Last week, Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) launched its new WebsiteSpark program designed to help web professionals to succeed by giving them access to licenses for software design and development, production licenses and server free training and support.

Like previous “Spark” entrepreneurship development programs and DreamSpark BizSpark always the right tools for new companies and university students respectively WebsiteSpark provides Web professionals with everything they need to build and manage websites and applications on Windows.

Measured by the degree to which they embraced and programs BizSpark DreamSpark, Microsoft expects 15,000 to 25,000 businesses web WebsiteSpark join. The program has already joined 5,000 companies web development.

But not only web developers that will benefit the program. Hosting providers can benefit significantly as well, with the possibility of signing new clients and promote their offerings in Microsoft’s marketing campaigns through a portal that will launch later this year.

So far, Internet host responded en masse. In just over a week’s launch of WebsiteSpark, 80 hosting providers in 30 countries around the world have signed up as host partners, including innovations implemented, MaximumASP, NaviSite and NetBenefit.

The heart of the program, the Microsoft Web Platform includes the ASP.NET framework, IIS 7 on Windows Server Server 2008, SQL Server, and tools like Visual Studio, Expression Web and Windows Internet Explorer 8, that hosting providers can offer web companies a packaged deal.

“WebsiteSpark gives hosting partners the ability to promote an attractive package of free software, tools, support and training to a large segment of small business customers: web designers and developers,” said John Zanni, general manager of software worldwide-more - the service industry in the communications sector at Microsoft.

The program is built around a sponsor model based on three main relationships, starting with the champions who act as liaisons between Microsoft and the network partners, and work to support the network partners.

The network partners who are the local software ecosystem, sponsoring and supporting web professionals. Finally, the host partners provide hosting services for web development and design firms.

“Our host partners are allowed to enroll qualifying web stores in the program, enabling them to obtain these benefits and to offer discounts in accommodation for the websites they build,” said Zanni. “In addition, Microsoft is actively promoting and raising awareness WebsiteSpark supply in the market through comprehensive marketing and direct marketing through our own base of SMB customers worldwide.”

Although there is no initial cost to participate in the program, host partners must provide their own infrastructure, equipment and software to support the hosting environment.

To qualify as a hosting partner, companies must be enrolled in the Partner Network, Microsoft already has a service provider license in place, actively use the free dedicated or virtual dedicated hosting on Windows, and be willing to promote an offer on the market WebsiteSpark.

WebsiteSpark Microsoft offers a range of benefits to host partners, giving them opportunities for business growth and development, the continued support of the host community of Microsoft, access to control panel DotNetPanel, and most importantly, increasing visibility in an otherwise saturated market. In the end, the program seems to provide a win-win scenario for both web developers and hosting providers.

“Our intention is to make it as easy as possible for companies to small web site to build its solutions on the Microsoft platform,” says Zanni. “Web designers can choose to act as its hosting provider, or may choose to partner with a hosting provider - Either way, get the same set of benefits.”