Obtaining Sharepoint

Hi,

I am student learning Microsoft BI stack. Though I obtained SQL Server and BIDS from dreamspark, thanks to my university collaboration with microsoft; I want to know if I can get Sharepoint server for free from microsoft ?

rboorgapally said:

Hi,

I am student learning Microsoft BI stack. Though I obtained SQL Server and BIDS from dreamspark, thanks to my university collaboration with microsoft; I want to know if I can get Sharepoint server for free from microsoft ?

If you work for a startup, check out BizSpark: http://www.microsoftstartupzone.com/BizSpark/Pages/At_a_Glance.aspx from Microsoft. It includes lots of stuff but here are some of the items:

• All the software included in the Microsoft® Visual Studio® Team System Team Suite (VSTS) with MSDN® subscription
• Expression® Studio Version 2
• VSTS Team Foundation Server (standard edition)
• Production use rights to host a “software as a service” solution (developed during participation in the BizSpark Program, on any platform) over the Internet, with regard to the latest versions of Microsoft products including:

•  
  • Microsoft Windows Server® (all editions up to and including Enterprise)
  •  Microsoft SQL Server® (all editions)
  • Microsoft Office SharePoint® Portal Server
  • Microsoft System Center
  • Microsoft BizTalk® Server
  • Microsoft Dynamics® CRM (coming soon)
  • Windows Azure™ Services Platform 

It requires that you work at a company making less than $1M and that's only been in operation for less than 3 years. Hope this helps. Other than that, the only way to get Sharepoint is to get the free SharePoint (Windows Sharepoint Services or WSS), which comes with Windows.

Your univ might be having a MSDN/Technet subscription. (Since you're univ has some kinda parnership with MS, Im pretty sure they'll have one.)

Hence you can get non production access for as long as you want to play with.

The other great option would be to download the new 2010 sharepoint Beta since it's free from MS and it's the latest technoloy. Thisis the full sharepoint server and there are other 2010 products in beta that would be good to have. Http://office.microsoft.com.

Thanks !

Microsoft also provides free apps for students wanting to get into development: https://www.dreamspark.com/default.aspx

Microsoft Office Sharepoint Services is free and part of MS Server 2008.  This is the foundation to Sharepoint Server.  A good place to start I guess.

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Jason

It depends on which edition of Sharepoint you want. If you have a licensed copy of Windows Server 2003, you can download and install Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0 for free. Microsoft Office Sharepoint Server (MOSS) 2007 comes in Standard and Enterprise editions and these cost money. However, therre are great online free labs at http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/default.aspx?culture=en-US which is a great way to learn about the technologies.

To re-iterate the above point:

Windows Sharepoint Services is free, and downloadable.

Also, SQL Server 2008 Express is free, AND SUPPORTS reporting services.

The 4 GB limit doesn't matter, because your data doesn't have to be in the 2008 DB - your data can still sit in your 2005 DB, and be queried from RS 2008. Meaning you can have the wonderfulness of Report Builder….

What you don't get is any dashboarding tools - Performance Point Services is bundled with the Enterprise licence.

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