Specifically, FastCGI eliminates the need for the Web server to start a new PHP engine to serve each request to the Web server. "This new technology is going to reuse those [existing] PHP processes multiple times so that we don't have to pay that overhead of re-spawning PHP on each request," Gutmans said.

FastCGI, which is already completed, will be demonstrated on Tuesday and a technology preview will be available as well.

The Microsoft-Zend collaboration will open doors for more people to consider running PHP on Windows in production applications, said RedMonk analyst Michael Cote. "It looks like they're just taking care of some of the architectural things," he said.

Microsoft, Cote said, realizes that people want to run dynamic languages on Windows.

Other facets of the collaboration involve technical improvements for PHP on Windows Server, which will be submitted under a PHP license to the PHP community for feedback. Zend will establish a Windows testing lab to maintain high performance of PHP on Windows Server.