MS route to software services
Microsoft broadened its fledgling application software provider (ASP) activities last week to incorporate Exchange Server and has recruited additional partners to implement pilot hosting schemes.
Microsoft broadened its fledgling application software provider (ASP) activities last week to incorporate Exchange Server and has recruited additional partners to implement pilot hosting schemes.
In the US, Microsoft and Compaq have invested $100m (£62.5m) in ISP Digex to expand each others' ASP offerings.
The moves form part of Microsoft's plans to become a software services company over the next two to three years, under incoming chief executive Steve Ballmer.
The software giant has signed up 16 partners globally that will offer Exchange Server 5.5 and its forthcoming successor, Exchange 2000, as part of their ASP strategy.
Bracknell ASP NetStore is the only partner servicing the UK, although BT, which is already hosting a pilot scheme for Office 2000, will run trials on a pan-European level.
David Burrows, Microsoft's group manager for SME business development, said bringing Exchange Server into its ASP range was a logical progression following its decision to pilot hosting schemes for Office (PC Dealer, 17 November 1999).
"We're trying to deliver our software to wherever our customers want it. Messaging systems may be more of a driver in this sector than Office is," he said.
Burrows said resellers were still a crucial part of its ASP strategy, because hosting particularly suits SMEs. "The reseller may not take the product to the customer's door, but large businesses won't have the resources to negotiate individual deals with every customer."
Jeff Maynard, deputy chairman and chief technology officer of NetStore, stressed that the ASP model did not threaten the reseller channel. He said NetStore was targeting Microsoft Solution Providers to act as resellers for the company's products.
"We're a back-end operator, running huge databases. We don't want to customise an Outlook front-end for five users; that will be the role of the VAR."