Solutions for the Small and Mid-Sized Business

Microsoft has rolled out a new Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Program for Hosting and Applications Services. ManagedOps.com, Inc. (www.managedops.com), Qwest Communications International, Inc. (www.qwest.com), and Usinternetworking, Inc. (www.usi.net) are qualified managed ASP partners under the program. To gain Gold status, each ASP passed Microsoft scrutiny of technology, service quality, operational readiness, and operational best practices involving weeklong, onsite assessments and more than 200 hours of Microsoft consulting. Approximately 20 more ASPs have entered the certification pipeline worldwide, the company says.

“Microsoft Gold” hosting and applications services certifications are intended to accelerate new application activations and build trust among ISV and integrator channel partners and their customers.

The application hosting certification is considered the most difficult, covering the whole ecosystem—not just technology certification, but partners' ability to roll out and support new services, down to the systems for sharing information with channel solution providers and whether the partner's human resources can assure scalability.