Leader in business email services to speak on how Microsoft Partners can leverage the SaaS opportunity

New York, NY (July 1, 2008) - Intermedia, the worldwide leader in business email services, has been asked to speak to the partner audience at this year’s Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference about the opportunity Software as a Service offers the community, despite Microsoft’s recent entrance into the market. Intermedia will deliver multiple presentations on best practices for entering the SaaS market and strategies for competing in this growing arena.

This year’s Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference will present a different atmosphere than previous years, as Microsoft, the conference attendees’ longtime vendor partner, is now competing with them directly through its new Software + Services initiative. Intermedia aims to alleviate partners’ fears that Microsoft’s initatives will threaten their livelihoods by discussing the new and growing opportunities available to them and how they can leverage SaaS for competitive advantage.

“Intermedia is honored to be Microsoft’s thought leader on how partners can successfully offer SaaS services,” said Bob Leibholz, Vice President of Sales and Business Development for Intermedia. “We feel strongly that IT resellers, VARs and managed services providers are in an excellent position to increase revenue and customer loyalty by adding hosted application services to their list of offerings.”

In the presentation, Intermedia will detail the different ways Microsoft partners can enter and compete in the software as a service market, including referral programs, reselling, co-branding and private labeling Partners will develop a clear understanding of how Microsoft’s Software + Services offerings fit into the context of these models. Intermedia’s own Partner Program offers options for complete private-labeling, including API integration for existing billing systems, co-branding for multiple brand leveraging and referral partnerships. The presentation will explain how partners can leverage these opportunities and compare and contrast them with Microsoft’s Software + Services.

For more information on Intermedia’s partner program, please visit http://www.Intermedia.net/Partners or meet the company in person at Booth #921 at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2008, in Houston, Texas from July 8th to 10th.