Microsoft/HP Extend Private-Label Hosting to VARs

Pete Prestipino — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:54:00 GMT

Microsoft Corp. and HP announced a joint initiative this week that will enable value-added resellers (VARs) to utilize a software-plus-services business model. The two companies will equip VARs with tools and guidance to offer “private label” Microsoft solutions that are hosted by the managed service providers.

From the release: Microsoft and HP are also providing solution configurations based on HP BladeSystem, HP ProLiant and HP StorageWorks products. This will make it easier for customers and partners to plan for and deploy hosted Web services. These solutions can be sold to managed service providers looking to expand their hosting business by deploying the Microsoft virtualization platform and management tools for the optimized delivery of Windows-based workloads such as Hosted Microsoft Exchange Server, hosted Microsoft Dynamics CRM or Windows SharePoint Services, as well as to companies that want to enter the hosting business. For these companies, Microsoft has a full suite of datacenter virtualization products and tools to enable the creation of the dynamic datacenter, providing automated, optimized services on demand that level the competitive playing field relating to size and scale.

By enabling VARs to offer SMB customers a choice of traditional on-premise and as-a-service IT delivery models, the private-label initiative allows VARs to extend their role as strategic IT advisors by helping customers optimize IT investments and productivity as customers migrate to Web services.

'Net Features : VARs

Microsoft/HP Extend Private-Label Hosting to VARs