Microsoft ISV Enablement
by Volker Weber
Joel Spolsky about Microsoft Empower:
Microsoft really does a better job than any other platform vendor encouraging small companies to write software that runs on the Windows platform. If you're a software company willing to commit to developing software for any variant of Windows, you can join the Empower Program for ISVs, which entitles you a huge pile of software at the ridiculously low price of $750. You get 5 copies of MSDN Universal (normally $2600 each) ... this is the package that includes top-of-the-line versions of every single Microsoft development tool and compiler, and Office, and Visio, and developer copies of every server product, and the MSDN library, and copies of every operating system ever shipped (Greek Windows 98SE? You got it!). Empower also includes 5 copies each of Windows XP, Office XP, and a bunch of servers with 5 client licenses... basically everything you need to develop software for Windows with a team of five programmers for $750.
Even more interesting is how flexible Microsoft reacted when Spolsky refused to sign up because he did not want to disclose information that Microsoft demanded.
Well done, Microsoft!
Comments
Just thought I would throw this at you. All of Apple's dev. tools are free :>)
MockTurtleneck, 2003-10-19
I realized this recently when I signed up at Apple's developer site. Good move. However, MS Empower program has a lot more than tools.
Volker Weber, 2003-10-19
