Microsoft gives student access to technical software at no charge

For the improved future of high school and college students, Bill Gates unveiled a software program that would provide the access to the latest tools for the development and designing at no charge with the help of Microsoft DreamSpark student program (http://channel8.msdn.com). This program is now available in Belgium, China, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S. Broad global coverage, along with the hope of increasing the trend upto 1 billion students worldwide by next year.

The tools provided are:

• Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition
• Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition
• XNA Game Studio 2.0
• 12-month free Academic membership in the XNA Creators Club
• Microsoft designer tools. This ultra-versatile suite of tools will enable students to vividly bring their creative visions to life in vibrant new Web site designs and more effective digital content, including animation, imagery and photography.
• Expression Studio, including
• Expression Web
• Expression Blend
• Expression Design
• Expression Media
• Microsoft platform resources. The foundation for development and design platforms, these products deliver a security-enhanced, reliable and manageable environment for students to more quickly turn ideas into reality.
• SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition
• Windows Server, Standard Edition

“We want to do everything we can to equip a new generation of technology leaders with the knowledge and tools they need to harness the magic of software to improve lives, solve problems and catalyze economic growth,” Gates said. “Microsoft DreamSpark provides professional-level tools that we hope will inspire students to explore the power of software and encourage them to forge the next wave of software-driven breakthroughs.”

In the next six months, the offer of Microsoft DreamSpark will expand to the students in Australia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Japan, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia and many more countries in the Americas, Asia and Europe, Students should check http://channel8.msdn.com for updates.