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> They basically did an end-run around the $10k SQL Server license.

Could you elaborate on that? I have utterly no idea what it means based on that post, and Microsoft's semi-functional site is not enlightening me, either.

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I am assuming he means the BizSpark program: http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2009/03/stack-overflow-and-biz...

That's not so much an end-run as a delay, though, IMO.

It is a little more complicated than that. The bizspark program lets you continue using the software you have installed without buying the licenses at the end of the program - as long as your use falls within certain parameters. Namely, this "gift" is based off of something like 2 windows standard servers and 1 SQL standard server. We are way beyond that and will have to pay for our licensing at the end of the program. But for a lot of startups that haven't gotten our funding it is a great boon.

The Microsoft "gift" is a balloon payment that could potentially slaughter some startups.

What happens if you are a year in development and then the service is not profitable yet after two years post-launch?

Does the SQL server just stop running?

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