Microsoft Developer Network

The Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) is the portion of Microsoft responsible for managing the firm's relationship with developers. This includes many different kinds of developers: hardware developers interested in the operating system (OS), developers standing on the the various OS platforms, developers leveraging the API and scripting languages of Microsoft's many applications. The relationship management is situated in assorted media: web sites, newsletters, developer conferences, trade media, blogs and DVD distribution. The life cycle of the relationships ranges from legacy support thru evangelizing potential offerings.

Related Topics:
Microsoft - Operating system - API - Web site - Newsletter - Developer conference - Trade media - Blog - DVD

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The division runs an information service provided by Microsoft for software developers. Its main focus is on Microsoft's .NET platform, however it also features articles on areas such as programming practices and design patterns. Many resources are available for free online, while others are available by mail via a subscription.

Related Topics:
Software developer - .NET platform - Practice - Design patterns - Mail

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Depending on subscription level, subscribers may receive early editions of Microsoft operating systems or other Microsoft products (Microsoft Office applications, Visual Studio, etc.).

Related Topics:
Operating system - Microsoft Office - Visual Studio

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Some Universities are enrolled in the MSDN Academic Alliance program, which provides MSDN subscriptions for their computer science students (and possibly other students or faculty as well).

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MSDN2 was opened in November 2004 as a source for Visual Studio 2005 API information, with noteworthy differences being updated web site code, conforming better to web standards and thus giving a long awaited improved support for alternative web browsers to Internet Explorer in the API browser.

Related Topics:
November - 2004 - Visual Studio 2005 - API - Web standards - Web browser - Internet Explorer

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