Development and Evaluation Subscriptions

Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN), TechNet, and Expression subscriptions license Microsoft products for development or evaluation (but not production) purposes. The number and makeup of those products differs based on the subscription level purchased. These subscriptions offer permanent rights to use any software edition that becomes available during the term of the subscription.

Most MSDN subscriptions include Microsoft’s Visual Studio development environment for programmers, which can also be licensed without MSDN through retail or volume licensing channels. Many also include Expression Studio, a suite of software for prototyping Web sites and interactive interfaces (SketchFlow), designing and creating interactive and visually appealing Web sites (Blend), creating and adding visual effects to graphics (Design), and encoding and editing video content (Encoder). Expression products are also available without a subscription. The Server Applications column refers to applications that run on Windows Server, such as Exchange, SQL Server, and SharePoint.