(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — Canadian web hosting provider PEER 1 Network Enterprises (www.peer1.com) announced on Thursday it has launched its CloudXcelerator program (www.peer1.com/cloud), which lets PEER 1 partners to develop, test and run their cloud applications on the company’s IT hosting infrastructure.
The launch follows PEER’s announcement last month that it has begun constructing a 41,000 square foot “green” data center in the Toronto area.
The CloudXcelerator program is designed to help any company that is developing cloud technology that requires hosting, to achieve early success.
Benefits of the program include deeply subsidized hosting, co-marketing funds, exposure on PEER 1′s website and to the company’s 10,000 customers, as well as public relations exposure.
The PEER 1 sales team will also support partners by learning about their applications and referring qualified leads whenever possible.
“We are constantly looking for opportunities to leverage our network and infrastructure strength to support and increase market innovation,” says Robert Miggins, senior vice president of business development for PEER 1. “The CloudXcelerator program allows us to help bring to market the latest innovations that will determine the future of the cloud landscape, while at the same time helping partners find the most efficient and cost effective applications to increase their success.”
The company has already signed its first CloudXcelerator partner, Apprenda (www.apprenda.com), which develops cloud application server SaaSGrid.
Apprenda’s SaaSGrid Cloud Application Server lets users resolve the business and technical challenges of delivering software as a service.
The application includes out of the box multitenancy, the application billing system, provisioning system, and a full application lifecycle management system.
As a CloudXcelerator partner, Apprenda is able to further promote SaaSGrid, while helping PEER 1 expand its SaaS enablement offering.
A few other companies have recently launched their own programs designed to help promote cloud computing technology.
Last month, Citrix unveiled its Citrix Service Provider program, as well as its Citrix C3 Cloud Blueprints series, which offers guidelines and best practices for testing virtualization, security and application services in a cloud environment.
