Understanding the Azure Dev/Test Benefit for Visual Studio Subscribers
Jim Harrer outlines how Visual Studio subscribers can use the Azure Dev/Test benefit to reduce costs and accelerate cloud development, sharing practical guidance and key advantages.
Understanding the Azure Dev/Test Benefit for Visual Studio Subscribers
Author: Jim Harrer
Microsoft Visual Studio Professional and Enterprise subscribers have access to a powerful but often underutilized feature: the Azure Dev/Test benefit. This article explains how this benefit can transform the way organizations provision and manage non-production cloud environments, with a focus on cost savings, speed, and team productivity.
The Financial Challenge of Modern Cloud Environments
Cloud-based modernization projects often require multiple dedicated environments for accounting integration, API development, QA, and more. Each new environment increases infrastructure costs (compute, storage, database), often drawing scrutiny from finance leaders.
The Azure Dev/Test Benefit in Action
Visual Studio subscriptions include discounted Dev/Test rates for Azure. This allows you to:
- Run Windows and SQL Server VMs at Linux-equivalent rates
- Waive Microsoft licensing costs for dev/test workloads
- Pay only for actual compute usage during development and testing
For developers, this enables rapid prototyping and production-grade validation without needing budget approvals for each environment.
“Developers tell me they can spin up environments on demand to test new ideas, and validate integrations in production-like conditions without the full production price tag.”
Operational Advantages
- On-demand, scalable environment provisioning
- Minimal IT administrative overhead
- Dedicated, isolated workspaces for every project stream
- Fewer bottlenecks for parallel development
Getting Started: Three Paths to Dev/Test Pricing
Visual Studio subscribers can access Dev/Test pricing in Azure through:
- Enterprise Dev/Test: For organizations with Enterprise Agreements – centralized billing, large-scale management
- Pay-As-You-Go Dev/Test: For smaller teams or individuals – ideal for those without EAs
- Azure Plan for Dev/Test: For customers with Microsoft Customer Agreements (MCA)
Each option provides access to embedded discounts for non-production workloads.
Key Takeaways
- Visual Studio subscriptions include cloud infrastructure benefits, not just IDE licenses
- The Azure Dev/Test benefit can generate significant cost savings and operational speed
- Multiple provisioning models match different team and org sizes
Ready to explore? Sign in to your Visual Studio account and check out the official Dev/Test benefit documentation.
This post appeared first on “Microsoft VisualStudio Blog”. Read the entire article here