Microsoft Offers Service Providers Several New Hosting Tools

In some cases, beta-testers of the tools, developed for Windows-based hosting, have reduced support call volumes by 50 percent and improved support response times by 30 percent, said Microsoft.

The offerings include a centralized management and delegated administration directory, a utilities and scripts tool that automates the process of creating an operational server, an automated service provisioning tool, proactive monitoring and reporting capabilities, security and patch management capabilities, guidelines for platform design and operation and a deployment guide for Windows Media service.

Early adopters include Rackspace, Terra Lycos and Fastnet.