PHOENIX, USA: Newtek Web Hosting, the Web hosting division of Newtek Technology Services, a Newtek Business Services, Inc. company, on Monday announced its strategic relationship with Microsoft Corp. in rolling out the Microsoft WebsiteSpark Program.

The WebsiteSpark Program enables Newtek’s small-firm designer/developer customers to capitalize on the many advantages of the program, helping new and small business owners grow and improve their practices.

“We are a company founded on our commitment to the design and development community so our participation was a given. In addition, this program allows us to follow our mission of focusing on the customer by reducing their risk, lowering their costs, and increasing their revenue,” said Newtek Technology Services president and COO Bob Cichon.

As part of its participation, Newtek Technology Services has several discounted virtual private server plans – based on Microsoft’s own Hyper-V hardware virtualization platform – and full dedicated servers available for the WebsiteSpark Program participants to use to fulfill their commitments, said a press release.

For their part, this program is a leap forward for Microsoft and expands their focus on, and relationships with, the communities who utilize their products by offering savings on software, training and education.

“Microsoft is pleased to have Newtek as a partner in the WebsiteSpark Program,” said Brian Goldfarb, director of the Developer Platform Group at Microsoft.

He further added that with the WebsiteSpark Program, and partners like Newtek, Web professionals will now have the tools, training and resources they need to compete more effectively in their industry.”

Qualifying businesses that focus on providing web development and design services for clients must meet some minimum requirements in order to enroll in the program. These include having 10 employees or less, deploying a new public Web site using program software within six months of enrollment in the WebsiteSpark Program (and reporting that new site to Microsoft), and finally, enrolling in the Microsoft Partner Network if they are not already a Microsoft partner, added the release.