“Don’t you mean, ‘BuyTechNet Subscriptions’, Kevin?”
Nope. The TechNet Subscription is no more. Today Microsoft announced that, as of August 31, 2013 we will no longer be selling the TechNet Subscription, in favor of better free trials and evaluations (such as those found at http://aka.ms/evals)
Full details of this news are being e-mailed to all current subscribers even as this post goes live, and can be found at the TechNet site. Also, please check out the updated TechNet Subscription FAQ: http://aka.ms/TNSFAQ)
“What happens to my current subscription?”
Microsoft promises that you’ll still be able to take advantage of your subscription throughout your current subscription period. If you want to start a new subscription (or renew an existing one), you have ‘til August 31, 2013 to make your purchase, and until September 30, 2013 to activate it.
“So.. where do I go to get similar features or support?”
In an e-mail I received on the subject, the author included a pretty useful grid mapping TechNet Subscription Benefits to alternative sources:
|
|
Microsoft Software Evaluation |
|
| Microsoft E-Learning Courses |
|
| Priority Support in TechNet Forums |
|
Professional Support Calls |
|
So in summary – don’t be discouraged. Evaluations are being made available to everyone. E-Learning resources are free (thanks to the MVA). Heck, you can even install the latest evaluation software on cloud-based hardware using a free Windows Azure trial.
(HINT: Wanna build a test network of Windows Server 2012 R2 Preview servers? Build them in the cloud!)