On the new website, located at HMCcontrolpanel.com (hmccontrolpanel.com), Planet Technologies says the "EAF was initially created as a set of tools to assist with the validation of new Hosted Exchange deployments and to provide a more user-friendly way of testing and managing the environment. Based on the ever changing needs of our clients, our EAF has evolved into a true control panel environment for the Microsoft Solution for Hosted Messaging and Collaboration."

Planet Technologies says EAF version 4 provides web hosts with management and administrative functionality. It also enables hosting resellers and end-user organizations to monitor their own elements of the hosted environment.

EAF 4's management features include the creation of customers, users, groups and mail addresses, the management of the hosting environment and "effective and accurate reporting of usage and activity, vital for billing and audit purposes," says the company in its latest press release.

The new website also offers a free trial version of the EAF 4 control panel, which will be delivered to the client as a packaged application with installation notes.

Founded in 1997, Planet Technologies, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, says it is a leading expert in the integration and customization of Microsoft technologies and data center solutions and has clients that include some of the largest government, enterprise and service providers in the world.