Microsoft Online Services extends SaaS to SMB users
At the Microsoft Office SharePoint Conference on Monday, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates unveiled plans to provide a software-as-a-service offering not just to the large enterprises already eligible for such a service from Microsoft, but to companies of all sizes.
Through the new Microsoft Online Services, business with less than 5,000 employees will be able to subsribe to Internet-based applications from Microsoft and its partners instead of buying hardware servers and software licenses. Initially, the company will offer subscription-based applications around e-mail and its SharePoint teamware.
Dell buys family-owned MessageOne for SaaS
Part of Dell Computer's transition strategy is to no longer focus all its interests on one side of the technology market exclusively. That was made clearer today with another acquisition of a service-oriented software provider.
Dell has added a second ingredient to an emerging arsenal of SaaS (software as a service) tools for customer self-service. Today, the company announced it has acquired e-mail archiving, compliance, and business continuity vendor MessageOne, a company owned by Dell CEO Michael Dell's brother, Adam, and two investment funds managed by the Dell family.