The offering is a bit unusual for GoDaddy, which is known for having developed almost all of the products it offers in-house.

Microsoft's (www.microsoft.com) Exchange, however, is the widely-recognized standard for hosted email - some might say hosted applications - and it offers an easy transition for customers already using Microsoft products for their email, particularly in the case of small businesses running Exchange Server in-house.

"We have many customers who currently use Microsoft Office Outlook for their email. It was only natural that we expanded our offerings to include mobile and group email plans with Microsoft Outlook," says GoDaddy CEO Bob Parsons, quoted in the press release. "Our goal is to be a one-stop shop for every customer. Business owners who want the advantage of Microsoft Outlook email plans can rely on us, without worrying about system maintenance."

The email offering includes a "personal" plan, starting at 99 cents a month. And an "Outlook with mobile" business plan, that starts at $9.99 per month - though these plans, it says, "do not currently support BlackBerry." The company says the plans include all the core features of Exchange Server 2007, Outlook 2007 and Microsoft Entourage 2008.

The announcement also includes a quote from Microsoft's general manager of worldwide hosting John Zanni, which speaks - literally and figuratively - to the significance of the collaboration between the two very major figures in the hosting business.

"This announcement with GoDaddy.com represents an exciting opportunity for business owners to leverage the resources of two industry leaders who understand the needs of businesses and their employees," says Zanni. "By expanding our existing partnership, GoDaddy.com is now providing its customers with the benefits of mobile e-mail and Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, in addition to the reliable infrastructure and support that has made GoDaddy.com one of the top hosting services providers worldwide."

Last week, GoDaddy issued an announcement describing its involvement in the passing of a bill designed to aid law enforcement in the investigation of online crimes against children, and voicing its support for the bill.