Microsoft Simplifies Developer Network Subscriptions

Microsoft Corp. (www.microsoft.com) today detailed pricing and licensing terms for Visual Studio® 2005, its comprehensive application development tool set, as well as simplification of its Microsoft® Developer Network (MSDN®) subscriptions, the primary vehicle through which most developers obtain Visual Studio.

Microsoft will reduce the estimated retail price1 of Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition while offering special pricing to existing MSDN subscribers for Visual Studio 2005 Team System, the expansion of the Visual Studio product line to include integrated software life-cycle tools.

"With Visual Studio 2005 Team System, Microsoft introduces features and technologies to support application development through all phases of the software life cycle, from development to deployment," said S. Somasegar, corporate vice president of the Developer Division at Microsoft.

In addition, current Visual Studio users will be eligible for promotional pricing to acquire MSDN subscriptions now, in preparation for Visual Studio 2005, expected in the second half of calendar year 2005.

"The trend to align IT and the line of business clearly mandates that the IT organization provide value throughout the entire application life cycle," said Theresa Lanowitz, research director at Gartner Inc.

With the addition of Visual Studio Team System, Microsoft expands the definition and audience reach of the Visual Studio product line beyond developers to development teams, adding new tools for project managers, software testers, infrastructure and software architects, and IT business decision-makers.