Microsoft insists it is listening to TechNet fury

Microsoft insists it is listening to feedback as petition is launched to lobby vendor into creating cheaper alternative

Microsoft has promised it is listening to feedback from resellers upset with the axe of its popular TechNet software trial and evaluation product.

Last week it announced that from August, no new subscriptions to the service will be accepted, but said that all the resources would be available free of charge but only for up to 180 days, as opposed to two years.

At the time, resellers reacted badly to the move and a petition has since been launched, attracting nearly 2,500 signatures. The petition asks the software giant to create a more affordable alternative to its Developer Network (MSDN), which the petition claims can cost more than $6,000 (£4,000) per subscription.

In light of the uproar, at its Worldwide Partner Conference event in Houston, Microsoft's UK director for partner strategy and programmes Janet Gibbons said the firm is listening to feedback and might review the most controversial element of the axe.

"I think we have heard from partners that the Internal Use Rights from a developers' perspective is not long enough," she said. "I am sure we will listen to that and make a decision as to if we will change that period of time or not.

"The reason for the change is that many of the resources in TechNet were available online anyway. The explosion of online and the fact you can find out info so easily from anywhere [meant] we no longer felt it was appropriate to sell it. The product just naturally came to the end of its life."