Microsoft's online service push has holes
Microsoft's plunge into the hosting arena isn't sending shock waves through partners who welcome the visibility the move brings but say many corporate users will find the Exchange and SharePoint services fall short of the mark.
Partners, however, say that Microsoft's http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/070808-microsoft-service-bundles-… structure, unveiled Tuesday, will cause some disruption, but users will quickly realize what they are paying for when they explore the need for a full complement of add-ons, integrations, customizations, support and maintenance that Microsoft will leave mostly to partners.
The biggest upside hosting partners see is that Microsoft is shining a bright light on the benefits of hosted online services.
