Parallels expands SaaS options for SMEs

The beta of Panel 10 SMB Edition introduces the Parallels Partner Marketplace

Virtualisation firm Parallels is giving small and medium enterprises (SMEs) a helping hand with the launch of a public beta version of Parallels Panel 10 SMB Edition, which includes a new marketplace.

The application is designed to offer hosted control panel software to hosting and cloud services providers. This, in turn, allows them to provide a range of applications and services to SME customers.

The beta system introduces the Parallels Partner Marketplace, which allows hosts to offer a software-as-a-service (SaaS) delivery platform for access to a number of IT and business applications, such as e-commerce, customer relationship management, human resources, accounting, video conferencing, web content management and email.

Jack Zubarev, president of the service provider division at Parallels, said: "Parallels has been working with a number of best-of-breed independent software vendors (ISVs) over recent years to launch these offerings.

"We're bringing ISVs and hosters together and helping both become more profitable."

The marketplace works as a co-branded partnering with Parallels in a revenue-share model. As a result, hosters can instantly provide a full catalogue of SaaS applications to their customers while Parallels takes care of the set-up, provisioning, billing and management of the applications.

Similarly, ISVs only have to work with Parallels to have their products offered in the marketplace, but it is then pushed out to all participating hosters and their customers.

Small businesses will be able to access the marketplace from the same control panel they use to access the rest of the hosters' services, allowing them to self-serve hosted and desktop applications as well as manage users, websites, domains, email, applications and scripts.

Hosters wishing to try out the new platform can download the beta in a range of languages from the Parallels site.