My Bizspark Experience

My BizSpark Experience

Hey Startups!

We thought we would put together a post for you to explain some of the new experiences on our website. Here’s some info for you on how to navigate the new My BizSpark experience.

Program Journey

As the first person accepted into BizSpark, you will become a “BizSpark Administrator.” As BizSpark Administrator, you will grant access to your employees, making them “Authorized Users” of the program. Then, as Authorized Users of BizSpark, your employees will be able to use their benefits. Here is a summary of your journey in the program:

1. Startup applies to program and accepts terms on behalf of the company.
2. BizSpark Administrator receives welcome email.
3. BizSpark Administrator grants Visual Studio subscriptions to employees of the startup, making them Authorized Users.
4. Authorized User receives email signs in directly at
5. Authorized User now has ability to use Visual Studio subscription benefits.

Account Management

The My BizSpark experience lets BizSpark Administrators manage company information and Authorized Users.

We have two types of accounts: Administrators and Authorized Users (aka Visual Studio Subscribers). Here are the essential differences between the two account types:

Administrator Experience: Granting BizSpark benefits to individuals in your company

1. Go to the Microsoft BizSpark website and sign in with your BizSpark Administrator Account.
2. Select the Offers tab.
3. You will be in the Offers tab. Here, you can grant Visual Studio subscriptions to your startup’s employees.
4. Fill out your employee’s name and email, and then click the Assign link to grant a Visual Studio subscription to your employee.

Note: If you would like to use the benefits yourself, you will need to add yourself here also.

As you manage and operate your company, you may need the ability to change Authorized Users from one person to another. We have enabled Revoke and Reassign functionality for BizSpark Admins to manage the BizSpark account:

Administrator Experience: Revoke BizSpark benefits to individuals in your company

BizSpark Admins can rescind Visual Studio subscriptions from Authorized Users

1. Go to the Microsoft BizSpark website and sign in with your BizSpark Administrator Account.

2. Select the Offers tab.

3. Choosing Revoke will disable the Authorized User’s Visual Studio subscription.

Note: Only an Authorized User with an “Assigned” status may be revoked.

4. The Authorized User’s Visual Studio subscription will enter a “Processing” status for up to 48 hours.

5. Once the status indicates “Revoked” the user will no longer have access to their Visual Studio subscription.

Note: The email account tied the Authorized User cannot be provisioned Visual Studio benefits in the future once revoked.

Administrator Experience: Reassigning BizSpark benefits to individuals in your company

BizSpark Admins can reassign Visual Studio subscriptions up to five Authorized Users on your account.

1. Go to the Microsoft BizSpark website and sign in with your BizSpark Administrator Account.

2. Select the Offers tab.

3. Choosing Reassign will disable the original Authorized User’s Visual Studio subscription and reassign it to a new Authorized User.

Note: Only Authorized User with an “Assigned” status may be reassigned.

4. An edit row will appear to enter your new Authorized User’s name and email. Choose Reassign to grant a Visual Studio subscription to the new Authorized User.

Note: The email account tied the original Authorized User cannot be provisioned Visual Studio benefits in the future once assigned.

5. Once the new Authorized User’s Visual Studio subscription displays as “Assigned” on the My BizSpark portal, they will be able to access their Visual Studio subscription.

6. Follow the Authorized User instructions below to get started.

Administrator Experience: Viewing company information

1. Go to the Microsoft BizSpark website and sign in with your BizSpark Administrator Account.
2. Select the Startup tab. Here, you can view are BizSpark Administrators.
3. You can also review your account information.

Authorized User Experience

1. Once your BizSpark Administrator grants you permission for one of the Visual Studio subscriptions, you will receive an email.
2. Click on the link in the welcome email or go directly to my.visualstudio.com to access your Visual Studio subscription benefits. Sign in using the email address assigned by your BizSpark Administrator.
3. Click the Benefits tab which will take you to the Visual Studio Enterprise with MSDN (BizSpark) page where you can view and begin to use your benefits.
4. To get started with Azure, click Activate on the Azure tile.

5. Complete the Microsoft Azure sign up experience, and start using Azure.

Note: Currently, as an Authorized User, the Microsoft BizSpark experience will direct you to contact your admin.

• To access your Visual Studio benefits, sign in at my.visualstudio.com.

You may also be interested in the following links to get started.

Getting started video series and content for Startups

The following five videos are now available, each approximately 5 minutes long.

• Getting Started on Azure for Startups: Overview of the Azure portal- An introduction to the Azure portal, covering navigation and key elements of the portal including the Azure dashboard, marketplace, and resources.
• Getting Started on Azure for Startups: Resource Groups- Learn what to consider and how to create and manage a resource group on the Azure portal.
• Getting Started on Azure for Startups: Storage Accounts- Learn how to create and manage a storage account on the Azure portal and select the storage option that is right for you.
• Getting Started on Azure for Startups: Virtual Networks- Learn how to set up a virtual network including IP address blocks, DNS settings, security policies, and routing tables on the Azure portal.
• Getting Started on Azure for Startups: Virtual Machines- Learn how to set up and configure an Ubuntu virtual machine on the Azure portal.

If you need additional help, check out the following:

• For Azure support, in the Azure portal, click Help + Support to view the different support options.
• For BizSpark program support, please visit our forums.

Remember to access all of your Visual Studio benefits, sign in at my.visualstudio.com.