Citing customer demands for "scaleable, reliable, available" ASP services, Microsoft today announced Usinetworking, Qwest Communications and ManagedOPs.com as the first US-based Web hosters to win Gold ASP certification on the Windows 2000.NET platform.
"Microsoft has been successful because we listen to what customers want. We are asking customers to start having confidence in ASPs," said Rosa Garcia, general manager of Microsoft's Partner Programs Group. "If customers or ISVs are serious about ASP services, we now have three companies in the US we can send them to. These companies have the right processes. They know how to manage customers, servers and applications."
Microsoft recently announced NetStore and Equant, both of the UK, as the first ASP partners anywhere to gain advanced or "Gold" certification.
Garcia said that Microsoft also has other ASP partners in the pipeline for Gold certification, some of them based in the US.
"The most important thing to customers is finding key hosters that will provide security, availability and reliability," Garcia added, pointing to results of a customer survey Microsoft conducted in June. Since then, customers have kept bringing up these points over and over again, according to Garcia.
To get certified as Gold, Web hosters need to pass performance benchmarking tests on Microsoft's Windows 2000 .NET platform, in addition to submitting customer references. By and large, the three US hosters are focusing on mid-market applications.
"We believe it's all about scale. The (ASP) industry is moving away from 'mass customisation.' Applications need to easily duplicated. This will drive down costs," said Kevin Koche, VP of Apptimum at Quest, during the interview.
Usinternetworking is the only one of the three US partners so far to obtain Gold certification in three areas: Hosted Exchange, E-Commerce, and Application Hosting. USI is hosting 175 ASP customers and 200 implementations, said Matt Howard, VP of business development for USI's Microsoft Alliance.
Qwest was certified for Hosted Exchange only, and ManagedOps.com for Application Hosting only. However, executives at both these companies said they are considering pursuing certification in other areas, too.
ManagedOps sells through 200 of the top Siebel and Great Plains partners, said President & CEO Dan Taylor. ASP customers include CRM specialist !hey inc., Folio Group, and the Salvation Army.
