Randolph As of 1 December 2016, Microsoft’s BizSpark programme is now only for one year, down from the original three years.
Given how useful the free Visual Studio tools are, and what is possible with Azure, I’m not surprised, but this is going to affect a lot of people.
From the BizSpark page:
A one year program, BizSpark puts all Microsoft development and test software at your fingertips, including Azure, Windows, Visual Studio, Office and SQL Server for free. Plus, enjoy access to hundreds of free training classes, technical content, and 4 break-fix phone support incidents to help you on your journey.
Anyone who signed up before 1 December 2016 is not affected by this change. The annual renewal is still in effect, but you still qualify for the full three-year programme.