mean benefits.  The Visual Studio product line has been extended with the new lifecycle tools called the Visual Studio Team System launching in a few short weeks.  Much of the functionality you’ve come to enjoy in the current editions of Visual Studio .NET 2003 will be featured in the forthcoming Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition.  Active MSDN Universal subscribers enjoy a no-cost upgrade to their choice of role-based subscription designed for Architects, Developers, or Testers along with an MSDN Premium subscription.  Active MSDN Enterprise subscribers enjoy a no-cost upgrade to the new Developer role which includes an MSDN Premium subscription.  What's in the new "Premium" subscription?  Essentially, it's everything that's currently in MSDN Universal.

While this may sound like a thinly-veiled sales pitch, please note the new renewal policy going into effect with the launch of Visual Studio Team System at https://msdn.microsoft.com/howtobuy/vs2005/subscriptions/ (see footnote 3).  It bears repeating that retail renewal pricing for the new role-based subscriptions will only be available to active or expiring subscribers at a similar level or subscribers that transitioned into one of the new levels from either an MSDN Enterprise or MSDN Universal subscription.  Others, including expired subscribers, will need to purchase new.

So, for those of you that have been considering an MSDN Enterprise or MSDN Universal subscription but haven’t yet gotten around to it, or, if you've been contemplating renewing but are thinking that you'll wait until after the launch, there just isn’t any other way to say it… there’s never been a better time to be an active subscriber.

Regards,

Seth Adams

Program Manager, MSDN Subscriptions