Technet Closing

[jim]

So, received an email from Microsoft earlier today explaining that Technet is no more. The final sales will be made on August 31st 2013, and then after those subscriptions are completed, the service will be retired.

They suggest that now, it's no longer required, and is effectively supplanted by the TechNet Evaluation Center, which supplies free software for up to 180 days. Can't say I agree, and I'm inclined to think that this is partly a reaction to the people buying Technet subscriptions and selling on the licenses - they severely restricted the programme a while back, and perhaps it hasn't had the required effect.

I'm going to really miss it

[Splash]

yeah, I read one of the few pieces that I agree with on the Register this morning about this. My homelab requires a few things that it's not really convenient to recreate every 180 days: domain controllers being one of them. The lab isn't spun up all the time, but when it is I generally have time to test the specific thing that it's called into action for and certainly not to build a new domain, including all required patching.

I can see why they've gone this route, but can't help but feel that it's going to do more harm than good in terms of loss of goodwill for those of us at the coalface of IT. I certainly can't afford to spend £5170.56 for Visual Studio with MSDN Premium (in order to get access to Office, Exchange and the like)

[phil4]

I'm with those above. Highly useful for legitimate things for me. 180 day evals are useful for going forward, but hopeless for testing old, or compatibility between old and new.

As said I don't have the money to spend on MSDN at the level needed.

I wonder how long before Action Packs are axed as well. With SBS gone I tend to agree with The Registers thoughts about Microsoft and moving away from Smaller companies.

Ah well, their choice.

[shaithis]

Harrumph.

I can see this having an impact to IT staff skills within a few years, even more so on the time to roll-out new products.....from personal experience it's not uncommon for peoples meddling with technet subs that can drive a new product install/upgrade.

It is (was) a very useful resource for those of us in the trade....

They reduced workstation licenses to 5 recently......surely that was enough to counter the chancers?