AT&T, IBM and Lotus announced today (Jan 16) at Lotusphere in Orlando that the three companies have developed and will jointly market the ASP Enablement Suite, a new web hosting solution for the ASP market. This collaboration expands the existing relationship between AT&T and IBM.
The ASP Enablement Suite targets the growing market of ISVs and enables them to migrate towards the ASP model. In this partnership, AT&T will provide all of the hosting, IBM will provide the hardware (namely the eServer xSeries) as well as access to their ASP Prime and Hosting Advantage programs and Lotus will be providing the back-end software and services using the Lotus ASP Solution Pack and Lotus Professional Services.
The ASP Enablement Suite combines a secure web hosting infrastructure, server hardware and applications deployment software to meet the needs ASPs and ISVs (Independent Software Vendors). The suite provides a path for growth via a faster time-to-deploy for new applications, a secure, robust infrastructure, plus co-marketing and ASP development programs.
Specific elements in the ASP Enablement Suite are:
- AT&T’s web hosting services supported by AT&T’s state-of-the-art Internet Data Centers and OC-192 IP backbone, network and bandwidth management, hardware and operating system management, database management, storage services, high availability data and computing services, managed security and firewall services.
- IBM eServer xSeries, a premier line of scalable industry-standard servers that enable enterprises to confidently run their e-business solutions, as well as help ASP’s deploy e-business applications and infrastructure quickly and cost-effectively;
- Lotus ASP Solution Pack software, a comprehensive hosting platform, paired with a core set of integrated “ready-to-rent” applications that allow ASPs to maintain multiple, independent copies of the same application, for several companies or communities, securely on the same server;
- Lotus Professional Services, which are designed to provide ASPs who purchase the ASP Solution Pack training that will allow them to have a complete operational set of programs ready to be integrated with their back-end billing system, and
- Co-marketing and development programs designed to help ASPs accelerate revenue generation and extend their reach in the market.
“As a leading developer of web-rentable business applications, the ASP Enablement Suite is the perfect complement to our Rent & Ready! Instant Webware Suite,” said Bob Curry, director of technology for iemagine, a Chicago-based ISV serving the ASP community. “The combined solutions of IBM, Lotus and AT&T enable iemagine to satisfy the business needs of our customers and expand our market reach exponentially.”
The ASP Enablement Suite is the latest addition to AT&T’s Ecosystem for ASPs, which combines the company’s leading-edge managed hosting services and network services platform with a comprehensive co-marketing and distribution program where members can leverage the power of AT&T’s brand through multiple levels of support. Additionally, qualified ASPs may market and promote a broad range of AT&T Internet services as part of their offers.
AT&T now can refer qualified Ecosystem for ASP members to IBM’s ASP Prime, a flagship program for helping ISVs prepare their applications for the Web. The program gives software developers access to highly skilled technical consulting at solution centers located throughout the world.
AT&T today also announced that it has become an IBM Hosting Advantage Business Partner. IBM’s Hosting Advantage program is part of IBM’s Service Provider for e-business initiative, an integrated portfolio of offerings and support programs designed to assist service providers, including ASPs, in enhancing their e-business strategies. IBM Ho
sting Advantage approval offers AT&T key opportunities to team with IBM’s top application providers via IBM ASP Prime Centers, as well as opportunities to participate in IBM marketing campaigns.
