This isn't the first time Microsoft has made a public entry into the ASP arena, of course. But the emphasis on ASPs has been stronger at the company, according to Dwight Krossa, Microsoft's director for hosting product management.
"We are now focusing at Microsoft on what we need to do to support ASPs," Krossa remarked during an interview at the show. Krossa added, though, that Microsoft "is not by any means abandoning its existing channels."
Krossa contended that Microsoft's new licensing program will provide "simplicity and flexibility" to ASPs, along with easing the upfront costs of entering this emerging market.
The new approach to licensing for ASPs replaces Microsoft's traditional perpetual licensing method, Krossa noted. ASPs will instead pay for licensing on a monthly subscription basis, on either a "per subscriber "or "per CPU" basis. The licensing program is scheduled for rollout next month in North America and South America, and during September in Europe, Asia and the rest of the world.
Products slated to be available under the ASP licensing program include Windows Server and Advanced Server; Windows Terminal Server; Exchange 2000; SQL Server 2000; Commerce Server 2000; Host Integration Server (HIS) 2000; Internet Security & Acceleration (ISA) Server 2000; Microsoft Office; Small Business Server 2000; Visual Studio; and Systems Management Server (SMS).
Sources at Microsoft pointed to Exchange, SQL Server, and Office as among the first products to be licensed under the new program.
Some products covered by the program will be available only under the per-subscriber model, and some only under the per CPU model. Others, such as SQL Server, will be offered under a choice of either model. Some Microsoft officials said they see the per subscriber model as best suited to smaller ASP start-ups, and the per-CPU model as tailored to larger, better established ASPs and Web-hosters.
CPU licenses are easier for large ASPs to track than concurrent licenses, according to Krossa. The CPU licenses will also replace Internet Connector licenses, which have forced administrators to try to differentiate between intranet, extranet and Internet users.
Under the per-subscriber model, companies pay only on the basis of numbers of subscribers per month. Each subscriber can access any number of servers from any number of devices.
In terms of tools, Microsoft is offering a 2-CD set called the Microsoft ASP Guide, plus free online how-to information on developing and hosting Web applications.
Under another new program, entitled the ASP Service Delivery Initiative, Microsoft has been putting together an online ASP partner database. "The purpose is to bring together ASPs with (other) channel partners," Krossa elaborated.
Ian Rogoff, VP of Microsoft's Enterprise Services and Partner Group, said that Microsoft established the new certification program at the request of the ASPs themselves. ASPs are finding that customers want them to be certified, according to Rogoff.
Rosa Garcia, general manager for Partner Programs, said that Microsoft will later add a "higher-level" or "advanced" certification program for ASPs. Beyond passing exams, ASPs with advanced certification will need to provide references in specific solutions areas, Garcia added.
Microsoft execs also enumerated a long list of allies for their new ASP initiative, including hosters, or "ASP enablers," like Digex, Hewlett-Packard, and Data Return; SIs such as MarchFirst, Compaq, EDS and Andersen; OEMs such as Unisys and Cisco; infrastructure partners like Veritas and NetIQ; and LOB players such as Pivotal, Clarus, OneSoft and Solomon.
