Microsoft to discontinue Technet Subscriptions

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Today Microsoft have announced that it is to retire the Technet Subscription service that I'm sure is enjoyed many of us on CF. In my opinion this is a bad move by Microsoft. Perhaps they didn't make a lot of money out of it directly but with all the IT Pro's using it to learn and then to sell directly or indirectly Microsoft services. I know that alot of VMware fans have been eagerly waiting for a similar service to arrive for them and that was something that Microsoft actually had an advantage over VMware for.

A sad day indeed

Microsoft to shut down TechNet subscription service | ZDNet

 

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Yeah, got the email earlier. Annoyed.

 

It's a sad day but just the other day I was wondering if I used it enough and compared to trails. You can get 180 day trails I believe on the server os and less on normal os? Though you can't get exchange on trail... But can get office 365...is this the sign of things? Pushing towards the cloud?

The problem is people were mis using technet.

I guess it depends on how you use it to see how you look at it. For me I can use the trials and just trash and rebuild in vmware... 6 months should be enough for an os.

Though maybe I got this wrong and I'll learn something ;-)

 

Yes thats true 6 months is good enough for most lab environments, still its nice to have some components that stand the test of time. I tend to keep my DC's and standard MS infrastructure up longer than 6 months. Still time to look at the options now I think!

 

Maybe they will make a half arsed attempt to bring it back, like the start button

 

Great... Just as my lab was getting properly sorted. Microsoft seem to be doing everything in their power to screw with everyone at the moment and its not doing their sales any good.

 

Yup, virtually the same from my boss.

 

And the same from all my colleagues too... On one hand they offer all these system center products at a good price, then on the other hand, all these program retirements and stuff..

I can understand the vision with cloud and what not, it's cool, IT evolves at a much faster rate today than it did 10 years ago. It's just unfortunate to to lose things that a lot of us rely on, it is what is I guess. VMware also discontinued the VMTN subscription a while back too...

 

having spent the evening dwelling on this the bit which I think annoys me most is the fact the much more expensive MSDN subscriptions are continuing unaffected. Makes this whole thing look like a blatant and ridiculous cash grab by MS for anyone wanting to run a more permanent lab setup than allowed by the trial versions.

over £5k to get the same thing I've had previously for £120? Bloody ridiculous.

 

Exactly, I can't afford 5k (which I doubt many people can) so I'll have to consider other options unless they do a u-turn on this which I really hope they do!

 

I create images of more complex set-ups to roll out into test environments. Correct me if I am wrong but a trial system will total mess this up for me.

TBH I have been thinking for sometime of ditching supporting Microsoft products all together its a shame I used to consider myself a fan boy, started on MS DOS 3.2 as a kid and even spent time at Microsoft UK with the NT team whilst at college which was one of the best experiences that I have ever had.

But I just don't like the way the products, training or job opportunities have gone in recent years.

#nix support, back to software development or a Phd next career step me thinks.

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I used to have a MSDN ages a go I could bill the company at the time for it.

Which reminds me is Microsoft also stopping the VL version of Technet used by companies?

I guess their stopping the whole lot.

 

I didn't know there were any other license versions of Technet Subscriptions. It uses (used) Volume Licensing but is not Volume Licensing itself.

They haven't indicated any changes to do with Volume Licensing licenses which are purchased by companies.

EDIT: Go sign the petition, hell they might listed, we still have public folders after all - http://www.change.org/petitions/mic...dable-msdn-subscription-comparable-to-technet

 

My question to them ..

Sorry to be a pain. I’m a hands on learner and this is why I loved TechNet and the price was reasonable. This is why I use the testing network at home so I can test software deployments, IDS systems, Exchange, Windows 7-8 even Forefront but it takes me longer than many to work though issues so I do them at my own pace at home as time allows and I’m not interfering with any production network. Even issues that crop up over time are helpful as you can’t know about, or how to fix an issue until one happens. I understand what you’re saying about honoring the TechNet agreement and being able to use everything until the subscription expires, you then cannot retrieve keys.

I’m still wondering about this – if I have the keys and wish to put up a new OS or use some software I currently have access to and do this BEFORE the subscription expires, once TechNet is retired will the activated products then become flagged and as if it was pirated software. We were always told before even if we chose not to renew, this would not invalidate any software currently running.

Bluntly put, will any TechNet software installed and running before the retirement of TechNet continue to run or will we be flagged as pirates or “Non genuine” software? Trial ware and virtual environments are great but nothing beats running and working with hands on with the server and software in a real life environment over time but as a tech I certainly cannot afford to buy an MSDN sub per year to keep software running for testing


The answer

This is in response to your TechNet subscription retirement inquiry.

First of all I would like to thank you for providing us feedback as this always helps us improve and strive to become a better company for our customers, additionally I would like to invite you as well to use the site feedback on the TechNet Portal if you would like to provide feedback directly to the page.

If you would like to provide feedback directly on the TechNet portal, please visit the next hyperlink:



I would like to inform that I have taken the feedback you kindly provided us with and forwarded this to the corresponding management team by marking this interaction as a complaint.

Regarding your TechNet software inquiry, I can inform you that all TechNet product keys and subscriber downloads will be valid until the program is retired or the subscription expires. For more information regarding the retirement of the TechNet subscriptions program, please click on the following link:



Thank you for your continued support toward Microsoft products and services. Have a great day!


YOUR WELCOME - thanks for taking away things I use to help me do my job? (New Subscriber here I had to remove my links to Technet and MSDN that were in the post from the email)...sigh...

 

I just read a long thread here and right at the end, it (well, Mike from Microsoft) seems to confirm that when your current subscription ends, you immediately lose access to every product you are evaluating. I was hoping to get a Server 2012 lab set up before my sub ends in October, but there's no point now - i'll have to go with the trial version instead

edit: I really should read EULAs properly...

 

This is very disappointing, good old Steve Ballmer and his restructuring!!

 

Excellent, coverage from a larger news site. Let's hope MS are actually taking notice of that petition and the current feeling in this portion of the industry.