Via a subscription service called TechNet Plus Direct, you could download and install multiple, full versions of Windows 7, Vista and XP, Windows Server 2008/R2 and 2003, Microsoft Office and standalone Office apps, and more, all for just $350. TechNet Plus was, and still is, a great deal. But this month, Microsoft has provided a new, lower-end version of TechNet called TechNet Standard. This one costs just $200, but provides access to almost all of the same software as TechNet Plus. (Only enterprise-class software is omitted.) So if you're really on a budget but want to learn more about Microsoft software, and need multiple PC installs, this is the new sweet spot.
The following information was originally provided in the April 9 tip, but updated for TechNet Standard:
TechNet Subscription is a subscription service that Microsoft aims at IT pros. There are various versions of the service at various price levels, but the new version you should consider is called TechNet Subscription Standard, or TechNet Standard for short. It costs $199 for a year ($149 for renewals), and includes online access to downloadable ISO files for various Microsoft operating systems and applications, including full versions of Windows 7, Vista and XP, Microsoft Office and standalone Office apps, and more. That's a lot of stuff. But it gets better. Consider the following:
It's forever. Even though the subscription lasts only a year, the product keys for the products you have access to won't stop working after a year. So while you will lose download access to those ISOs after a year, as long as you saved copies of them, you can reinstall over and over again. The product keys are forever.
It's for multiple installs. Each product key can be used to install up to 10 versions of the OS or application, for the most part. But that's actually 100 (yes, 100) installs for each Windows 7 product edition, because you can activate each key 10 times. So you get 100 installs of Windows 7 Ultimate, 100 installs of Windows 7 Professional, 100 installs of Windows 7 Home Premium, and so on. That's an incredible value, though it should be noted that this program is designed for a single person. You can't share the product keys with others. What you're getting, essentially, as an individual is multiple, unlimited installs of the products that are included with the subscription ... for yourself.
They're full product versions. These are not time-limited products, and they're not upgrade versions. TechNet Subscription Standard supplies full product versions.
$149/year after that (renewal fee)
