Microsoft is retiring one of its long running software services that has given IT workers and other software users a way to get early access to the company's products. Today, Microsoft announced that, after August 31st, it will no longer take new or renewed subscriptions to its TechNet software service.
The official TechNet website has posted the news about the changes, noting that Microsoft will continue to honor all current TechNet subscriptions until they conclude. It added that people who purchase or renew their subscriptions by August 31st must fully activate them by September 30th.
Microsoft has also posted an FAQ page about this decision. It stated:
As IT trends and business dynamics have evolved, so has Microsoft’s set of offerings for IT professionals who are looking to learn, evaluate and deploy Microsoft technologies and services. In recent years, we have seen a usage shift from paid to free evaluation experiences and resources.
The FAQ page also said that while TechNet has "experienced piracy and license misuse in the past" that was not necessarily the main reason for its retirement. Microsoft still has its MSDN Subscriptions program which also offers a way to access current and past software products from Microsoft. along with support in message board forums, access to eLearning courses and more.
Source: Microsoft | Image via Microsoft
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