Toronto-based Netfirms Inc. has built its own clustering technology, which allows customers to manage Windows and Linux applications -- each running on separate server grids operated by Netfirms -- transparently through a single account, according to Thomas Savundra, president of Netfirms.

Netfirms said it is the first Web hosting company to let customers use both Windows and Linux applications and code through a single Web hosting account.

"We've traditionally been a Linux host, but a lot of developers were starting to feel enclosed," Savundra said. "They may want to run an application or develop functionality using Windows technology but not get a separate account or web site."

In particular, Savundra said there has been demand for ASP.Net 2.0, the update to Microsoft's Web application development platform that was released in November 2005, from Web developers who were formerly exclusively loyal to the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache Web server, MySQL database and PHP programming languages).

Many developers are motivated by their own clients, who may be primarily Windows shops, said Savundra, although some are developers who have started to run open-source applications on top of Windows.