Microsoft Outlines Its Comprehensive Strategy for Hosting Providers at HostingCon 2007 -

CHICAGO — July 23, 2007 — Through its presence at HostingCon 2007 this week, Microsoft Corp. will announce its comprehensive strategy for enabling hosting providers to be successful in the world of software plus services. The strategy includes providing the next-generation hosting platform, delivering applications ready for hosting, and driving growth through tight integration with Microsoft’s extensive partner ecosystem. At the show, Microsoft will demonstrate recent additions and updates to its core platform technologies and applications for the hosting industry that enable service providers to offer a compelling next-generation end-user experience for their customers.

(PressZoom) - CHICAGO — July 23, 2007 — Through its presence at HostingCon 2007 this week, Microsoft Corp. will announce its comprehensive strategy for enabling hosting providers to be successful in the world of software plus services. The strategy includes providing the next-generation hosting platform, delivering applications ready for hosting, and driving growth through tight integration with Microsoft’s extensive partner ecosystem. At the show, Microsoft will demonstrate recent additions and updates to its core platform technologies and applications for the hosting industry that enable service providers to offer a compelling next-generation end-user experience for their customers. Microsoft will highlight new development tools and applications to hosting providers for the first time, detail the initial successes of its Internet Information Services 7.0 ( IIS7 ) Go Live license program for Microsoft® IIS7 beta, and announce that cPanel Inc. has introduced a Windows® version of its control panel. With these enhancements, hosting providers are well positioned to play an important role in the software plus services ecosystem by partnering with Microsoft.

“The adoption of software plus services has presented many new possibilities for the hosting industry to evolve and grow. There is a tremendous opportunity through the emergence of the Web as a business and consumer platform, but it also introduces potential challenges for hosting providers as the industry undergoes this transformation,” said John Zanni, managing director of Worldwide Hosting in the Communications Sector at Microsoft. “The hosting providers that will succeed are those that understand the software plus services opportunity and recognize how to leverage their expertise to offer compelling new services to customers. Our goal at Microsoft is to provide the technology, both our own and through our vast partner network, that will enable hosting providers to continue to successfully deliver a broad range of services.”

In addition to providing technical resources, Microsoft is establishing profitability models for hosting partners that reach beyond the scope of traditional hosting, giving way to expanded business opportunities. Ranging from hosting to advertising to design and developing, among others, these models significantly expand the potential of hosting providers. Furthermore, a strong emphasis is being placed on creating relationships between hosting providers and value-added resellers ( VARs ), which enable them to grow their business.

The next generation of hosting will take advantage of existing infrastructure assets while adding capabilities to offer new services. Microsoft offers the core platform, applications, independent software vendor ( ISV ) relationships, development tools and Web assets that hosting providers need to transition into this new era.

Providing Next-Generation Platform Technologies