Comparing Visual Studio Team System Editions
I still get a little confused about all the different versions of Visual Studio Team System:
- Visual Studio Team Architect Edition
- Visual Studio Team Developer Edition
- Visual Studio Team Test Edition
- Visual Studio Team Suite
Team Suite is easy; it's the whole enchilada. You get all the features.
However, the other three editions are a bit more complex. I found this handy diagram which summarizes the contents of Architect, Developer and Test Editions:
There's a core set of features (eg, Team Foundation), and then on top of that some features specific to the various Team Suite Editions:
Architect Edition
- Application Modeling
- Logical Infrastructure Modeling
- Deployment Modeling
Developer Edition
- Dynamic Code Analyzer
- Static Code Analyzer
- Code Profiler
- Unit Testing
- Code Coverage
Test Edition
- Load Testing
- Manual Testing
- Test Case Management
- Unit Testing
- Code Coverage
Now, the obvious question: how much does it cost? Our MSDN Universal and/or Partner status spoils us developers when it comes to pricing.
But for regular customers, the various editions of Visual Studio 2005 break down like this, from least expensive to most expensive
* these prices include a MSDN Premium subscription.
It's unlikely you'd buy the "professional" editions without a MSDN subscription for each developer anyway. Plus, these MSDN subscriptions offer Visual Studio 2005 Professional as a perk:
| Product
| What you get
| Price
| Renewal
|
| MSDN Professional
| - VS 2005 Pro
- all operating systems
- SQL Server Developer Edition
| $1,199
| $799
|
| MSDN Premium
| - VS 2005 Pro
- all operating systems
- all server products
- all productivity apps
| $2,499
| $1,999 |
You may notice that MSDN Universal and MSDN Enterprise do not appear here-- that's because they are being phased out:
With the launch of Visual Studio 2005, MSDN Universal and MSDN Enterprise subscriptions will no longer be offered for sale to new customers.
Active MSDN Enterprise subscribers will receive a no-cost upgrade to the MSDN Premium Subscription for the Visual Studio Team Edition for Software Developers. This subscription includes the prior benefits of an MSDN Universal subscription along with the Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Developers.
Each MSDN Universal subscriber will have a choice to upgrade, at no additional cost, to one of the three higher value MSDN Premium Subscriptions for the Visual Studio Team Editions for Software Developers, Architects, or Testers. These subscriptions include the benefits of an MSDN Universal subscription along with the appropriate Team Edition for Developers, Architects or Testers.
Until an MSDN Universal subscriber makes a transition choice, the subscriber will continue to receive existing MSDN Universal benefits until the end of the retail subscription or Volume Licensing agreement. MSDN Universal subscribers will not receive one of the Visual Studio Team System role-based products until a transition choice is communicated.
In addition to this, an existing Universal or Enterprise subscriber can upgrade to the "all you can eat" Team Suite edition for $2300, a very good deal indeed:
Universal subscribers that want all of the client functionality of Team System will be able to upgrade to Team Suite by paying just the incremental software assurance or renewal price for the duration of their agreement. In retail, this amounts to around $2,300 and for most customers this represents a 75% or more discount on the full price of Team Suite. Volume customers will, of course, pay less.