SoftLayer Technologies on Thursday announced that the company is making the Microsoft WebMatrix development platform available to Microsoft Windows Server 2008 users. WebMatrix is an all-inclusive, free tool that includes everything developers need to create, customize, and publish websites.

"Microsoft WebMatrix provides SoftLayer customers an easy-to-use, all-in-one solution for Web development," noted Andrew Maten, Vice President of IS Windows Systems for SoftLayer, at the announcement. "The WebMatrix platform was designed to streamline Web development environments-simply and easily integrating a suite of development applications."

Key features and advantages include:

• Create, customize, and publish websites and applications
• Build easily with apps like WordPress, Joomla!, Drupal, Umbraco, and more
• Deploy ASP.NET and PHP apps on the same server
• Support MySQL and Microsoft SQL databases
• Increase visibility with search engine optimization tools and reports
• Get online with one-click website and database publishing

WebMatrix can be easily added to any new SoftLayer Dedicated Server running Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 when ordering through the company's website or Customer Portal. Users simply select Microsoft Windows Server as the operating system and add WebMatrix as an OS-Specific Add-on at the time of ordering. After the server is provisioned, the WebMatrix installation package can be downloaded through a link in the Customer Portal.

For a limited time, SoftLayer is offering a special introductory promotion for WebMatrix customers. The first 1,000 new dedicated servers or CloudLayer instances ordered with any version of Microsoft Windows Server R2 + WebMatrix installed will receive a combined credit of $40 per month for the first six months.