(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Last week, Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) introduced its new WebsiteSpark program, designed to help Web professionals succeed by giving them access to design and development software licenses, server production licenses and free training and support.
Just like previous “Spark” business development programs like BizSpark and DreamSpark provided the proper tools for startups and college students, respectively, WebsiteSpark gives web professionals everything they need to build and operate websites and applications on Windows.
Gauging by the extent to which the BizSpark and DreamSpark programs were embraced, Microsoft expects 15,000 to 25,000 web companies to enroll in WebsiteSpark. The program has already been joined by 5,000 Web development companies.
But it’s not just web developers who will benefit from the program. Hosting providers stand to gain significantly as well, with the potential to sign new customers and promote their offerings in Microsoft marketing campaigns through a portal that will be launched later this year.
So far, Web hosts have responded in droves. In just over a week of launching WebsiteSpark, 80 hosting providers in 30 countries worldwide have enrolled as hosting partners, including Applied Innovations, MaximumASP, NaviSite and NetBenefit.
The heart of the program, the Microsoft Web Platform includes the ASP.NET framework, IIS 7 in Windows Server 2008 server, SQL Server database, and tools like Visual Studio, Expression Web and Windows Internet Explorer 8, all of which hosting providers can offer to web companies in a packaged deal.
“WebsiteSpark gives its hosting partners the ability to promote a compelling package of free software, tools, support and training to a critical segment of small business customers: Web designers and developers,” says John Zanni, general manager of the worldwide software-plus-services industry at Microsoft’s communications sector.
The program is built around a sponsor-based model with three main relationships, starting with the champs, which act as liaisons between Microsoft and network partners, and work to support the network partners.
The network partners, which are local software ecosystems, sponsor and support the web professionals. Finally, hosting partners provide hosting services to the web development and design companies.
“Our hosting partners are authorized to enroll qualifying web shops into the program, enabling them to obtain these benefits, as well as to offer them discounts on the hosting of the web sites they build,” says Zanni. “In addition, Microsoft is actively promoting and publicizing the WebsiteSpark offer in-market, through broad reach marketing as well as through direct campaigns to our own SMB customer base worldwide.”
Though there is no upfront cost to participate in the program, hosting partners must provide their own infrastructure, equipment and software to support the hosting environment.
To qualify as a hosting partner, companies must be enrolled in the Microsoft Partner Network, already have a Microsoft Service Provider License Agreement in place, actively use self-dedicated or virtualized dedicated hosting on Windows, and should be willing to promote a WebsiteSpark offer in the market.
Microsoft WebsiteSpark offers a range of benefits for hosting partners, giving them opportunities for business growth and development, ongoing support from the Microsoft Hosting Community, access to the DotNetPanel control panel, and most importantly, increased visibility in an otherwise saturated market. In the end, the program seems to provide a win-win scenario for both web developers and hosting providers.
“Our intent is make it as easy as possible for small web firms to build their web solutions on the Microsoft platform,” says Zanni. “Web designers can choose to act as their own hoster, or they can choose to partner with a hoster – either way they get the same set of benefits.”
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