In collaboration with its web hosting partners Microsoft has debuted a new promotion designed to offer customers not only free web hosting but also free web development tools. Provided that customers will be willing to host their websites, and additional content, including Internet-based applications, on the Microsoft web platform, the Redmond company in collaboration with its partners is ready to offer them free hosting for a total of 60 days as well as the Microsoft Expression Web ($299 value) for free and the Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition.

“This is a good example of our commitment to Interop and more importantly validation of our Software Plus Service strategy for providing customers to building consistent rich applications and with choice of hosting with our partners or in our cloud,” revealed Raj Ramabadran, platform strategy advisor at Microsoft. “So Startup(s) grab this opportunity and also for Enterprise who are looking at ways to reducing cost or exploring new scenarios this will great to try out.”

Of course the initiative is synonymous with Microsoft's efforts to lure customers away from hosting providers that base their infrastructures on open-source solutions including Linux, Apache and MySQL. The Redmond company's alternative involves Windows Server 2008, IIS 7, ASP.Net, SQL Server 2008 Web, as well as PHP and MySQL. The software giant is offering a total of three options including Shared hosting, involving a basic web presence complemented with content management capabilities; Virtual dedicated hosting, an offering tailored to custom Web applications and capable of dealing with high traffic; but also Dedicated hosting, which permits customers to deploy content and applications on their own hardware.

The 60-day free hosting is accessible “for virtual dedicated and dedicated hosting a 12 month commitment may be required to obtain the 60 days free hosting. Offer of free 60 days hosting, free Expression Web and free $100 Microsoft adCenter search advertising credit (U.S. only) valid through 6/30/2009. Limit one per customer,” Microsoft informed.

At the same time, the free Microsoft Expression Web will only be “available to customers who register for the 60 day free hosting offer through one of our Microsoft Web platform hosting providers as listed [by Microsoft],” the company informed, adding that this offer would also expire on June 30, 2009 or as supplies ran out.