Today Microsoft announced that a number of companies would begin selling its online hosted program Business Productivity Online Suite which includes items like Exchange and SharePoint.

The company released the suite last November and has now tapped EDS, Accenture as well as other companies to help sell the product.

Dutch firm Wortell is one of the partners in the Microsoft Partner Program for Microsoft Online Services and company chief technology officer Danny Burlage told Cnet that it allows companies without a lot of money to invest in infrastructure to remain competitive.

"For us, (it) means that we don”t have to worry about infrastructure," he told the website. "It allows us to focus on what”s really important."

Microsoft believes the agreements to sell the product will generate $3 billion over the next five years.

Microsoft says there are currently more than 4,000 partners in its program and says that Accenture and Avande will focus their attention on companies with more than 5,000 employees.