Microsoft Imagine

Microsoft Imagine, formerly known as DreamSpark and MSDN-AA, is a Microsoft program to provide students with software design and development tools free of cost. The program is available for university/college and K-12 students in more than 120 countries.[1] To register, students must visit the Microsoft Imagine website and verify their identity through their verified .EDU institution. If an institution is not listed on the available list, the user may manually verify their student status by uploading a proof such as an ID card.

The Microsoft Imagine program was announced by Bill Gates as DreamSpark on February 20, 2008 during a speech at Stanford University.[1][2] It is estimated that up to 35 million students will be able to access these software titles free of charge through this program.[3] The service was renamed to Microsoft Imagine on September 7, 2016, to better align with the annual Imagine Cup competition hosted by Microsoft.[4]

Verification

Proof of student status is required to download software and obtain product keys. On the Imagine website, students can verify their identity using ISIC cards, access codes ordered by school administrators, or .edu email addresses. Students remain verified for 12 months afterwards. If students can't find their school, they can manually submit a response with a proof of student status.

Products offered

Several development software titles are available for download through the program. They include:[5]

Products available through Imagine Standard & Premium

Products available only through Imagine Premium:

  • Microsoft BizTalk Server
  • Microsoft Project
  • Microsoft SharePoint Server
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Visual Studio Enterprise
  • Windows Client

The basic three Microsoft Office applications of Word, Excel and PowerPoint are not available through Imagine: Office Home & Student 2013 or Office 365 University offers those at a discounted price for students. Unlike the programs listed above, there is no way to access similar older and compatible versions (2010, 2007) of Office for Word, Excel or PowerPoint under Imagine.

Additional Benefits

  • Electronic License Management Systems (ELMS)
  • Technical Support Incidents are the equivalent of paid Professional support
  • Priority Support in Visual Studio Forums

See also

References

  1. 1 2 PC World - Microsoft Gives Software to Nurture Future Coders
  2. ↑ Microsoft Gives Students Access to Technical Software at No Charge to Inspire Success and Make a Difference
  3. ↑ Microsoft DreamSpark Ignites Interest | WebProNews Archived 2008-02-27 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ Tarui, Hideto. "マイクロソフト、学生支援プログラム"DreamSpark"を"Microsoft Imagine"へ改名". Windows Forest. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  5. ↑ Imagine Subscription
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.