7global, the Managed Services Company, has been selected by Microsoft as a foundation partner to supply knowledge, services and hosting for the ISVs participating in the Microsoft® SaaS Incubation Center Program. 7global will open an Incubation Centre in the UK and will bring to bear its extensive experience of SaaS to smooth the transition for ISVs addressing the commercial and technical challenges to adapt to a SaaS model.

There is no doubt that an important shift is taking place today in the way organisations want to purchase and supply software. The traditional model of application deployment, where the customer acquires a perpetual license and assumes responsibility for the software’s implementation and ongoing management has many disadvantages for end users. Increasing dissatisfaction with the costs, complexities, and length of time that it takes to recognise value from their investments have pushed software buyers to demand alternative models of application delivery, such as Software as a Service, (SaaS).

The Microsoft® SaaS Incubation Center Program and the Microsoft® SaaS On-Ramp Programme will provide ISVs with business and technical guidance, one-to-one consulting and access to an established hosting channel to deliver their applications to market faster than the competition.

“Microsoft recognises that many ISVs are hindered in delivering SaaS offerings because they lack the necessary tools and resources,” said Michael Korbacher, Director, EMEA Web & Application Hosting, Microsoft Communications Sector. “Microsoft can help all types of ISVs enter this industry by reducing the cost and complexity of delivering hosted software and crucially, by connecting ISVs with key distribution and operational channels such as telecoms operators and hosting providers. We are delighted to be working with 7global to fuel growth in the SaaS market. They contribute extensive experience of SaaS delivery models coupled with an in-depth understanding of the Microsoft platform. ”

As an incubation partner, 7global will use the Microsoft Solution for Windows-based Hosting for Applications platform, a robust, scalable infrastructure that equips ISVs with the tools and guidance to design service-enabled software applications and facilitate user provisioning, performance monitoring, usage tracking and reporting. This enables ISVs to provide a strong service level agreement (SLA) to end users — a critical component of online service-based delivery.
Microsoft’s SaaS Incubation Center Program will focus on establishing a number of facilities, run by expert Microsoft partners, where ISVs are guided through a structured series of business and architectural consulting sessions to ensure their business model and applications are ready for the challenges of service-based delivery.

Recent research suggests a growing trend for buying software as a service rather than as pre-paid, packaged applications. This represents a significant business opportunity for the ISV community, and is expected to spur traditional ISVs to expand their existing business model to include selling applications as a service.

Harrogate and Liverpool based, 7global, has led a pioneering role in helping dozens of software vendors deliver their applications on a SaaS model and is today recognised as one of the longest established IT managed services providers hosting On-Demand applications for ISV’s and end user organisations across the UK.

Richard Sheppard is CEO of 7global and comments, “This is a great honour to have been selected by Microsoft as a hosting partner for the SaaS Incubation Center Program. We are established Microsoft Gold Partners and very experienced in delivering SaaS models, using the Microsoft Windows-based Hosting for Application Hosting solution as the underlying infrastructure for our services. Today’s announcement is a further endorsement of our continued expertise in helping software vendors to adapt and respond to the explosive market opportunity that software as a service offers.”

To download a free copy of the 7global, Software as a Service Trends Survey 2006, please visit www.7global.com.

7global (www.7global.com) is amongst the longest established Managed Services providers in the UK, offering an extensive portfolio of services that encompasses hosted applications, Network security, Network services, Datacentre and On-Demand applications. 7global operates its own data centre located in a former Bank of England building.

7global delivers its Managed Services to several thousands of users globally both directly and through a range of partners including BT, Visualfiles, KCS, VSC, Kronos Systems and Northgate. 7global’s customers operate in a range of industries such as financial services, retail, manufacturing, telecommunications and transport and include household names such as ebookers, Sainsbury’s, Pepsico, Kurt Geiger, National Trust, EMI, the Co-operative Bank, Sony, Mothercare, Prêt a Manger and Orange.

Founded in 1996, 7global has headquarters in London and two network operations centres based in Liverpool & Harrogate. For more information on 7global, visit the company's web site at www.7global.com.

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