Microsoft Corp has set up a support program for Internet Service Providers, using a classic carrot and stick approach to get them to sign up. The carrot is a listing on the Microsoft Hosting Service referral Web site, the site Redmond set up to automatically guide new users to ISPs in their local area. The stick is the requirement that any ISP in the Internet Service Provider Program who offers web hosting has to use NT Server 4.0 and Internet Information Server as well as support the FrontPage server extensions. Participating ISPs also have to agree to distribute Internet Explorer. Microsoft says that it will give them a royalty-free license to the browser as well as to the Explorer Administration Kit.
