Microsoft to provide Professional and Design Tools For FREE to Indian Students

This is a big announcement for Indian Students. Bill Gates - Founder & Chairman of Microsoft Corporation today at IIT, Delhi announced the launch of Microsoft DreamSpark™ for India. Microsoft DreamSpark™ makes professional-level developer and design software available to students in India for FREE. These are the same software used in the industry, so ones the Students starts using them , they will make easy transition ones they step out of college.

The software is available online at: http://www.dreamsparkindia.com . These can also be availed at program partners NIIT, Aptech and Hughes Net fusion center as DVDs. One has to furnish proof of Identity as a student.

Today, Microsoft DreamSpark is available to university students across India. Microsoft DreamSpark will be expanded to include high school students by early 2009

Bill Gates, today at IIT Delhi launching DreamSpark,

Software made available are:

Microsoft developer tools:

• Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition
• Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition*
• XNA Game Studio 2.0*
• 12-month free membership in the XNA Creators Club

Microsoft designer tools:

Expression Studio, including:

• Expression Web*
• Expression Blend*
• Expression Design*
• Expression Media*

Microsoft platform resources:

• SQL Server 2008 Developer Edition
• SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition
• Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition*
• Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition
• Virtual PC 2007*
  * The tools marked with the asterisk are also available on DVD.

DreamSpark was launched few months back worldwide but India was not there. Now India has been included in this benefitting all the Indian Students to make use of their imagination in using these tools. Earlier Price was the main factor for Students in getting these tools and now they have been made available for Free! One has to wait and see how Microsoft controls piracy if someone misuses this wonderful facility as India has a bad record in piracy. I hope everybody understands this and does not misuse it.

For more details please check http://www.dreamsparkindia.com/dreamspark/

DreamSpark - Microsoft Developer and Design Tools FREE for students

How about getting a copy of Microsoft Visual Studio 2008, Microsoft Expression Studio and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 for FREE ? How about having many more developer and testing tools at no charge? Does that sound too good to be true ? But it is true. You can get all these Software, if you are a Student. Students woldwide will be able to download these Professional Tools for free under Microsoft DreamSpark Student program.

Bill Gates unveiled the Microsoft DreamSpark student program (http://channel8.msdn.com/). The program is now available to more than 35 million college students in Belgium, China, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S. The program will be further expand to include colleges from other countries, thus potentially reaching up to 1 billion students worldwide.
Earlier all Express Editions of Visual Studio were made available for free, but under DreamSpark a Student can get Professional Tools. This is fantastic!! Really Exciting news for Students !!

The following cutting-edge software will be available to empower students to unlock their ingenuity by building critical skills:
Microsoft developer tools : Visual Studio is the Swiss Army knife of computer programming. These professional-grade products provide a security-enhanced and reliable environment, enabling students to program everything from a cell phone to a robot or to create their own Web page. Students will also be able to invent compelling new gaming content and make their dream game a reality by porting their creations to their Xbox 360 console.
•Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition
•Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition
•XNA Game Studio 2.0
•12-month free Academic membership in the XNA Creators Club•
Microsoft designer tools: This ultra-versatile suite of tools will enable students to vividly bring their creative visions to life in vibrant new Web site designs and more effective digital content, including animation, imagery and photography.
•Expression Studio, including
•Expression Web
•Expression Blend
•Expression Design
•Expression Media•
Microsoft platform resources: The foundation for development and design platforms, these products deliver a security-enhanced, reliable and manageable environment for students to more quickly turn ideas into reality.
•SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition
•Windows Server, Standard Edition

Apart from these Professional Tools, Express editions were already made avaialable for free.

If you are interested in development, also check Windows Live Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio
and Codeplex QuickApps
For more details on DreamSpark, Please check these links:
- Press Release: Microsoft Gives Students Access to Technical Software at No Charge to Inspire Success and Make a Difference
- Microsoft DreamSpark Q&A
and - Microsoft DreamSpark
And also watch what Bill Gates say about it on Channel8 video - Bill Gates talk about Free Software, Students and Technology


Bill Gates talks about Free Software, Students, and Technology