Dell partners to reach ASPs

Direct vendor Dell has teamed up with Portal Software, Xevo and Microsoft to package a messaging service for application service providers.

Direct vendor Dell has teamed up with Portal Software, Xevo and Microsoft to package a messaging service for application service providers (ASPs).

The offering is designed to enable ASPs to host Microsoft Exchange 2000 on Dell Power-Edge servers and PowerVault storage products. The package is offered in conjunction with Portal's Infranet customer care and billing software, and Xevo's ASP Workbench service management platform.

"Managed messaging and collaboration, and the corresponding need for superior customer management, service management and billing, are ground breaking opportunities for ASPs," said Judi Webster, general manager at Dell's Internet Partner Division.

The companies plan to test and validate applications on Dell hardware, develop best practices for the implementation of ASP services on Dell products and participate in co-marketing and joint selling activities.

Dell is not the first hardware company to form this type of deal. In August, IBM unveiled a partnership with Portal that brought the latter's Infranet software to members of IBM's ASP Prime, a program that helps developers ready their applications for web hosting.

IBM and Portal planned to work together to develop a common industry interface definition for billing instrumentation and user provisioning.