Steve on Security

You know, I don’t ever get the chance to tell people how useful these subscriptions are.  They are extremely handy.  I used mine at least once a week, but two or three times a week wasn’t out of the ordinary.  The subscriptions give you direct access to Microsoft software for testing and creating proof of concepts.  They also give you access to beta software, i.e. Windows 7 and Exchange 2010, before everyone else has a chance to get it.

You can also use them to manage support tickets, and even get professional help free.  But here is my absolute favourite benefit of a Technet Plus Subscription: Free E-Learning.  It gives you access to 3 Microsoft E-Learning Courses and Workshops, free.  Stolen from the site, here’s the current offer:

With TechNet Plus, you receive ninety (90) days of access to Microsoft E-Learning with hands-on learning to help you build the skills you need to do your job. The following courses are available to TechNet Plus subscribers through June 30, 2009:

• Course 4330: Working with Subqueries Using Microsoft SQL Server 2008 - In this 2 hour course, students are introduced to subqueries. Using common table expressions in queries to generate hierarchical result sets is also explored.
• Course 7250: Managing Applications in a Windows Server 2008 Environment - This 2-hour course describes enhancements to the Application Server, Web Server, and Terminal Services roles in Windows Server 2008. It also provides guidelines for deploying applications on your servers. This knowledge helps you use the server roles to manage an organization’s application infrastructure.
• Course 6321: Configuring a Virtual Environment - This two-hour online course provides IT professionals with knowledge about the tools used for configuring a virtual environment. These tools include virtual network, virtual hard disks, and virtual machines. This knowledge helps you gain the skills necessary for setting up a virtual environment.

Go get one now.  Right now.  $349 US.