Microsoft Announces Internet Service Provider Program

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 29, 1996 — Microsoft Corp. today announced its Internet Service Provider program, designed to help Internet service providers (ISPs) meet the growing demand for Microsoft® Windows NT® operating system-based Web services. The program provides a direct link to Microsoft for products, technologies, training, comarketing and support resources to help ensure that ISPs are able to offer their customers the best possible Web access, hosting and other advanced Internet services using Microsoft technologies.

“The success of Microsoft’s Internet product line has generated overwhelming demand from Internet service providers wanting to work with Microsoft,”
said Cameron Myhrvold, vice president of public network sales at Microsoft.
“We created the Microsoft Internet Service Provider program to help ISPs be successful in delivering superior Internet solutions to their customers.”

This program will allow Internet service providers to take advantage of the growing demand for Windows NT-based Internet solutions and the industry momentum behind the Microsoft Active Platform. The Active Platform is an open platform that enables developers to take full advantage of Microsoft’s leading, standards-based implementations of HTML, open scripting, component architecture and underlying operating system services.

“We’re very excited about Microsoft’s approach to enabling active content on the Web,”
said Dave Foster, general manager of Web services at UUNET Technologies Inc.

We began hosting on Windows NT ,Internet Information Server (IIS) and Microsoft SQL Server
™several months ago, and we’re very impressed with the level of demand we are already seeing for these hosting services. Our experience as a leading Internet service provider and Web hosting service will help our customers offer a truly compelling Web presence enabled by the Microsoft Active Platform.”

Member Benefits of Internet Service Provider Program

The Internet Service Provider program brings together a valuable set of benefits for the Internet service provider community:

  • Royalty-free license for Microsoft Internet Explorer and the Microsoft Internet Explorer Administration Kit, allowing participating ISPs to provide this state-of-the-art browser to customers free of charge. With the Microsoft Internet Explorer Administration Kit, ISPs can easily create Microsoft Internet Explorer distribution media, complete with TCP stack and dialer, and customize to best meet their customers’ needs.

  • Microsoft Site Builder Network Level 1 Membership. The is a multilevel program that supports the efforts of Web developers and ISPs by making it easy for Web site builders to get information and support on the latest Internet technologies, including Microsoft Internet Explorer, Internet Information Server, the FrontPage
    ™
    Web authoring and management tool, ActiveX
    ™
    technologies, Microsoft visual development tools and Microsoft Commercial Internet System.

  • Access to moderated news forums covering a variety of Microsoft Active Platform technologies. Members of the Internet Service Provider program will be notified and kept abreast of the latest news related to events, technical announcements, free offers, new beta products and promotional opportunities.

  • Company listings on the Microsoft Hosting Service referral Web site, where customers can find ISPs able to satisfy their need for Windows NT-based Web hosting services.

“Microsoft’s Internet Service Provider Program provides the tools and technologies BBN needs to exploit the rapidly growing demand for the Windows NT-based hosting platform,”
said Cliff Conneighton, vice president of marketing for BBN Planet.
“BBN’s Web Advantage service for Windows NT will offer secure, reliable, high-performance hosting at data centers in Cambridge, Mass., and Palo Alto, Calif.”

Program Requirements

To participate in the program, ISPs need to distribute Microsoft Internet Explorer. If an ISP provides hosting services, it also needs to provide hosting services based on servers running Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0 and Internet Information Server version 2.0, and to support the Microsoft FrontPage server extensions on its existing hosting infrastructure.

“We are thrilled to be included in the Microsoft Internet Service Provider program,”
said Earl Galleher, vice president and general manager of Internet server products at Digex Inc.
“We introduced our hosted Web server product for Windows NT 4.0 on Sept. 3. Digex is committed to serving the Web site management needs of corporate America, and Microsoft’s Active Platform technology is quickly becoming the preferred solution among businesses because of its excellent performance, development flexibility and ease of administration. Digex will maintain its leadership role in supporting Microsoft Active Platform-based solutions on the Internet.”

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

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

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.

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