(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Applied Innovations (www.appliedi.net) today announced the deployment of “Applied I Labs,” a unique hosting environment where customers can gain early access to experimental technologies and beta programs well in advance of their formal release.
According to Applied Innovations’ Thursday announcement, Microsoft WebMatrix Beta (www.microsoft.com/web/webmatrix), which quietly launched earlier this week, is the inaugural Applied I Labs program. Applied Innovations is offering program participants free hosting for the duration of the program.
“We wanted to roll out Applied I Labs in parallel with some compelling offer such as the WebMatrix Beta,” Applied Innovations founder and CEO Jess Coburn said in a statement. “This is exactly the type of event Applied I Labs was designed for: an open invitation to our customers and the development community to experience and participate in shaping a new platform, technology, application or program. With Applied I Labs, the server is independent and isolated, so it’s a secure environment to explore and test freely.”
A longtime Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and exclusive Windows platform Web host, Applied Innovations was selected as one of the handful of exclusive hosting partners for the WebMatrix Beta Program. In turn, the company is offering free hosting to all Beta participants from now until WebMatrix’s formal launch, expected in January 2011, giving users a preview of how they can use WebMatrix to easily integrate their overall workflow, seamlessly develop applications and use free open source community apps. Space is limited in the Beta program, so interested parties are encouraged to sign up early.
WebMatrix Beta is a free tool for building, customizing and deploying websites in one common, straightforward experience for developers of all skill sets, and a major reinforcement in Microsoft’s investment in the Microsoft Web Platform. WebMatrix is designed to give developers the tools they need to build and run websites and applications on Windows. It also complements the other elements of the Microsoft Web Platform including the Web Application Gallery and the Web Platform Installer.
“We’re delighted Applied Innovations was chosen to support the WebMatrix Beta program,” said Coburn. “It is a validation of our partnership with Microsoft and our commitment to deliver the most innovative tools and technologies for customers seeking to stay ahead of the curve.”
Applied Innovations and Microsoft had previously partnered to provide web development and design companies participating in the WebsiteSpark program a year of managed Windows VPS hosting. WebsiteSpark was designed to help web professionals from developers to small business owners, and drive new business opportunities through connections with worldwide partners and customers.
Other web hosts have also readied programs to support the WebMatrix Beta program. Adhost (www.adhost.com), for instance, is offering a free beta hosting program that includes 1 GB of space and 100 GB of monthly data transfer.
“We’ve been working closely with the Microsoft IIS team on testing this new tool and making it easy to deploy a site at Adhost to try out the features,” wrote Adhost’s Ernie Marquez in a blog post.
