Imagine a world where Microsoft allows students to download any operating system and developer tools for free. 

In addition, they will offer educational cloud storage for documents and Microsoft Office apps. 

The Dreamspark program may be just that, and it has been provided free of charge by Microsoft since 2008.

It offers students access to software design tools across various categories. These include database, web/multimedia development, programming languages, game development, and engineering.

What are DreamSpark Keys?

DreamSpark Keys allow users to download certain Microsoft software free of charge using their valid student email address or school-provided staff email address. This is done directly through Microsoft’s website once your account information has been verified with your school’s systems administrator.

Your account will automatically renew when it expires, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on any great tools in the future!

Who Can Register for DreamSpark?

If you use the DreamSpark Standard plan, all you need is your school email address, usually issued by your school’s IT department (e.g., username@school.edu), or a valid student ID number for signing up, along with proof that you’re enrolled in classes at that institution. 

Many schools have already implemented their own licensing system to give their students access to Microsoft software for free, but the DreamSpark program is an easy way for any college or university to provide students with additional tools they can use throughout their academic career.

This means you can verify your account without having to look around campus during the first weeks of the semester, just trying to find someone who can help you with the setup.

DreamSpark is a service offered by Microsoft to help educators introduce students to more advanced programs, mostly software. 

Even though it is more convenient when your school is registered with DreamSpark, which would potentially allow for more program options, it isn’t a requirement per se. 

All currently enrolled university-level students should be able to access the Standard version of the services.

High School and vocational school students have a slightly reduced version called Premium that they can access as well.

Getting Started With Microsoft Dreamspark

To register for a DreamSpark account, simply visit the Microsoft Imagine website and follow the on-screen instructions to activate your access. 

The entire registration process for Dreamspark should take less than 5 minutes if you follow the steps below:

1. Go to the Microsoft Imagine (DreamSpark) home page and click on “Proceed to login”
2. Enter both your email address and password, then select “Sign In”.
3. On the next screen, enter your Universal Student Identifier (USI), if available. If you don’t have a USI, use your school email (i.e. an email ending in .edu indicating you are a college or university student) as it is required for verification, alternatively you can use your ISIC card.
4. On the next screen, select which program you would like to use: Standard or Premium. This will require an additional sign-in with your Office 365 account if selected. If this is not available yet, proceed with signing into DreamSpark and creating a new Office 365 account if necessary. 
5. On the next screen, select your category(s). The available categories will depend on which program you’ve signed up for. If you’re only interested in a specific tool within a category, make sure to click through to see what’s available! 
6. Now that you have signed up and are ready to start your downloads, select your desired products from the list or enter a product key to download them right away!
7. You can access all of these tools at any time by signing in with either your Microsoft Account (MSA) email address or USI.

TL;DR: * Sign in to Microsoft Imagine with any valid student ID, or use school staff email if available, select which program you would like to register for (Standard or Premium), once registered, select the products that interest you by either entering a specific product key or choosing from the list of available programs

What Programs Does DreamSpark Offer?

There are three different types of accounts provided by Microsoft for students:

1. DreamSpark Standard Account: Mainly geared towards students from elementary level to higher education, granting them access to SQL Server, VS Community, and Professional, Windows Server, Windows Embedded, OneNote, as well as offerings from the premium account such as Windows, Visio, and Project.
2. DreamSpark Premium Account: Available to select STEM departments offering  access to Windows, Visio, Project, OneNote, Windows Client, Windows Server, Visual Studio Community as well as Enterprise, Windows Embedded, SQL Server, BizTalk Server, and SharePoint Server.

What are Some Other Benefits of the DreamSpark Program?

The Dreamspark program also offers students discounts on other tools and resources to enhance their learning experience outside of technology as well.

Tools like Adobe Creative Cloud, Maya LT 3D animation, ZBrush, Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard, an Office 365 1-year subscription, and more are available at a reduced cost to eligible students.

How DreamSpark Evolved Over Time

What is DreamSpark called now?

When it started as a beta in 2008, the program was called DreamSpark.

In 2012 it changed to Microsoft Imagine. Nowadays, the name is Azure Dev Tools For Teaching or simply Azure Dev Tools for short. 

Computer Science students can benefit from Azure Dev Tools for teaching because their software design and development skills are boosted by resources provided by this program.

What Microsoft Imagine is called now

Microsoft Imagine has been renamed Azure Dev Tools for Teaching.

Azure Dev Tools for Teaching is a suite of developer tools hosted in the cloud, so you don’t have to manage infrastructure or worry about security updates.

It’s free for educators to use, even when your students are not at school!

And what’s more, Microsoft also provides paid subscriptions that give you access to even more cool stuff!

What does Azure Dev Tools for Teaching Have?

Here are just some of the things you’ll find in Microsoft’s Azure developer tools:

Azure Dev Tools for Teaching includes many technologies such as Microsoft Platform SDK, Skype for Business, Visual Studio Enterprise and Community, Machine Learning Server, Windows Server, SQL Server Web, Enterprise, Standard, and Mobile Report Publisher versions, and many more.

What Azure Dev Tools for Teaching Doesn’t Have

One might assume that all Microsoft Office applications would be available through Azure Dev Tools for Teaching; however, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word are not.

This may seem like an oversight on Microsoft’s part, but the main reason why Excel, PowerPoint, and Word are not available through Azure Dev Tools for Teaching (formerly Imagine/DreamSpark). 

These three applications are only available through the purchase of Office Home & Student 2013 or Office 365 University

Alternatives for Excel, PowerPoint, and Word for Azure Dev Tools Users

Trello	You can create spreadsheets on the Trello app through their integration with Google Sheets, as well as, presentations using Slides.
Google Docs	You could always use this as an alternative way of creating word-processing documents.
Google Slides	As an alternative way of creating presentations, Google Slides can be used to create presentations for school or work. Best of all, files are saved and stored online, so they can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection.
Google Sheets	Google Sheets is a free program for collaborative editing of spreadsheets on the web. It is part of Google’s Docs editors suite. All files are compatible with Microsoft Excel and OpenOffice / LibreOffice Calc.
LibreOffice	An open-source office suite that is compatible with Microsoft Office formats.

Bottom line on Microsoft Azure Dev Tools (formerly DreamSpark)

Teaching and technology go hand-in-hand, but teaching technologies are taking a quantum leap forward with the introduction of Microsoft’s Azure Dev Tools for Teaching.

More than ever, it’s important for students who are learning about software development to be able to connect with real-world projects. 

The dev tools allow students to create projects in the browser that can then be deployed directly onto other devices, allowing them to share their work and continue exploring other software applications.