Company executives have said some HailStorm services may be sold through phone companies. They could bundle some HailStorm services with calling plans and give Microsoft a cut of the monthly fees. Under the deal announced yesterday, Qwest will handle billing for Microsoft Internet services offered through the partnership. Those deals are being worked out. They jointly developed high-speed Internet services for business customers based on Microsoft software.
Consumers are the focus of the alliance announced yesterday.
Microsoft is taking advantage of an AOL weakness by aligning itself with DSL providers such as Qwest, said Rob Enderle, a San Jose, Calif.-based analyst with Giga Information Group . Because AOL merged with Time Warner, a major cable-system operator, DSL providers regard AOL as a competitor, and are inclined to partner with Microsoft, he said. Bob Martin, a telecommunications analyst with the research company Gartner in Raleigh, N.C., questions whether DSL service will be the primary route for Internet users in the future. He expects most will use television cables or fiber-optic lines. Boaters World Boating supplies at the right price.