Some of us might be under the ISV Empower program, and do note that you are eligible to re-enrollment for the program once. That is to say that you can be enrolled under the program for a maximum of two years. It is subjected terms and conditions, such as, the need to announce your product on your company website.
The ISV Empower, which costs slightly over S$800, comes with a MSDN subscription for a single user with 5 user licences. In case you do not know, the MSDN subscription includes VS 2005, Windows, Office and many other software and tools under Microsoft as well as webcasts etc. The only difference of this subscription from other MSDN subscriptions is that the licence expires after the ISV Empower program ends, and you are required to uninstall the software and tools you have installed using the licences from this program (unless you become a Microsoft Partner).
So, what happens after the two years? You are supposed to have developed a Microsoft tested and certified software readily available for marketing (it is for ISV, remember?) at the end of the program, and using that to gain entry points to earn your ticket to become a Microsoft Partner. Microsoft Partner program comes with the MSDN subscription with 10 user licences and costs slightly over S$2800. Do note that the points you earned, from various means, can expire. For example, points from the software certification expires after 2 years and points from customer references expires after 1 year. That means to say, you have to continue getting references from your customers each year, as well as getting your software certified and tested once every two years. For more information, login to your partner website (even if you are just a certified member) on the points system.
Now, other than becoming a partner, there are two other ways to get your hands on a VS2005, in order to continue your development. One is to purchase an open licence from local vendors. If you are still under the ISV Empower program, you are eligible for a discount, and the cost of the subscription for a year after discount is slightly more than S$3100. The difference is that, this open licence stays with you even after the subscription ends. In other words, you do not have to uninstall, but of course there will be no more shipments from Microsoft.
The other option is to wait for the new Action Pack for Resellers, estimated to cost around S$650, similar to the price of what is being offered now. The difference is that this Action Pack comes with less user licences (from what I have heard is 2 - 3 user licences compared to the current 5) and that it now comes together with VS2005. Of course, like the current offer, the software have to be uninstalled should you decide to end the subscription.
Anyway, the above information is just for anyone who is planning to start or already in a business. The prices I have quoted here are correct as of the date I wrote, but do not quote me please. Hopefully, I have not given any wrong information here.
PS: The third and fourth method to lay your hands on a VS2005 is via attending sgdotnet and other Microsoft events (and get lucky) as well as becoming a MVP!