Jim Harrer uncovers how Visual Studio subscribers can unlock significant value through included benefits, such as Azure credits, Dev/Test software, and learning resources—all accessed via my.visualstudio.com.

Unlocking the Hidden Value of Your Visual Studio Subscription

Author: Jim Harrer

Are you making the most of your Visual Studio subscription? At Visual Studio Live! Redmond, Jim Harrer reveals how many developers overlook thousands of dollars worth of Azure credits and developer tools included with their subscription.

Key Insights

  • Azure Credits: Professional subscribers receive $50/month, and Enterprise subscribers get $150/month in Azure credits. Over a year, that’s up to $1,800 in cloud resources developers might be missing.
  • Software Downloads: Through the portal my.visualstudio.com, subscribers can download essential Microsoft software for development and testing, including Windows Server, SQL Server Developer Edition, and Office Professional Plus.
  • Training Access: Enterprise-level subscriptions may include up to 12 months of Pluralsight or Cloud Academy training, boosting ongoing learning without additional budget requests.
  • Dev/Test Environments: Azure Dev/Test discounts let teams replicate production-like environments at reduced cost, solving common challenges for application integration and testing.

Real-World Examples

  • Austin, a Dallas team lead, realized her team already had access to training resources they were about to request budget for.
  • Miguel from Chicago used Azure Dev/Test benefits to cut testing environment costs by half, enabling proper integration with Logic Apps for his company’s asset management project.

The Developer Toolkit

Developers often don’t know the full extent of their benefits:

  • Access to recent and legacy Microsoft software
  • Discounted or free cloud resources for prototyping, testing, and development
  • Learning and certification resources
  • DevOps enhancements and team collaboration features

Impact on Teams

Jim found that developers leveraging these benefits are 40% more likely to report job satisfaction and innovation on the job, since they’re able to learn, experiment, and build without waiting for budget approvals.

“The key to your developer toolkit has been in your pocket all along. It’s time to unlock it.”

Five-Minute Challenge

Jim’s advice:

  1. Go to my.visualstudio.com
  2. Log in with your Visual Studio subscription
  3. Explore Benefits, Downloads, and Product Keys—see what’s already available

Chances are, you’ll discover resources you didn’t know you had—Azure credits, essential testing software, or valuable training content.

Unlock the resources you’ve been missing. Visit my.visualstudio.com and make the most of your Visual Studio subscription.

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