Franchises back Microsoft
USWeb, a franchise network of Web site developers, endorses Microsoft's Active Platform and Internet Explorer for its 47 affiliates.
"The end-to-end integration of Microsoft's platform made the difference, across the back office, the toolsets," said Sheldon Laube, USWeb's chief technology officer. "Getting stuff to work together is key. Web applications are no longer single applications."
Microsoft vice president Sam Jadallah said the USWeb endorsement more than doubles the number of Web developers that have named Microsoft as its chief platform.
As part of the agreement made here at the Fall Internet World trade show, Microsoft and USWeb will launch a joint marketing program, which includes a Friday ad in the Wall Street Journal, online and print ads in trade publications starting in January, and a series of joint seminars on the Web as a business solution. They also have agreed to collaborate on developing new technology.
USWeb's Laube said his firm evaluated other options, including Netscape. "There are questions about whether Netscape will have the ability to scale. Who else but Microsoft has the bandwidth?"
The independent firms that have USWeb franchises may use alternate technologies if they so choose.
Microsoft also made a similar partnership announcement with PointCast, which broadcasts news and advertising on the Net (See related story.) That information appears as a screen saver on desktop PCs.