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Microsoft is becoming a serious hosting option with free Domain Name and Hosting provided for one year via their Microsoft Office Live Basics program. The account includes not only the domain name (ranging from available .com, .net, .org or .info), but also various site-building utilities, reporting and collaboration tools, project and document managers, free e-mail addresses and collaboration-minded online work spaces. In addition, members get 500MB of storage with each hosting account. The free domain and hosting offer is valid for one year; continuation of the offer requires a $14.95 annual bill.
Microsoft’s advancement towards the hosting industry shows that it is ready to stake its mark as a serious and viable option for web masters and domainers. Free offers in hosting industry are clearly welcomed by end users and offers coming from such reputable companies as Microsoft is sure to turn some heads.
Since this free offer is made available through Microsoft Office Live Basics, this is indicative of their intention to entice small business owners planning to go online. Nevertheless, personal account holders can also take advantage of this offer; the renewal fees of $14.95 is quite attractive for lower budget brackets.
Is this just a byproduct of Microsoft’s overall business? Or does this signify a move towards becoming a “force to be reckoned with” in the hosting business? No matter what the intention, their move into web hosting can be deduced as either a threat to other mainstream hosting companies, or a major opportunity for aspiring web masters to establish an online presence.
What is your take on this move? Will you abondon your current host company for this offer from Microsoft? For me personally, it will take more than just being a software giant to test my loyality with Hostgator. I will give it a wait, see reviews and feedback by others and then try a trial membership with them. Till then, I am content with Hostgator!
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February 16, 2009 pm28 7:17 am
Thanks for pointing out this Microsoft offer .
February 16, 2009 pm28 8:52 am
They may seriously challenge Yahoo small business. However, I personally feel that MS delayed their entry. They had a great chance to do hosting and integrated services years ago – especially after the take over of hotmail that gave them several million users.
Could this new move be to leverage their new blogging platform and free express editions of software?
Ajith Edassery’s last blog post..SEO – Link Building Series: Internal Link Building and Optimization
February 16, 2009 pm28 2:17 pm
Yeh, as Ajith says, it might affect Yahoo’s hosting, however, I don’t know think that it will be a contender any time soon.
And, I couldn’t find their type of hosting, but I doubt that they’d offer anything but Windows, and with very few features…
As all of us know, Linux is the faster growing platform, and is generally favored by startups today.
Shirley – Velvet Blues’s last blog post..Would You Get A WordPress Tattoo?
February 21, 2009 pm28 11:59 pm
I saw this some time back. I don’t think this is available for small businesses outside of US.
ROW’s last blog post..Get more out of SMSes now. Some great free utilities.
March 3, 2009 pm28 10:17 pm
I didn’t know this before. Thanks for the information.
Nihar’s last blog post..February 2009 Blog Traffic & Income statistics
March 5, 2009 pm28 6:18 am
I don’t think that MS is really taking the issue very seriously.. Though I see many small and medium scale business tie up with Microsoft.. They may not be really very much benefited from this 1yr fee wavier..
TechnoSamrat’s last blog post..Copy Video & Audio Files From Browser Cache With VideoCacheView
March 21, 2009 pm28 4:37 pm
heard about this few weeks back … but haven’t tried yet personally.
i think should give it a try for sure
March 25, 2009 pm28 8:40 am
Personally I can’t really see it kicking off. Go amongst the webmaster community on the big forums, and I can almost guarantee you see no one suggesting the Microsoft plans, but actually quite the opposite… people suggesting you register your domain at one place, then get hosting at another.
Sorry Mr Gates, I just can’t see it working that well