Microsoft Unveils Programs, Tools for Application Hosting at ISPCON Fall ’99 As ISPs, ASPs Increasingly Adopt Microsoft Platform

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 26, 1999 — At ISPCON Fall ’99 today, Microsoft Corp. unveiled tools that enable Internet service providers (ISPs) and application service providers (ASPs) to launch new, high-margin hosting services based on the Microsoft® Windows NT® Server operating system. The new initiative includes ASP deployment kits for business service application hosting; the Office Server Extensions Program, which help ISPs and ASPs offer powerful, Web-based collaboration hosting services; and the Windows® 2000 Readiness Program, which positions ISPs and ASPs for rapid deployment of Windows 2000 operating system-based hosting services. Details for all these programs are available at the Microsoft ISPCON Web page, http://www.microsoft.com/isp/ .

The announcements come as Intel and industry partners – including Clarus Corp., Compaq Computer Corp., Dell Computer Corp., Great Plains Software Inc., IBM Corp., Inktomi Corp., Interland Inc., Interliant Inc. and Pivotal Corp. – as well as ISPs accelerate their support for the Microsoft platform. According to Netcraft, an independent market research firm, Windows NT Server now runs on nearly 47 percent of all Web servers, and its install base has grown over the past six months as the install base of combined versions of UNIX declined. Microsoft attributes its success in this rapidly growing segment to the increasing demand for database-driven and commerce-enabled Web sites, which are best served by Windows NT Server and the broad base of Microsoft original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), solution providers and independent software vendors (ISVs).

Microsoft is one of six co-sponsors of the industry’s largest gathering of ISPs. Thomas Koll, vice president of the Network Solutions Group at Microsoft, will deliver a keynote address, and the company will host booth 1501 with 16 third parties.

“Microsoft is committed to making Windows NT Server and Windows 2000 the best ISP/ASP platform for commercial hosting,”
Koll said.
“Our relationships with ISPs and ASPs are an important part of realizing our vision to empower knowledge workers and consumers through new products and services worldwide that provide people with the information they want any time, anywhere and on any device.”

“Intel is excited about the upcoming launch of Windows 2000. We are currently offering Microsoft applications on the Windows NT platform and plan to create similar offerings on Windows 2000 when it becomes available,”
said David Rowe, director of marketing for Intel Online Services.
“These offerings will allow ISPs the option of supporting customers with Web sites and commerce capabilities based on Windows 2000, while outsourcing their hosting infrastructure to Intel.”

Windows NT Best Platform Today for New, Higher-Margin Services

The business service deployment kits from Clarus, Great Plains Software and Pivotal enable ASPs to provide customers with outsourced corporate purchasing, business management and customer relationship management hosting services. Each kit includes a customizable presentation, a customer demonstration, an integrated installation and configuration guide, a partnership sales guide and technical white papers. Compaq also supports this initiative through its Rapid Deployment Program.

“Compaq is very excited to team with Microsoft to offer preconfigured software solutions and attractive financing that supports subscription-based pricing, all designed for ASPs,”
said Eduardo Pontoriero, vice president, eSP Practice, Compaq.
“With the Rapid Deployment Program and its leading-edge support and service capabilities, Compaq will be the first to help ASPs shorten deployment time to market and compete successfully.”

Microsoft also announced today the Office Server Extension hosting program, which enables ISPs to offer powerful, Web-based collaboration hosting services. It includes a deployment kit that facilitates rapid service deployment as well as a no-license-fee download mechanism. With Office Server Extensions, the 75 million Microsoft Office users, as well as any user equipped with a standard Web browser, can use the Internet or an intranet to publish documents, participate in discussions and collaborate on projects. Office Server Extensions provide complete security and scale to meet even large system needs.

“We believe that Office Server Extensions will be the first of many Microsoft applications to reach mass-market potential,”
said Ken Gavranovic, president and CEO, Interland Inc.
“Our extensive experience and commitment to the Microsoft platform allows Interland to be one of the first companies to bring this exciting technology to market. Within the past six months, seven out of 10 Interland customers have chosen our Microsoft Windows NT-based hosting solution as opposed to UNIX.”

Windows 2000 Provides Best Platform for ISP and Hosting Services

Beyond the benefits that it provides to ISPs and ASPs, Windows NT also positions industry providers to take advantage of Windows 2000, the best platform for Internet and application hosting services for the future. Windows 2000 Server includes reliability improvements built in to every major component of the operating system to provide maximum uptime and eliminate the need for any unplanned reboots.

Internal testing done by Microsoft showed that scalability improvements in Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2000 Advanced Server enable these products to host 10 times as many FrontPage® -based Web sites as Windows NT 4.0.

Microsoft and Dell today announced the Windows 2000 Readiness Program, designed to provide ISP-specific training on the deployment of Windows 2000. A five-day hands-on training course for the largest ISPs is planned for December and January. For medium-size to small ISPs, the ISP-specific training will be distributed via CD-ROM and online training materials in mid-December. To sign up to receive the CD-ROM, interested parties should stop by the Microsoft booth or visit http://microsoft.com/isp/ .

In addition, Microsoft will offer ISPs the option of outsourcing Windows 2000-based hosting services to Intel and other companies such as Interliant and Interland. ISPs will thus be able to respond to the expected high levels of early customer demand while they prepare their own Windows 2000-based services.

“We looked at Windows 2000 and found that it has substantial improvements to provide a reliable, scalable and manageable hosting platform,”
said Jesse Bornfreund, senior vice president for business development at Interliant, a leading ASP and Web hosting company.
“We believe Windows 2000 will be adopted for a variety of services from basic Web hosting to ASP services.”

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software – any time, any place and on any device.

Microsoft, Windows NT, Windows and FrontPage are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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