Visual Studio 2010 - Product Line

Customers should begin investigating the significant innovations in each of the technologies today. New testing options in Visual Studio 2010 will help ensure quality code. Enhancements to the integrated development environment mean that whether modeling, coding, testing or debugging, developers can use existing skills to deploy a growing number of application types.

Built-in tools for Windows 7 and Microsoft SharePoint 2010, new drag-and-drop bindings for Silverlight and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), and interoperability with innovative technologies (such as those for the database, ASP.NET model view controller, unified modeling language, Expression, and multicore) allow developers to bring their visions to life. 

Customers will be able to choose from three main versions of Visual Studio 2010:

• Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate with MSDN - The comprehensive suite of application life-cycle management tools for software teams to help ensure quality results from design to deployment
• Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Premium with MSDN - A complete toolset to help developers deliver scalable, high-quality applications
• Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Professional with MSDN - The essential tool for basic development tasks to assist developers in implementing their ideas easily 

Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate
Provides a robust solution for Application Lifecycle Management (ALM), including all role SKUs from Visual Studio Team System 2008, in addition to other significant innovations, such as:

• New architecture tools including new Unified Modeling Language (UML) assets that transfer your architecture from whiteboard to living assets
• New tools that enable testing teams to capture rich and actionable bugs at different points in time
• New testing tools that bring business users, test generalists and others into the process
• An integrated development environment that enables development across cloud, on-premises and multiple platforms
• With the highest level of MSDN subscription, all of Microsoft’s server and client applications for development and test usage

Visual Studio 2010 Premium
VS 2010 Premium offers a complete toolset for developers to deliver scalable, high-quality applications. 

• Support for offline database development, unit testing and change management, static code analysis, performance profiling and code coverage and code metrics
• New capabilities including UI test automation (aka coded UI tests) and Test Impact Analysis are available in premium.

Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Professional
VS 2010 Pro is the essential tool for basic development tasks to allow developers to implement their ideas easily.

• Core capabilities for Windows, Web, and Office development, along with new capabilities for Cloud and SharePoint development
• New tools for Silverlight and Multi-core development. With Visual Studio 2010, the IDE and editor were refreshed using Microsoft Windows Presentation Foundation

MSDN Enhancements - FREE Access to Microsoft Learning Collections and Windows Azure Platform Services

MSDN Subscriptions are the most convenient way to cost-effectively develop applications on the Microsoft platform with a simple licensing model and broad, highquality information resources. Microsoft is constantly enhancing the value of MSDN by adding new tools and access to more resources. Recently announced enhancements include:

• Windows Azure Platform Services
• Microsoft E-Learning collections
• Power Tools
• Priority Support
• New MSDN Library

Microsoft E-Learning Collections
Expand your development team’s skills and individual developer efficiency while controlling your IT training budget needs. MSDN subscribers have access to their choice of Microsoft E-Learning collections, including a set of courses on a specific topic as well as support and communities. MSDN Premium subscribers get two collections per calendar year. All other MSDN subscribers(Professional, Embedded, and Operating Systems) get one collection per calendar year. Collections typically include 10 courses with 20 hours of training and are valued at up to $349 US per year. 

Windows Azure Platform Services
MSDN Premium Subscriptions provide access to Windows Azure, helping reduce the cost of your development environment by enabling development and test in the cloud. Windows Azure offers a simple, comprehensive, and powerful platform for the creation of Web applications and services. For a limited time, MSDN Premium subscribers will receive the special introductory Windows Azure offer with 750 compute hours/month with an estimated retail value of $1,038 US.