Bizspark News & Articles

Softlayer (news, site), a Texas-based provider of on-demand virtual data center services, has been approved as a partner in the Microsoft Hosting BizSpark Program.

Hosting Partners are partners who can provide hosting services for SaaS solutions developed by BizSpark Startups. Startups that intend to deploy a product on the Internet within 12 months of enrollment are encouraged to engage a Hosting Partner to assist them in hosting their application on the internet.

Hosting Partners obtain Microsoft server products to provide hosting services to startups directly from Microsoft under their Service Provider License Agreement with Microsoft.

Working out of facilities in Dallas, Seattle and Washington DC, Softlayer was created in 2005 and integrates all aspects of IT development to create automated solutions for clients that gives them security, scalability and easy manageable IT infrastructures.

Chief Strategy Officer for Softlayer said participation in the programme would enhance their ability to offer clients dynamic platforms at critical stages in their business development.

Microsoft, in an effort to gain market share amongst young companies, has announced an ambitious program that would allow certain startups to utilize their server software for free. BizSpark is the name of the new project that will, as Microsoft hopes, encourage start-ups to employ Windows-powered servers in their product offering.

To be eligible for the BizSpark program, a private company must be in business for no more than three years, have less than $1 million in annual revenue and must be referred by one of Microsoft’s partners.