Free Microsoft Product Evaluations, Technical Support and Training
Until recently, the Vanderbilt Software Store offered Microsoft TechNet subscriptions to departments through Vanderbilt’s Microsoft Select contract. Last year, Microsoft announced that it was retiring the TechNet Subscription service and replacing it with several free offers including:
The TechNet Evaluation Center provides free evaluations of Microsoft technologies. IT staff can use this resource to evaluate server products (e.g. SQL Server 2014 CTP2) for 180 days at no cost. You can also use this service to evaluate desktop products and online services such as Office 365 ProPlus, Windows InTune, and Windows Azure.
TechNet Forums provide free access to community-moderated technical support on Microsoft products (e.g. Exchange Server) and IT topics (e.g. IT management and Identity Management).
The Microsoft Virtual Academy offers free Microsoft training and live events to anyone with a Microsoft account. Courses contain online videos and quizzes. You earn points by completing courses. As you earn points, you gain access to other MVA offers. MVA offers courses on server infrastructure, desktop management, security, licensing, programming, cloud computing and business intelligence.