Visual Studio Team System for ISVs
Hi Gang!
Now that Visual Studio 2005 has ‘hit the streets’, my phone has literally been ringing off the hook. Many ISVs have questions about their MSDN subscriptions. All in all this is not surprising. Where there was one product before, there is now several.
Basically it all boils down to two very simple questions:
1) If I have MSDN Universal subscriptions now, what am I entitled to in terms of Visual Studio Team System SKU’s?
2) What Visual Studio Team System SKU is right for me?
The answer to the first question comes in 2 parts. Since most of the folks who read these ramblings are ISVs, some (if not all) of their MSDN licensing comes via the Microsoft Partner Program (MSPP). Based on where you are in the MSPP, you will receive different versions of Visual Studio 2005. For example, certified partners will receive VS2005 Pro, but certified partners with the ISV Competency will receive VSTS Team Edition for Software Developers. If you click on the link below, it will provide you with a chart that quickly and easily allows you to find out what you will get.
http://www333.members.winisp.net/DownLoad/VS2005/MSPPISVVS2005.mht
For those of you who have purchased additional MSDN Universal licenses, the basic rule of thumb is that you can select one of the premium SKUs (Team Architect, Team Developer, etc) for each of the MSDN licenses you purchase. Instructions on how to make these elections should come with your MSDN subscriptions.
Now that you know what choices you may have, let’s chat about how to decide between the various products. Each of the team system SKUs is tailored to a different role. The tools included in that SKU are fitted to the role. Please click on the link below to see a chart that gives you a good overview.
http://www333.members.winisp.net/DownLoad/VS2005/VSTS.mht
My best advice is to download the Visual Studio Team Suite (Trial Edition) from the MSDN subscriber download site. It includes all the features of all the various versions. I would recommend trying it and determining which features you really utilize in your day to day operations. Hopefully that will make selecting the right version clear.
If you have further questions on this topic, usisv@microsoft.com is always a great resource.
Have Fun!
W^3
