BizSpark Program Changes Virtual Earth Licensing for Startups

In an immediate step to adjust our licensing in support for small, start up business, I present to you The BizSpark Program with Virtual Earth. The BizSpark Program is a means of helping small software companies get off the ground with discounted or free software and services from Microsoft. This is a great program to really get your company off the ground allowing your company to grow without software and service licensing inhibiting your business. At a very high level, here are the requirements for Virtual Earth in BizSpark:

• Is in the business of software development,
• Is privately held,
• Has been in business for less than 3 years, and
• Has less than US $1 million in annual revenue

Respective to Virtual Earth, here’s what you get:

• BizSpark members can get a Microsoft Virtual Earth account for commercial production use for just $2,000 per annum (75% discount on regular Virtual Earth entry-level price)
• Account includes 1 million transactions per year
• Offer excludes fleet or asset tracking use rights, and
• Offer includes basic product support and
• Offer excludes Bird’s Eye imagery but includes all other product functionality, including full geocoding capability, 3D and traffic data
• Offer uses standard contract which is not negotiable

Here are the full details about the program.

About the program

The Microsoft Virtual Earth team is pleased to announce an offering for Start-up companies who are part of the BizSpark Program. The program is designed to create a mutually beneficial ecosystem among three groups: high-potential technology startups, entrepreneurial and economic development organizations (a.k.a. Network Partners such as TiE, EBAN, Venture Capitalists and relevant Government agencies), and Microsoft. BizSpark provides several benefits to startups, the entrepreneurial ecosystem and Microsoft:

• Enables startups to easily access Microsoft’s tools, services, and support that can help them get their solutions to market quickly – with little friction or start up cost 
• Provides Network Partners high-level exposure to potential startup members, as well as the technology benefits that can attract and retain them
• Helps Microsoft secure future revenues by fostering success in Startups – the next generation of Microsoft partners

The Virtual Earth offer:

• BizSpark members can get a Microsoft Virtual Earth account for commercial production use for just $2,000 p.a. (75% discount on regular Virtual Earth entry-level price)
• Offer excludes fleet or asset tracking use rights, and
• Offer includes basic product support and
• Offer excludes Bird’s Eye imagery but includes all other product functionality, including full geocoding capability, 3D and traffic data
• Offer uses standard contract which is not negotiable

Virtual Earth Brings Location-Based Data to Life

Microsoft mapping is used by more than 2,000 online businesses worldwide, in all sectors and many countries. Our customers create engaging applications for customers and develop solutions to visualize geographic and location-based information by combining online maps with your data.

The Virtual Earth platform empowers organizations to:

• Connect with customers: Build rich, engaging location applications to increase user engagement and time on site, drive customers from the Web to real-world locations, and boost community around your brand.
• Create Immersive Viewing Experiences: Infuse reality into virtual worlds with photorealistic 3D experiences and 3D fly-through tours.
• Build Loyalty Through Innovation: Keep viewers up to date with high-definition maps and imagery integrated with relevant information.
• Gather deep insight: Visualize location-based data—demographic or census data, housing starts, and more—to gain deep visual insight into your business.
• Manage assets: Use Virtual Earth to help manage and track the location of mobile assets in the field, to better manage inventory, deliveries, fleets, and other mobile operations, in near real time.

How to participate:

If you are the account manager for a BizSpark customer who would like to take advantage of this Virtual Earth offer, please contact Inside Sales through maplic@microsoft.com (North America) or mapemea@microsoft.com (EMEA region).

Ping me or the Virtual Earth Licensing Group if you have questions or are interested.

CP