TechNet Plus 2.0 gives Windows shops cause to perk up

Being tech geek press may not be as glamorous as writing for Rolling Stone, but it’s still got a few perks. That’s why we journalist types tend to whine louder than most when those perks get taken away. I don’t get to rub elbows with rock stars and their groupies, so at the least I should have free access to any kind of software that strikes my fancy. At least that’s my logic.

Microsoft used to share that reasoning. You’d call their PR agency, prove you’re press, and a free subscription to MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) was yours. For a Microsoft review geek like me, MSDN is a godsend. All the new software just shows up; no fussing with review requests and similar obstacles. But in 2004, Microsoft canceled this policy for press. No rock stars, no groupies, no free MSDN subscription. It’s been breaking my heart since last spring.

But last week, in Copenhagen of all places, Microsoft managed to put a little perkiness back in my life by introducing TechNet Plus 2.0. The previous TechNet subscription didn’t work that well for review hounds like me — not only was the software severely time-limited, but it also omitted a number of important products.

TechNet Plus 2.0, however, is a different breed. This iteration brings you full versions of all software in the Microsoft Windows operating system, Office system, and Windows Server system product lines. And, much like MSDN, you’ll get beta versions of upcoming releases for early-bird learning-curve missions. This turns TechNet from an expensive commercial into an actual tool that can really help not only groupie-deprived techno-reporters like me, but desktop-support technicians and network managers as well.

They’ve also been doing some hiring up there in the Northwest, as TechNet Plus 2.0 beefs up your support options. First, every TechNet Plus 2.0 subscriber gets two no-charge technical-support incidents, which should make those first two installation hours a little cheaper. Beyond your two freebies, TechNet users also get a 20 percent discount on subsequent tech support calls. There’s nothing like cheap hold music to make me grin.

Should hold music not be your thing, hit the Web where TechNet Plus 2.0 now gives you access to more than 100 topic-specific newsgroups. Drop your particular problem on a thread, and Microsoft is guaranteeing 24-hour turnaround in English. It jumps to two days if you force the good folks in Seattle to translate to French, German, or Spanish.

And last but not least, the new TechNet ensures you’ve got all the latest patches, security updates, and hot fixes on CD. Just in case you lose Internet connectivity, you can still set up a new machine entirely from scratch. Suddenly, that little TechNet CD wallet becomes a real treasure trove.

Fortunately, Microsoft says that TechNet won’t be married to this format forever, either. Where we’ll still get our subscription on CD and DVD for the near future, Redmond has announced it wants to move all TechNet content to a subscriber-accessible Web site as well. And a brand new feature is TechNet Virtual Labs, which I’ve already discussed previously. For those crazy few of you who don’t read every last syllable of my word-craft, Virtual Labs offers sandbox installations of complex Microsoft products designed not only to let you eat the learning curve in a reasonable stretch, but also to test the effect the product will have on your existing infrastructure.

All this for only $529 for a single-user license. Now if I can convince InfoWorld to pay for it, I’ll be right back on Perk Street. But even if you don’t have a magazine’s purse you can pickpocket, TechNet Plus 2.0 is definitely worth the price of admission, especially for field support technicians. It’s finally a truly useful IT toolkit and one more tangible way that Redmond can differentiate itself from the support capabilities offered by the penguin people.