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I tried to read the Bizspark FAQ, and now my head hurts. But anyways, what I think I was able to get out of it is that: 1. You have to apply. 2. You have to b

by hristov 14y ago

I tried to read the Bizspark FAQ, and now my head hurts. But anyways, what I think I was able to get out of it is that: 1. You have to apply. 2. You have to be approved, which takes a minimum of 5 business days, and you may not get approved. 3. At some point you "graduate" and lose your licenses and have to pay for software. The faq does not say when this graduation happens, but I seem to remember hearing something about 6 months. So, no it is not really free. And it is definitely harder to get it than simply typing: sudo apt-get install apache2

edanm 14y ago
Unless something has changed: 1. It does take a few days. 2. You do need to be approved. I've heard of plenty of people signing up and getting approved, not about anyone who hasen't. I don't think it's a problem to get approved assuming you're really a startup. And for the record, you don't need to give them almost any information, save a website and filling out a few forms. 3. It lasts for 3 years. I think there's also a limit on how profitable you can be and still be eligible for the program, but it's something high. E.g., if you're making 1 million dollars in profit already, you're not eligible. All in all, I sense from your tone that you're really looking down on this. But Microsoft is basically giving away thousands of dollars of software to any startup that wants it. Not just servers, but also Windows, the Office Suite, etc. This is a great opportunity and startups that aren't taking advantage of it are missing.
- bad_user 14y ago
  (2) there are in fact people that got disproved, with the most common reason being that they didn't want to provide details about what they actually want to build. Also people discussing the Spark programs never mention one basic fact - in many countries starting a company is a bureaucratic nightmare and it's not free of charge either. You also need to pay an accountant too, as bookkeeping can get complicated even if you don't have any revenues, depending on the local legislation. The Spark programs are basically incompatible with most startups, considering how most startups are started - an individual or a bunch of people starting something and experimenting on the side. > Microsoft is basically giving away thousands of dollars of software to any startup that wants it Price does not necessarily correlate with provided value, but rather with the scarcity of a resource in the context of supply/demand and the scarcity of many Microsoft licenses is rather artificial. I use "thousands of dollars of software" every day for free, without having to be approved, without bureaucracy and without a 3-years ticking time bomb.
gprasanth 14y ago
I have a win 8 professional license from DreamSpark(my university had to apply for this). The license I got was valid for 2 years, and I graduate in 6 months. So, it's not really hard like you say.
- bad_user 14y ago
  Except that all usage of licenses from DreamSpark must be non-commercial, without ifs and buts. Students are also a minority.
andyjohnson0 14y ago
BizSpark membership lasts for up to three years. In the three months up to the end of the membership, you 'graduate' and get access to discounted msdn subscriptions and support. You also get to keep any software downloaded during the time you were a member. This includes licensing for servers in production. There is a fairly clear explanation at http://www.microsoft.com/bizspark/about/Graduation.aspx http://www.microsoft.com/bizspark/about/Graduation.aspx
mrcrassic 14y ago
True, but if you really wanted to go MS, you can just find a student willing to download and host it for you elsewhere..

by hristov 14y ago

edanm 14y ago

Unless something has changed: 1. It does take a few days. 2. You do need to be approved. I've heard of plenty of people signing up and getting approved, not about anyone who hasen't. I don't think it's a problem to get approved assuming you're really a startup. And for the record, you don't need to give them almost any information, save a website and filling out a few forms. 3. It lasts for 3 years. I think there's also a limit on how profitable you can be and still be eligible for the program, but it's something high. E.g., if you're making 1 million dollars in profit already, you're not eligible. All in all, I sense from your tone that you're really looking down on this. But Microsoft is basically giving away thousands of dollars of software to any startup that wants it. Not just servers, but also Windows, the Office Suite, etc. This is a great opportunity and startups that aren't taking advantage of it are missing.

bad_user 14y ago
(2) there are in fact people that got disproved, with the most common reason being that they didn't want to provide details about what they actually want to build. Also people discussing the Spark programs never mention one basic fact - in many countries starting a company is a bureaucratic nightmare and it's not free of charge either. You also need to pay an accountant too, as bookkeeping can get complicated even if you don't have any revenues, depending on the local legislation. The Spark programs are basically incompatible with most startups, considering how most startups are started - an individual or a bunch of people starting something and experimenting on the side. > Microsoft is basically giving away thousands of dollars of software to any startup that wants it Price does not necessarily correlate with provided value, but rather with the scarcity of a resource in the context of supply/demand and the scarcity of many Microsoft licenses is rather artificial. I use "thousands of dollars of software" every day for free, without having to be approved, without bureaucracy and without a 3-years ticking time bomb.

gprasanth 14y ago

I have a win 8 professional license from DreamSpark(my university had to apply for this). The license I got was valid for 2 years, and I graduate in 6 months. So, it's not really hard like you say.

bad_user 14y ago
Except that all usage of licenses from DreamSpark must be non-commercial, without ifs and buts. Students are also a minority.

andyjohnson0 14y ago

BizSpark membership lasts for up to three years. In the three months up to the end of the membership, you 'graduate' and get access to discounted msdn subscriptions and support. You also get to keep any software downloaded during the time you were a member. This includes licensing for servers in production. There is a fairly clear explanation at http://www.microsoft.com/bizspark/about/Graduation.aspx http://www.microsoft.com/bizspark/about/Graduation.aspx

mrcrassic 14y ago

True, but if you really wanted to go MS, you can just find a student willing to download and host it for you elsewhere..