Microsoft loves startups, and the feeling’s mutual. There are four software developers on our team, and most of us have been using the Microsoft stack since we wrote our first “Hello World” program in QBasic at high school.

We’ve seen it evolve from Visual Basic, to .NET and now through to the cloud with Windows Azure.

When we launched Timely in July 2012 it was a no-brainer to take advantage of Microsoft’s startup support program: Bizspark. The BizSpark program has supported us significantly since day one. Gaining free access to an immense amount of software is not the only benefit (although that certainly is a major benefit!), but also the exposure we’ve had thanks to Microsoft’s global reach. The BizSpark team encouraged us to experiment with Windows Azure as a hosting platform and WOW, things have come a long way! Azure allows us to focus on building the app, rather than worrying about all that gritty server stuff. And it scales beautifully. It’s actually pretty damn cool.

So if you’re thinking about getting your own start-up off the ground, check out Bizspark. And don’t forget to enter the competition for a chance to win a ticket to TechEd and get amongst the awesome!

TechEd 2013 deets

Microsoft TechEd New Zealand
10 – 13 September 2013
SKYCITY Convention Centre, Auckland

Now in its 18th year, TechEd New Zealand is the largest IT conference in the country. This year, the conference will span four days – and provide delegates with the opportunity to meet Microsoft experts, network with peers and industry influencers. The event also includes The Hub – an exhibition area where vendors can show off their latest technologies, and where delegates can benefit from exhibitor & sponsor deals.

To enter:

1. To be in to win answer the following question “What is the name of the Microsoft program dedicated to helping startups succeed?” (hint: the answer is above)
2. Send your answers to [email protected] or click the button below to enter
3. For extra entries, retweet the competition tweet or share the competition Facebook post

Enter the competition!

Competition terms and conditions

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