Production Use of Visio and Project Removed from MSDN

Rights to use Visio Premium and Project Professional for production purposes are being removed from two high-end Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) subscriptions, Visual Studio Ultimate with MSDN and Visual Studio Premium with MSDN. The change began affecting new and renewing subscribers starting Oct. 1, 2012. While users of either MSDN subscription continue to have rights to install and use Visio Premium and Project Professional to develop and test applications or solutions that incorporate either application, use of the applications for other business purposes will likely require separate license purchases.

MSDN Subscriptions Are Generally for Development Only

Visual Studio (VS) is the most popular integrated development environment for Microsoft’s platforms. Generally, an MSDN subscription is acquired in conjunction with a specific edition of VS similar to the way Software Assurance (SA) is acquired for other Microsoft products. MSDN subscriptions are used to upgrade to the latest version of VS and obtain rights to use other Microsoft software for development and testing purposes.