Fortisphere announced that it has been selected to join the Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program. As a member of the program, Fortisphere will receive customized Microsoft support for its software development initiatives and increased access to internal Microsoft resources, ensuring that its policy-based virtualization management solutions are compatible with Microsoft virtualization platforms—including the upcoming release of Hyper-V.

Stewarded by the Emerging Business Team (EBT) at Microsoft, the Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program is designed to connect high-potential startups committed to the Microsoft platform to an extensive support network that provides access to Microsoft people and programs, guidance on future directions and support to accelerate their success. Fortisphere has also been named a Microsoft Certified Partner, which will enable the company to help Microsoft virtualization customers more efficiently manage their virtual infrastructures.

“Every year, we select an elite number of startup companies that have the potential to impact their market and add value to Microsoft solutions,” said Yi Jian Ngo, portfolio manager, Emerging Business Team, Microsoft. “With its innovative technology for securely tracking and managing VMs as they move across the enterprise, Fortisphere is a welcome addition to the Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program. As more organizations build virtual infrastructures on Microsoft virtualization technology, Fortisphere can help ensure that these environments are running efficiently and securely.”

Virtual Essentials is a suite of policy-based virtualization management solutions providing a new level of visibility, control and automation around the inventory, configuration and policy-based management of virtual machines. The Virtual Essentials suite currently consists of two products:

Virtual Insight : An operational management product that enables enterprises to automate the process of identifying, tagging, tracking and reporting on all virtual machines as they move throughout preproduction and production environments

Virtual Foresight: A policy-based virtualization management product that delivers out-of-the box best-practices for enforcing operational and IT security policies.

“Membership in the Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program will deepen our relationship with Microsoft and provide us with more access to its virtualization technology,” said Michael Harper, president and CEO, Fortisphere. “Organizations are deploying heterogeneous virtual infrastructures to take full advantage of the cost-saving benefits of virtualization. Fortisphere provides the tools required to more efficiently manage heterogeneous virtual environments and ensure smart virtualization growth.”

Microsoft is committed to serving as a valuable technology and business partner for emerging startups and their investors. Companies are selected to join the Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program based on their innovation, marketability, growth potential, funding, platform decision and strategic importance to Microsoft. These companies receive customized engagement plans designed to support their software development and increase market visibility. The program is now open to interested startups, which can apply via a profiling process outlined at the Microsoft Startup Zone at www.MicrosoftStartupZone.com.

The Microsoft EBT evaluates hundreds of technology startups each year to identify those with the strongest potential to succeed in the market, shape the industry’s future and enhance the overall value of Microsoft products and services for customers. The Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program shines the spotlight on some of the most promising startups and provides good examples of how startups can work successfully with Microsoft.