Microsoft Presses
On With Its Hosting Push
Vendor invests $50 million in Digex; readies
new licensing, training programs.
By Mary
Jo Foley, Sm@rt Reseller ©
January 12, 2000
Microsoft is one of the few software vendors
that doesn't want to be an application service provider (ASP).
That said, Microsoft is continuing to work to expand its
position as a supplier of products and services to ASPs.
On Wednesday, Microsoft announced it had
made a $50 million investment in Internet-backbone provider
Digex. Compaq Computer also made a $50 million investment in
the Beltsville, Md., ASP services provider.
In exchange, Digex committed to building a
suite of hostable products based on Compaq ProLiant servers,
plus Microsoft software. The Digex-branded suite will feature
Windows 2000, Microsoft BackOffice and Office applications and
support for various connectivity interfaces, such as
Microsoft's BizTalk and XML. The suite should be available
before the end of calendar 2000, Digex says.
Microsoft: We're Reaching 'Critical Mass'
Microsoft also announced Wednesday that it
is readying a number of training, certification and consulting
services programs to help ASPs get up to speed with hostable
versions of Microsoft products.
"We're going to give ASPs early access
to code, do more training, offer high-availability services
via MCS [Microsoft Consulting Services] and introduce other
ASP-enablement programs" in the coming months, says notes
Kevin Breunig, group product manager with Microsoft's server
applications group.
On Wednesday, Microsoft reiterated that its
Exchange Server 5.5 is available on a "per user/per
month" basis to interested ASPs, via Microsoft's ongoing
commercial-licensing pilot program. Exchange isn't the only
offering that's being tested by the 15 ASPs signed up for the
program, says Breunig. ASPs who are part of the pilot also can
offer hosted versions of Windows NT 4.0 Server, Office 2000
and Microsoft's various BackOffice products.
"We're reaching critical mass, in terms
of the number of customers deploying Exchange in a hosted
environment," claims Breunig.
Breunig added that ASPs will find even more
to like about the next version of Exchange, code-named
Platinum, which is slated to ship in the first half of 2000.
He cited features such as universal inbox support, Web store,
document services, wireless device and unified messaging
capabilities as features that will increase Exchange's appeal
to ASPs.
Novell Steps Up Hosting, Too
On Tuesday, Microsoft rival Novell stepped
up its commitment to the hosting space by acquiring JustOn
Inc., a provider of hosted Internet file sharing and
publishing services. Novell committed to integrating JustOn's
services with Novell Directory Services and other "Novell
In-the-Net Services" products, including caching,
identity management and messaging.
Terms of Novell's acquisition of JustOn were
not disclosed.
