Microsoft is asking customers to do their part to improve its software. The company is seeking to reward volunteers who tested out the Web-based Microsoft Reliability Service (MRS).

Through this service, network administrators can monitor the uptime and availability of their servers, as well as better identify the causes of unplanned downtime.

According to a statement sent out to Redmond's stable of beta testers, "MRS works by collecting and analyzing data from the event logs of customers' servers, and then generating reports that can be studied and used to optimize server availability and reliability."

The service then phones home, providing Microsoft with the ability to "analyze root causes of issues that affect availability and reliability, leading to improvements in its products and services," said the invitation.

Through shared access of this information, Microsoft can then provide customers "best practice scenarios" through what it deems "a deeper and broader understanding of the customer's environment."

Beta participants who used the MRS release candidate can log into BetaPlace and fill out a brief survey that will make them eligible for a free gift of either Office XP Professional or Windows XP Professional.