Microsoft’s recently announced plans for Commerce Server will boost companies that have developed on the platform and were unsure about its future, according to experts.

Earlier this month, Microsoft announced its plans for the e-commerce software, saying that a new release, codenamed Commerce Server 7, is scheduled for mid-2010. In the Official Microsoft Weblog, Ryan Donovan said targets for Commerce Server 7 would include a refresh of core capabilities, called Commerce Foundation 3.0, with a .Net-compliant, “scrubbed and consistent” programming model.

Second, Microsoft will target the hot area of personalisation including “extending the entire shopping experience … to social networks … with things like content syndication, blogs, forums, and other means of collaboration”, Donovan added.

Also new will be extensive web services with support for mobility, marketplaces, kiosks and IPTV. All new features will be delivered in a package that offers a “plain and simple” upgrade for Commerce Server 2007 customers, Donovan said.

In the meantime, Microsoft plans to plug gaps in the second half of next year with “Accelerators”, that is, preconfigured software for Commerce Server 2007 to integrate with SharePoint, Dynamics and Live web-based services in Commerce Server 2007.

In an uncharacteristic move, Microsoft also said it will work with Canadian firm Cactus Commerce on co-developing capabilities for the software. The thinking behind the pact is that Cactus will be able to bring some real-world know-how to Commerce Server deployments based on its direct experience with customers.

The Cactus arrangement will help Commerce Server’s development, some watchers argued.

“Commerce Server 2007 was a big step forward and we’re doing a lot of big projects working very closely with Cactus,” said Richard Hall, chief technology officer at services firm Avanade. “People sometimes forget that one of the big strengths of Microsoft is that it’s a platform play. It’s like [enterprise applications line] Dynamics where Microsoft is building for specialised industries with partners to accelerate processes. We’re dealing with huge operations putting their brands online and they’re keen to have it yesterday.”

Mike Altendorf, managing director of services firm Conchango, said, “My view is that Microsoft is effectively outsourcing the product development to Cactus. Cactus’s experience is huge and Commerce Server was just a small team in a huge army in Redmond.”

Altendorf said that he was “disappointed” that the Commerce Server 7 release is so far out. Others noted that Microsoft is likely to have timed its arrival to coincide with the next wave of Windows and related technologies.