A colleague here at OIT (thanks, Justin!) just sent this tidbit to me. Adobe is releasing ColdFusion 8 (a.k.a. CF) free for students and educators. This is a really interesting development because previously you needed to own a license to use and learn about ColdFusion. Since open source programming languages (like php and Ruby on Rails, etc.) are free to use and learn, they tend to become more widely used and supported. It becomes less attractive to developers to invest time and money in getting training in programming environments and languages that are not open source. So while Adobe is (at least right now) unlikely to open source CF, it is a wise move on their part to offer it to students and educators for free so that they learn to use the product and develop projects that use it.
I am personally unlikely to waiver from my support of open source platforms and tools, but I have to admit that this makes I more likely that I’ll give CF a look. Here’s the post from Campus Technology:
Adobe Makes ColdFusion 8 Free for Students, Educators
9/3/2008
By David NagelAdobe has made its ColdFusion 8 Web development platform free for educators and students. The offer is available for all public and private accredited K-12 schools and colleges and universities.
ColdFusion 8 for Education is a full version of Adobe’s development and server platform. This free edition is meant to be used only for instructional purposes and not in production environments.
According to Adobe, “Academic institutions are experiencing increasing demands for students to develop ColdFusion skills earlier in their education to meet the high workforce demand for rich Internet application developers. Through this free offering, faculty can now easily integrate ColdFusion into their curriculum and enable students to advance their Web application learning more quickly and easily.”
ColdFusion 8 for Education is available now. Registration and proof of eligibility for students, faculty, and staff are required. Eligibility includes accredited schools, colleges, and universities in the United States and its territories, academic administration centers and boards of education, research institutions recognized by the United States Department of Education, and some home schools. Further information about eligibility can be found here.
Multiple licenses (up to 30) can be requested through a single registration, and multiple registrations can be used to request more than 30 licenses. Installation support is provided free, but additional support (technical support or developer support) requires registration in a fee-based program. ColdFusion 8 for Education can be accessed here.
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I wasn’t aware the Microsoft did that. Interesting. Thanks for the link!
thats really a good news for developers microsoft is really taking new steps with great care. competitors are really ripping each other to be infront of public.
Yea, I knew about Microsoft Dream Spark, but I have been trying to find other Leaders in the Tech filed that are doing the same thing. I just started playing with some of Adobe’s programs, in search for more. But I think this is a great idea that they have! Wold love to know more, about any free programs, I love learning how to use them….Of course I am a college student!
This is very interesting news. Thanks Adobe. Venkat Yakkala(Coldfusion Developer).
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It is about time that Adobe jumps on the bandwagon. Microsoft as release some of their products free to students for some time now.
Go to this website: https://downloads.channel8.msdn.com/Products.aspx
You may only be able to get the older versions, but it does allow you to become familiar with their products.