Parallels Empowers Microsoft Partners with Parallels Automation for Microsoft Services and Parallels Ecosystem Enablement Tools for Microsoft ISVs

Parallels primes partners for growth in expanding SMB cloud market by enabling them to profitably offer a complete suite of Microsoft-based services

Los Angeles — July 11, 2011 — Parallels^®, the hosting and cloud services enablement leader, today announced expanded support for Microsoft technologies and tools to help service providers become true full-service cloud service providers.

Parallels Automation for Microsoft Services and the enablement tools for ISVs will help Microsoft independent software vendors (ISVs) profit from the cloud. Parallels partners will be able to bring dozens of new services to market faster, more easily, and more profitably.

“The demand for cloud services from SMBs is growing rapidly. According to a Microsoft, 39 percent of SMBs expect to be paying for one or more cloud services within three years¹,” said Birger Steen, CEO, Parallels. “Parallels is empowering our partners to tap into this demand in the easiest and most comprehensive way possible. Our unique portfolio of solutions and cloud market expertise helps our partners to take full advantage of upcoming opportunities.”

Parallels Automation for Microsoft Services
To allow for efficient integrated delivery of cloud services based on Microsoft technologies with other complementary offerings, Parallels Automation for Microsoft Services (PA 5.2)enables service providers of all sizes to profit from the Cloud by automating delivery of the most complete set of cloud services, including Office 365 Syndication, Hyper-V Cloud, Exchange Server 2010 SP1, and SharePoint Foundation 2010.

Cloud services based on Microsoft technologies allow SMBs to meet their IT needs and improve productivity. With Parallels Automation for Microsoft Services, service providers will be able to resell Microsoft offerings and increase the average revenue per user. With support for the n-tier resell business model, Parallels Automation allows system integrators and VARs to extend the range of cloud services without investment in infrastructure.

Within the Microsoft Services suite, Parallels has also upgraded Parallels Automation support for Microsoft’s System Center Hyper-V Cloud, enabling service providers to offer an IAAS solution either directly or through resellers.

“This will help someone quickly become a Hyper-V Cloud reseller and easily setup a web store,” said Garth Fort, general manager in Microsoft’s Server and Tools Business. “With Parallels Automation, a VAR can set up a Hyper-V Cloud business that offers the full power of System Center and delivers recurring revenue.”

Parallels is now deployed with 10 Cloud Service Providers in Americas, Europe and Asia offering reseller services to the Microsoft VAR and SI community.

Parallels Enablement Tools for Microsoft ISVs
The increasing consumption of cloud services by SMBs has bolstered the supply of innovative services offered by Microsoft ISVs. In this ultra competitive and crowded space, the robust ecosystem Parallels is fostering is helping ISVs reach in the demand pool.

To quickly get to market and reach a broad audience Microsoft ISVs can:

• Use the Application Packaging Standard (APS) to distribute their offerings to Parallels’ 5,000 cloud service provider partners reaching over 12 million SMBs. By packaging their services with APS, ISVs, such as BackupAgent, Live Office, Microsoft and Kaltura, have greatly expanded their customer base reach and sales opportunity.
• Leverage a network of system integrators around the globe, including Active Cloud, Softec, iSynergy, and Implement.com, who are already packaging Microsoft ISV solutions with APS and ready to do more.
• Participate in Parallels’ active promotion of APS-packaged applications. Parallels plans to invest over million in the marketing and enabling of APS Partners in the next 12 months.
• Tap into Parallels Automation and Parallels Plesk Panel Partners distributing ISV solutions. Partners such, as Softec and Luxcloud, are making the enablement of marketplaces for ISVs even easier with turnkey reseller offerings.
• Sell through the Parallels Partner Storefront which gives cloud services providers the opportunity to quickly and easily monetize their customers through the sale of commercial applications.

Since the inception of APS, over 50 Microsoft ISV applications have been packaged and distributed by Parallels Partners.

“MXSweep has launched at WPC 2011 an APS package for our Internet Security & Compliance services, including email security and archiving, web security, email encryption and mobile security on Parallels Automation. We have already signed up our first Parallels Service Provider partners who include hosters and telcos and who see a big opportunity in providing these on demand cloud services to their customers,” said Ed Grant, CEO of MXSweep.

To take full advantage of Parallels’ suite of solutions and seamless integration with Microsoft services, Parallels partners, such as Softec, are creating vibrant online marketplaces for Windows Azure-based offerings.

“We see a great opportunity of adding value to VARs and ISVs around the world by creating Windows Azure-based marketplaces with Parallels’ suite of solutions that won’t require any upfront investment,” said Mikel Irizar, Managing Partner, Softec.

“Since integrating our software with Parallels APS, we have seen a dramatic increase in service provider adoption and revenue growth,” said Roland Sars, Director Sales and Marketing of Backup Agent BV.

About Parallels
Parallels is a worldwide leader in hosting and cloud service enablement and desktop virtualization. Founded in 1999, Parallels is a fast-growing company with more than 800 employees in North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, please visit www.parallels.com, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ParallelsCloud and Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ParallelsCloud