Sphera Corporation,, the leading developer of hosting automation and management software, today announced the availability of HostingDirector 3.25, the enhanced version of its flagship product for Microsoft Windows 2000 platform. Built with the Microsoft Technology Center and leveraging Microsoft expertise and system architecture, HostingDirector 3.25 offers Web hosting providers an ideal platform that enables an unparalleled, centralized and seamless integration between Web hosting functionality and Microsoft technology.

"As opposed to other limited solutions available in the market, HostingDirector's Windows 2000 edition utilizes pure Windows 2000 extensible architecture and features, including Active Directory, COM+, and MTS," said Asher Shiratzky, Sphera CTO. "Instead of creating another mix and match UNIX and Windows solution, we took full advantage of Microsoft Windows 2000 architecture and technologies, achieving best performance, seamless integration and ease-of-use in a solution that can be plugged into a heterogeneous Web hosting environment."

"With Microsoft's increased focus on the Internet as a distribution medium, Web hosting providers have become an important customer base for us," said Brian Boruff, General Manager for the "Network Service Providers" business division at Microsoft EMEA. "We recognize the need for a Web hosting automation solution and we're very pleased to work with Sphera because of the superiority of HostingDirector."

"HostingDirector for Windows is easy to deploy and gives our Windows customers complete, open and user-friendly Web hosting automation and management functionality," said Fernando Gonzalez Barsh, Technical Director at Interdominios, Spain's fourth ranked ISP. "Now, thanks to Sphera, the growing segment of Web sites utilizing the Windows platform can take advantage of the same interoperable functionality that only Unix customers could previously enjoy."

HostingDirector's Windows 2000 edition includes features and functionality based on continuous customer feedback. It enables full integration with Microsoft's well-known applications and technologies, including IIS, SQL Server, Active Directory, DNS and others, and with 3rd party Web applications built for the Windows 2000 platform. HostingDirector for Windows 2000 delivers an out of the box, end-to-end hosting automation platform to Web hosting providers, cutting IT costs and improving customer satisfaction.

HostingDirector, the leading Web hosting automation and management solution, enables Web hosting providers to cut costs and resources through an intuitive user interface which lets them offer more, richer services in less time. And Web site owners can self-provision new accounts and applications/services-known as ValueApps-which represent an additional source of revenue for Web hosting providers. In addition, Web site owners can configure security controls, create new Email/FTP users, provision their HTTP and FTP services and modify their own DNS records-using an advanced point and click interface.

"Hosting providers have realized dramatic cost savings by using HostingDirector, savings that could increase annual pre-tax income by up to 80% and result in a return on investment in multiples of 100 percent," said Tamar Naor, CEO of Sphera Corporation. "We're delighted that our development efforts with Microsoft's help will allow Windows users to reap these benefits."