Microsoft today (Sept 24th) launched another spark program called WebSite Spark . This program targets Web Developers, Designers and small companies building sites and includes Expression Web 2.0 or 3.0 in the line of available software.
Eligibility Requirements:
At the time of joining the company must have the following criteria:
- Be a professional service firm whose primary business is providing Web development and design services for its clients, with
- no more than 10 members (including owners and employees).
In addition:
- To be eligible to continue to participate in the Program, the company must deploy a new public and Internet-accessible website developed using Program software within 6 months from Program enrollment, and report it and other new websites through the WebsiteSpark Portal.
- Companies do not have to be members of the Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) prior to joining the Program, but enrollment in MPN is a feature of Program participation. Companies who are not already MPN members will be prompted to join during the WebsiteSpark enrollment process.
As part of the enrollment process you can pick either a network referral partner, or enter a referral code that you have received at an event or from a Microsoft employee. If you send mail to webspark@microsoft.com you can get a referral code quickly and use it to enroll. Whereupon you can use the download use the software immediately, as well as begin to participate in the network/partner opportunities.
If you have any problems enrolling, you can also send mail to (scottgu@microsoft.com) and he can connect you with someone who can help, he is also on twitter http://www.twitter.com/scottgu (@scottgu is his twitter name)
What you get:
- For design, development, testing and demonstration of new websites – for a total of up to three users per Web design and development company:
- Visual Studio Professional
- Expression Studio 2 or 3 (1 user) and Expression Web 2 or 3 (up to 2 users)
- Windows Web Server 2008 or R2 (when available)
- SQL Server 2008 Web Edition
- For production use – that is, to deploy and host new websites developed using Program software – using a total of up to four processors per Web design and development company, of the following (physical or virtual) dedicated servers:
- Windows Web Server 2008 R2 (when available)
- SQL Server 2008 Web Edition
Deployments may be on 4 servers or VMs of 1processor each, on 2 servers or VMs of 2 processors each, or on 1 server or VM of 4-processors.
How long for:
Eligible Web development and design companies can participate in WebsiteSpark for up to 3 years. On the first and second anniversary of initial enrollment, they must update their enrollment (e.g., confirm they haven’t gone public and their ownership hasn’t changed). You do pay a $100 program fee at the end of the three years
At the end of the three years, you can optionally choose to purchase all of the software in the program via a $999/year package. This includes 3 copies of VS Professional, 1 copy of Expression Studio (including Blend and Sketchflow), 2 copies of Expression Web, and 4 processor licenses of Windows Web Server 2008 and 4 processor licenses of SQL Server Web edition that can be used for production deployment.
Or, if you want to purchase only the production server licenses, you can take advantage of a $199/year offering that includes both 1 Windows Web Server processor license and 1 SQL Server Web edition processor license. You can buy the quantity you need of this package at $199/year each.
Microsoft Web Platform Installer 2.0 and Web Apps Gallery Launched
Just to encourage Web Developers Microsoft have also launched today their Web Platform Installer 2.0 which includes the framework, web server, database and tools you’ll need to build and run Web sites and applications on Windows and the Windows Web Apps Gallery
You can learn more about the other spark programs Dreamspark which is for full time students and Bizspark which is for startup companies building software products
