ASP Always-On Inc. has been chosen by troubled Online Business Center Office.com Inc. to provide subscription-based software and technology services to Office.com users.
“Small businesses look to us for fast, practical and cost-effective IT solutions, and our relationship with Office.com extends our reach to millions of additional potential subscribers each month,” said Doron Gordon, co-founder and CEO of Always-On.
Always-On gives small businesses access to enterprise-level technology services, premium off-the-shelf software applications, and professional technical support. Always-On offers software and service bundles in categories like productivity, graphics, publishing, sales, accounting and office essentials. Always-On and Office.com are offering a free, 30-day trial subscription to Microsoft Office XP and Microsoft Exchange.
Office.com aggregates and integrates news and information, business tools and e-commerce services for small to mid-sized businesses. Office.com is majority owned by Winstar, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in April 2000. Also in April, Office.com was forced to lay off half its staff in editorial, marketing and technology departments, and was rumored to be up for sale.
Winstar has a two-thirds stake in Office.com. Viacom-owned television network CBS holds the remaining shares, having exchanged $42 million worth of advertising in April 1999.