Verio Launches Verio Business Solutions On-Demand Software Services for SMB and Mid-Market Companies

Business Wire, Oct 30, 2007

Application Solutions Include Microsoft Exchange, SugarCRM Suite, McAfee Desktop Security and Accrisoft Business Applications

CENTENNIAL, Colo. -- Verio Inc., a leading provider of business solutions online, including hosting, applications and managed services, today launched its Verio Business Solutions suite. The on-demand software offerings allow companies of all sizes to take advantage of business-level applications to address the organization's communications, productivity, security and customer relationship management needs.

Verio Business Solutions are designed to help small and mid-market enterprises overcome the time and cost barriers to efficiently manage business applications and technology solutions in-house, and improve their business, sales and technical operations.

The single, on-demand environment that Verio is offering allows businesses to use industry-leading business software applications, as well as experience all the associated benefits and results of those applications, without owning or making a major upfront investment in the applications. For a predictable monthly fee, Verio fully manages the web-based applications, including implementation of software updates and security patches, as well as automatic data backups and upgrades to the hardware running the applications. Customers will also benefit from Verio's decade of experience and the company's time-tested hosting infrastructure.

In its move toward offering these business solutions, Verio joins the progression toward more manageable, cost-effective application solutions and management for small and midsize businesses. According to recent industry research by IDC, worldwide revenues associated with the software-on-demand delivery model are expected to reach $14.8 billion by 2011, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32 percent.*

"THINKstrategies has found that approximately three-quarters of organizations are either already using an on-demand software service or considering these new services," according to Jeffrey M. Kaplan, THINKstrategies' managing director and founder of the Software-as-a-Service Showplace, www.saas-showplace.com. "Our research has found that users of these services, especially small- and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), are very happy with their ease of use, pay-as-you-go fee structure and accelerated time to value."

Verio's new business solutions platform/services offer customers access to critical business applications, including:

Microsoft Exchange 2007. The industry-standard for email messaging and collaboration, Verio's business solutions Exchange offering can be rapidly deployed, easily administered, and provides companies with a choice in how they manage their messaging infrastructure.

McAfee Total Protection for Small Business. As a leader in delivering Security-as-a-Service, McAfee Total Protection provides integrated security for SMB desktops and file servers, including anti-virus, anti-spyware and a personal firewall. And as part of the solution, users will be able to access the McAfee SecurityCenter, a single, online management console for easy remote monitoring and security reporting.

SugarCRM Professional. As a leading open source customer relationship management (CRM) solution, SugarCRM's flexibility allows for easy customization, and is easily adaptable to a range of business models. The application delivers a feature-rich set of business processes that drive sales, enhance marketing effectiveness, improve customer satisfaction and provide executive insight into business performance.

PC Data Backup. Delivered in partnership with Iron Mountain, the global leader in information protection and storage services, PC Data Backup is an online backup solution that is ideal for small businesses that need to safeguard customer information and other critical data from losses due to hard disk drive failure, data corruption, viruses or accidental deletion. A simple interface enables users to backup one or more PC laptops and/or desktops automatically and securely to Iron Mountain's secure data centers.

Accrisoft Business Management and Productivity. These solutions include an online storefront application; customer billing and invoicing that includes Intuit QuickBooks Pro[TM] integration; email marketing and membership management.

Additionally, Verio's hardened infrastructure also enables Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and other businesses to host their SaaS applications in a secure environment. Verio's Virtual Private Server (VPS) also delivers a number of virtual applications, as well as the ability for customers, ISVs and SaaS providers to readily integrate their own applications and deploy them via the VPS, which delivers an ideal computing platform and fully managed solution.

"Businesses clearly have a need for easy to use, practical business solutions and reliable IT applications that they can launch quickly and which help them manage their data and operations more effectively," said Kiyoshi Maeda, president and chief executive officer for Verio. "This model means companies can now have a fully managed solution with predictive monthly costs, no upfront investment, and no need to worry about upgrades or updates. Verio has long provided the infrastructure to enable application delivery, and we can now offer customers the business solutions to deliver improved productivity and data management."