Loudcloud, the web-hosting firm set up by Netscape founder Marc Andreessen, yesterday announced partnership agreements with Accenture, formerly Andersen Consulting, and iFormation in an effort to expand into the corporate marketplace.

The company, which made its debut on the US stockmarket early last month, will be able to provide internet infrastructure to Accenture clients.

Its internet outsourcing service will also be available to iFormation - a joint venture of Boston Consulting, Goldman Sachs and General Atlantic Partners - and its partner companies.

"They are offering our services to their customers," said Ben Horowitz, chief executive officer and co-founder of Loudcloud.

Mr Horowitz would not comment on the financial details other than to say: "Money is changing hands.

"These deals enable us to go into the corporate market place which expands our potential customer audience ten-fold. We are aggressively moving into this market."

Loudcloud, which is based in Silicon Valley and aims to be a one-stop shop for internet infrastructure, recently raised $150m for research and development and sales and marketing through its flotation. The IPO was initially priced at between $160m and $180m.

The loss-making company, which aims to be profitable in 2003, announced in February it had been chosen by the Post Office to run its internet operation. The firm, which has more than 40 customers, provides the internet infrastructure used by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.

The company also launched yesterday its Opsware 2i technology, which allows customers to use Loudcloud products within their own data centres, and its Smart Cloud integration service.

Loudcloud was co-founded by Mr Andreessen in 1999. He led the dot.com boom when he earned £120m from the initial public offering of Netscape, the web browser business. Netscape was bought by America Online in 1998.