Data Dude and Developer – Together at Last! (Now for Software Assurance customers at least and a real merge in VSTS2010)

Microsoft PressPass - Microsoft Unveils Next Version of Visual Studio and .NET Framework

“…

In another move to increase integration across the life cycle, Microsoft also announced that VSTS 2010 will provide a unified VSTS Development and Database product. As a benefit to existing Software Assurance (SA) customers, those who currently own Visual Studio Team System 2008 Development Edition or Visual Studio Team System 2008 Database Edition will receive all the following products starting Oct. 1, 2008, for free:

• Visual Studio Team System 2008 Development Edition
• Visual Studio Team System 2008 Database Edition
• Visual Studio 2005 Team System for Software Developers
• Visual Studio 2005 Team System for Database Professionals

The products will be available to SA customers through their normal Microsoft Developer Network channel. More information can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/sa.

…”

This really makes a great deal of sense and I dig that MS is being proactive in this and bringing forward the “merger” into the earlier editions of VSTS. Don’t like that you have to be a SA customer, but hey, can’t ask for everything.

And I REALLY like that in VSTS2010 there’s a complete merger between the two SKU’s. That will go a huge way toward solving some of our SKU licensing problems and confusion of today.

Now to email the boss and see if we’re SA customers or not…

(via Accentient Blog - Visual Studio Team System Announcements today)