As you know I have been writing about Microsoft's Live@EDU initiatives, well they announced a new one today in conjunction with Channel 8 called DreamSpark..

What is DreamSpark?

DreamSpark is simple, it's all about giving students Microsoft professional-level developer and design tools at no charge so you can chase your dreams and create the next big breakthrough in technology - or just get a head start on your career. If you make money on these however you will be asked to purchase professional licensing for the products..

Who can get this right now?

Microsoft is kicking this off in 11 countries/regions, giving DreamSpark to millions of students in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, China, Germany, France, Finland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Belgium. If you are not residing in one of the countries listed keep checking back, they will be adding more countries throughout the year.

Does that mean that I might not get in?

Possibly, if you are not residing in one of the countries listed, not attending an accredited university or not a member of one of the student organizations that we're connected with. But keep checking back, as they are working on adding more ways to verify your student status all the time.

What do you have to do to get this software? Not much really, just select a product and follow the steps below.

• Sign In with your Windows Live ID. If you don't have one, go get one here. Pretty basic stuff.
• Get verified as a student. The system is linked to schools and organizations around the world that can confirm student status. Simply choose your country and school, enter your info and hit submit.
• Download your products. Now remember these are professional tools. This means they are pretty big files so make sure you have the bandwidth and space to bring them to your machine. Microsoft supports the latest versions of both Internet Explorer and Firefox for your download.

What can you get? These and MORE..