Hosting Updates for Partners

Additions to the Dynamic Data Center Tool Kit will help providers plan, bring up, and operate Microsoft-based cloud service solutions. The kit provides operations guidance, best practices information, marketing tools, and sample code so that hosters can rapidly provision on-demand computing services. Samples and demos at a Mar. 2009 Hosting Summit highlighted building a virtualized server infrastructure using products such as Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V and Internet Information Services, SQL Server, and System Center products.

Microsoft also announced updates to the Service Providers License Agreement. Two new Windows Server 2008 Anonymous Standard SKUs (with and without Hyper-V) allow hosters to provide unauthenticated user access from the Internet; previously, only Windows Server 2008 Anonymous Datacenter was available, at higher cost. Licensing changes also enable partners to license three years’ use of products at a 12% price advantage from the monthly price, with no minimum quantity required.