Licensed Software for Students & Staff

MSDN Academic Alliance – Australia

The MSDN Academic Alliance makes it easier and less expensive for academic institutions to use the latest Microsoft tools, platforms and servers for instruction and research. It also allows students enrolled in approved faculties to install Microsoft resources such as Visual Studio, Expression Web, Windows Vista, SQL Server, Windows Server and more on their home machines / laptops for free.

What is the MSDN Academic Alliance?

The “MSDN Academic Alliance” consists of 2 products – Developer AA and Designer AA. Both products are annual subscription programs for tertiary institutions, giving them cut price access to the latest developer and designer software tools from Microsoft. 

The University of Sydney has subscribed to Developer AA (formerly known simply as MSDN-AA) on behalf of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies.  As a member, the Faculty receives an MSDN AA subscription that includes Microsoft platform, servers, and developer tools software. This software may be installed on any number of Faculty lab machines. It may also be installed free of charge on student’s personal machines, according to the End User License Agreement. The software can be used for instructional and research purposes; it may not be used to run the infrastructure of the Faculty.

How can I access MSDNAA?

Students, Staff and Researchers in the School can access their subscription at here.→ 

Unless you have received a specific email invitation, you will need to select the Register button. Only students and staff within the Faculty will be able to register.

To register, please use your Unikey as your “Student Identifier” when requested. Please use your University supplied email address (i.e. the one that ends in sydney.edu.au) to create your account. Accounts created using other email addresses will be deleted.

What do I do if I am unable to access the Microsoft Dream Spark (e-academy)?

Please email  or call EIE IT Operations on (935)16575 or the ICT helpdesk on 16000 and report that you do not appear to have access. 

Further details to Access IT Support.