[ingenieros]

Q.Does my startup need to have an Android based app, or can it be an Apple app?

A.You can apply even if you only have an app in the Apple App Store. However, you should be planning to build an Android version of your app. Please let us know this information when you fill out the application form.

I guess it was expected that Google would want their tech to take center stage, but why can't they go the BizSpark route and provide resources with no strings attached??

[rubidium]

because Google is more evil than Microsoft?

Joking aside, I think it's perfectly reasonable for a company to offer free services and advice with the condition that the development it fosters is in a company-sponsored, open source software.

[Someone1234]

I think BizSpark is wonderful but let's be honest here there are tons of technological strings attached, just no contractual ones...

- Azure credits: Get you tied in/used to/familiar with the platform and services. Sure, you can use just Linux VMs, but Microsoft pushes their integration services pretty heavily.

- Free SQL Server, Windows Server, and Visual Studio. Any of which you use in anger, you're now somewhat tied into those respective platforms.

- Office 365: Just more generic Office-washing, so the assumption continues to be that Outlook/Word/Excel are the only offerings in the space.

Microsoft are just more subtle about it. That's their style. Kind of like giving every school hugely discounted Office products, it might seem altruistic, but really it is to hook them into the Microsoft-way early.

[mark_l_watson]

There aren't very many strings. I am a year into the BizSpark program. So far, I have only been using a small VPS, always on, for the product I am working on - so I am not taking as much advantage as I could. Azure is very nice, comparable to AWS and Google Cloud