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Why I love the Microsoft BizSpark Programme

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Re: Why I love the Microsoft BizSpark Programme

#91
post #51
post #33

Is the idea of your startup or the technology you use to build your idea? BizSpark is a program like no other. http://www.microsoft.com/bizspark/connectworld.aspx Leave preconceptions in the past and start building your idea!

Who cares about long term vendor independence? Just get your 'free' hosting and tools from Microsoft NOW! You can always sell off your kidneys to pay for the cost of the service or the cost of switching three years down the line.

Expect Azure is cheaper than AWS and has less lock in. So, what's the point you are trying to make? I'm not a microsoft developer, I'm a python/django and iOS dev, but Azure and BizSpark are pretty great platforms/programs. I don't care if people use them or like them but I'd really prefer if people would at least give some kind of valid reason when they are bashing it.

Re: Why I love the Microsoft BizSpark Programme

#92

Eh. Cloud66 + Digital Ocean is cheap enough. I'd rather go with someone that doesn't need marketing tricks to get me onto their servers.

Sorry for the bother, hopefully you can help me clear something up. Is Cloud66 a tool that I can use to set up a blank VPS? I _can_ configure my own VPS (DigitalOcean) but it's a pain in the ass and it's always different for every box. I've looked into Chef and it seems half-assed where recipes work on Ubuntu 12.04 x64 but not on Ubuntu 12.10 x86, you see? Fixes some problems, but just gives me other problems. I want…

Look into Ansible, docker, etc. there are many options which do what you describe above

Re: Why I love the Microsoft BizSpark Programme

#93

You got a bill because you went over the free tier. I've had the same thing and talked to Amazon and they wiped the bill and credited me with $200 worth of credit for the inconvenience and misunderstanding. Amazon wins, hands down. You get great Linux support and aren't locked into Microsoft's shady tactics of giving away free stuff to only screw you later. That's what Bizspark effectively does, gives you free Visual…

I smell an amazon fan boy hatin on other services. Did you even read his article? You don't have to use microsoft products on Azure. Get that weak shit outta here, son.

Re: Why I love the Microsoft BizSpark Programme

#94

You got a bill because you went over the free tier. I've had the same thing and talked to Amazon and they wiped the bill and credited me with $200 worth of credit for the inconvenience and misunderstanding. Amazon wins, hands down. You get great Linux support and aren't locked into Microsoft's shady tactics of giving away free stuff to only screw you later. That's what Bizspark effectively does, gives you free Visual…

"Bait"? Oh geez. First, they have Linux images all available under BizSpark.

Second, you act as if entrepreneurs are idiots who don't read terms/considerations of agreements and aren't capable of evaluating costs/benefits.

Everything about the BizSpark program is transparent. If you fail to understand the terms and to consider the ramifications (and if necessary hedge against risks by making your technology portable to other clouds), that is your fault. No one is forced into the program.

Re: Why I love the Microsoft BizSpark Programme

#95
post #25
post #20

A bunch of you guys complaining about how BizSpark sucks...have any of you actually USED BizSpark and their free Azure offering? I've used it for a Windows server just to get stuff up and running that may not run on Linux. I've downloaded and used some of the free MS software. Give Microsoft some credit.

You don't give credit. You earn it.

True, but I think he meant give them a chance. His point is that people seem to be criticizing it without direct experience, especially in a case that seems clearly fair on Azure's part to people who have experience with both Azure and AWS. Generally speaking, how can something earn credit when people are prejudiced against it and won't give it a chance?

Re: Why I love the Microsoft BizSpark Programme

#96
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So they wiped some money you owed for data transfer that most likely cost them absolutely nothing. Big deal.

How many other companies do you think would do that?

My company would. Bandwidth costs very little (and AWS must make a huge markup on it).

Re: Why I love the Microsoft BizSpark Programme

#97

We had a conversation with our BizSpark manager and you can also apply for BizSpark plus. This needs an additional review of your Startup, but if you succeed you get 10.000$ (or 15.000$ - not sure anymore) in Azure credits every month. Quite nice to get some traction at the beginning :-)

@darklegend - my startup is already part of the BizSpark program, but it seems that the "Plus" program means that you have to go through an accelerator first. Is this requirement still valid - would have loved to apply directly (our core target market includes Windows Desktop software as well)

Re: Why I love the Microsoft BizSpark Programme

#98
post #65
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously --- all the detail is right there. http://imgur.com/KXm8BHO And if you click "Download usage details", you get a csv of daily per-service usage data.

I'm sorry I didn't specify. I know how to check my usage, but my "next bill estimate" is only 11 cents. My total ends up somewhere between $1-3.

Hmm - maybe download your csv data and see if it reveals anything? It could be some kind of rounding. There's also http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/support/understand-your-bi... which might hint at something.
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