bizspark 

Yesterday I alluded to another announcement from Microsoft that would have a cloud element. This morning we announced Microsoft BizSpark which Dan’l Lewin described as

 

a global program designed to help accelerate the success of entrepreneurs and early stage startups

 

In a nutshell BizSpark is about turning today’s most promising startups into tomorrow’s most successful businesses.

It is designed to enable quick and easy access to full-featured Microsoft development tools and server products such as Visual Studio, SQL Server Enterprise and Windows Server 2008. Mindful of keeping startup costs down, there are no upfront costs and minimal eligibility requirements. It looks like a pretty solid way to help startups get off the ground.

The program is supported by a global network of organizations such as economic development agencies, university incubators, hosters and investors. These include the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), European Business Angel Network (EBAN) and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE). These organizations provide guidance, mentorship and resources to help drive startup success. 

For me this is Microsoft getting back to it’s roots of enabling a vibrant developer community….and on my point about cloud computing, yes the Azure Platform Services CTP is part of the deal.

 

How do you qualify?

To be eligible for BizSpark, all of the following must be true. Your Startup:

  • Is in the business of software development
  • Is privately held,
  • Has been in business for less than 3 years and
  • Has less than US $1 million in annual revenue

 

Check out who’s the ‘startup of the day’ on www.bizsparkDB.com and find out more at Microsoft BizSpark. I’m about to become a Champ (not chump) which enabled me to nominate companies for this :)