(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Web hosting provider Exabytes Network (www.exabytes.com), which describes itself as “Malaysia’s top hosting company,” announced on Thursday that it has become the first hosting company based in Malaysia to join Microsoft’s (www.microsoft.com) BizSpark program.
BizSpark is a program developed by Microsoft over the last few years with the intention of helping independent software vendors partnered with Microsoft to get off the ground with software-as-a-service offerings. Part of the program involves helping the company’s to connect with hosting providers – also partnered with Microsoft – to develop a hosting platform for the services.
In addition to fostering the hosting relationship, the program involves special discounts on software licensing and other essential building blocks. A great deal of information on the BizSpark program is available from the BizSpark section on Microsoft’s website.
“This appointment as a BizSpark Hosting Partner is a major milestone for Exabytes as it not only opens us up to a whole new global market of the Bizspark startup community worldwide, but enables us to play a significant role in developing Malaysia’s software industry as a BizSpark Hosting Partner,” said Chan Kee Siak, CEO of Exa Bytes Networks, quoted in the press release.
Exabytes says joining the BizSpark community will enable it to provide Malaysian developers with free access to the Microsoft development tools and production software licenses, along with web hosting services.
The company says its involvement is key to the program’s expansion into the country, a sentiment echoed in the comments of Peter Tam, Microsoft’s director of local software innovation in Malaysia. This expansion is in addition to money the company has pledged to invest in fostering the development of the local software community.
“There is still great potential surrounding the use of the Internet and we are essentially opening two doors with this phase: offering new start-ups the opportunity to create fresh and exciting web-based applications and existing ones the chance to scale their businesses and efficiently deliver products and services to a global clientele,” says Tam, quoted in the Exabytes announcement. “Either way, together we are developing the local software economy through intellectual property creation, entrepreneurial development and revenue generation.”
Worldwide, says Exabytes, it is one of 25 companies that have qualified to participate in the BizSpark program as hosting partners up to this point. The company says its involvement is a testament to the value of the software industry in the Malaysian state of Penang.
Earlier this month, Exabytes celebrated its eighth anniversary with a promotional two-for-one offer.
