IMPORTANT UPDATE: This promotion and promotion code have expired.
Please CLICK HERE for the most current promotion.
Whenever I present a live TechNet Event, I ask my audience to raise their hands if they are a TechNet subscriber. Usually about 1/2 of the audience raises their hand. Considering that this is typically a Microsoft-friendly audience, I’m a little shocked that there aren’t more hands going up. The TechNet Subscription is such a great resource for IT Pros, for these reasons:
- Downloadable (or delivered, if you subscribe to the disks-delivered-to-you-monthly subscription), full-version software licensed for evaluation purposes; which includes Microsoft operating systems, servers, and Office System software; all the software that IT Pros care about. Yes, these are for evaluation, testing, and training only; but they don’t time-out. You can install these into a training lab, test lab, or use Virtual PC, Virtual Server, Hyper-V, or even your own downloaded evaluation copy of the latest beta or CTP or Release Candidate software! Use it to build a virtually networked playground, and play with (er.. “evaluate”, if your boss is watching) all the latest and greatest tools and technologies.
- You get early access to beta versions and release candidates of new Microsoft products.
- A Technical Information Library containing the articles, security updates, service packs, utilities and more – all in one convenient location.
- Access to Online Concierge Chat service for live help from a Microsoft Online Assistant – to help you get the most out of your subscription.
- Two (2) technical support incidents and a 20% discount on additional phone support incidents you purchase. (HINT: the savings here alone justifies the subscription cost)
- Twelve free eLearning courses per year to keep your skills up to date. Just for TechNet Subscribers. (Good idea to watch the TechNet Plus Blog for details)
- Unlimited Managed Newsgroup Support. Post your technical questions in over 100 public newsgroups and receive a response from an expert by next business day. It’s like another free avenue into direct technical support from Microsoft!
For all of those reasons (Heck, for any ONE of those reasons), a TechNet Plus subscription is worth the yearly investment.
“Cool, Kevin. But how do I save $$$s?”
For new subscriptions, from now until March 31, 2010, you can save 28% on the TechNet Plus Direct subscription. What would have cost you $349 will now only cost $251.28.
“That’s nearly $100!”
Bingo!
“Is this worldwide, or U.S. only, or what?”
This is for residents of the U.S. only.
“Why new subscriptions only? Why not a discount renewals?”
Renewals are already automatically discounted, even more than you get with this code. Besides.. we’re honestly trying to promote TechNet Subscriptions to those who haven’t yet benefited from it. We’re pretty confident that if you try it, you’ll see enough value in it to renew your subscription.
Write down or copy this promotion code to your clipboard: TNITE04 (That’s zero-four. Not the letter O.)
Then GOTO the TechNet Subscription Center (CLICK HERE), and use the code to get your savings.
“Hey Kevin, didn’t you have some other code we were using before?”
Yes. The “TMSAM08” code is no longer valid. You need to use this new TNITE04 code now.
Absolutely Full of I.T. 
Hello,can you give me some advice?How can I be hired by Microsoft Inc?I am the computer geek and I like to work in Microsoft Inc to share my mind to everybody.I know you work with Microsoft now,so I want you give me some advice.
LikeLike
Best place to go for information about openings at Microsoft is http://www.microsoft.com/career.
LikeLike
Yeah,thanks.I have already searched that website.But I think my skills doesn’t match the position which they apply.I think I need to practice more and do much better than before.I consider many way to reach my goal,but I confuse how to do those such as publishing related IT books with other IT people and so on?I don’t have any related IT professor.So I can’t find myself in the IT world.I don’t like to be silent in the IT world.I think I need to do something right now.So I hope you can give me some advice as soon as possible.Thanks again!
LikeLike
Well.. those positions change frequently, so make sure you get it set up to notify you of any new job postings that fit what you’re looking for.
As for advice on what you can do to gear up in any particular technology; that will have a lot to do with what resources you have available to you. Microsoft has many recorded webcasts, podcasts, screencasts, blogs, and live events that are all free and available for your learning. Beyond that, certainly the TechNet subscription (which by now I know you’ve heard of) is a good way to get the software into your hands so that you can test, try, train, and otherwise ramp-up on the newest software products and services that IT Pros will use.
Personally, I can only speak to the IT side of things… but if anyone else has some career advice for Han tian, please speak up.
Best of luck,
Kevin
LikeLike
Thanks a lot.I have some IT side of thing to ask you.What do you think about "outside the box" in Microsoft?I have a little resource about "outside the box" and Is the complex software system a agent-oriented system or a system which has thousands of requirement?Formally,Microsoft softwares are not easy softwares,but the complex softwares.I try to define or plan the complex software system now.But thousands of requirement is a big problem for me and many complex problem hide in the complex system during the software engineering.I have not some experience in those thing.I see the requirement about the position in Microsoft.So I think I need to master those thing.I want you deal with the problem which I face with your IT knowledge and experience.Thanks!
LikeLike
Other than the software downloads/testing new products, is there any benefit to subscribing to this service for a small/medium business? It appears that the general public has access to most of the magazine articles as is, so why buy the cow, if I can get the milk free?
LikeLike
Back in the day (and granted, I’ve been around awhile) the MSDN or TechNet subscriptions were a great way to get those articles and knowledge base. Today, I agree, it’s great that they’re all online, so that’s a lesser-reason to subscribe.
The software alone is really reason enough for me, though. And when you consider that this also gives you two support calls (about a $500 value?), early beta access, selected e-learning courses for no additional cost… it’s a pretty great deal.
Would I buy this myself if I didn’t work for Micrsoft? Yes. In a heartbeat.
LikeLike
Can you tell me where to find more detail on the e-learning classes, or can you tell me what types of topics in the selected classes are offered?
LikeLike
The courses change over time. Here’s what the site says right now:
"With TechNet Plus, you receive six months of access to Microsoft E-Learning with hands-on learning to help you build the skills you need to do your job. The following courses are available to TechNet Plus subscribers through March 31, 2010:
Course 10144: Installing and Configuring Microsoft Data Protection Manager 2007 – In this 2-hour online course, IT Professionals will learn how to install and configure Microsoft Data Protection Manager 2007.
Course 10072: Implementing High Availability with System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 – This 2-hour course provides you with the knowledge and skills to implement highly available virtual machines by using VMM. This course describes host and guest clustering. It also describes how System Center Operations Manager can be used to monitor virtual machines and implement PRO.
Course 7248: Managing a Windows Server 2008 Server Infrastructure – This 2-hour course introduces Network Infrastructure Services roles in Windows Server 2008. It also describes how to install these roles using Server Manager and command-line tools. Further, it describes server management and IPv6 configuration. This knowledge helps you manage Windows Server 2008 servers."
LikeLike
For me, TechNetPlus Direct has paid for itself over and over, and that’s without using the support calls. Access to almost any software you’d find in an IT environment (plus a bunch of home stuff, too) plus beta access, early access to things like Windows 7 (and I’m guessing Office 2010 whenever it is RTW)… Well worth it. The courses are also nice even if there are only 3 at a time.
If you have any hardware that’s x64-capable and has a decent amount of RAM, you can’t go wrong in subscribing. You can set up a lab with pretty much whatever you want for less than $300.
LikeLike