“Microsoft on Thursday created a pilot program designed to make
Windows 2000 a preferred platform for application service providers
(ASPs) that are willing to broadly commit to supporting Windows.
… Microsoft needs to portray its newest platform and its
associated services and applications as a preferred alternative to
Unix-based systems and Java-based technology for ASPs, which are
expected to grow rapidly over the next few years, especially for
small and medium-size businesses…”
“Such browser-client-oriented online providers of applications
and services could ultimately devalue Microsoft’s highly lucrative
franchise in the PC-based operating system and productivity
applications business. Microsoft has already announced plans to
make variants of its Office 2000 productivity applications
available over the Web for use by ASPs and other online service
providers and enterprises.
The creation of the Certified Commercial Network Services
Provider (CCNSP) program by Microsoft this week comes only a few
days before the Sept. 13 announcement of Microsoft’s development
tools and hosting strategy around Windows 2000…”
“The goal with the new CCNSP pilot program is to
allow organizations that sign up as Microsoft Certified
Solution Providers (MCSPs) to then be able to leverage
Microsoft’s products as the basis for their services offerings. In
return, the ASPs and other providers that sign on as MCSPs
must ‘make significant commitments to developing skills,
training, support and processes relating to Microsoft
technology, in addition to meeting specific CCNSP program
requirements,’ according to a Microsoft statement.”