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Cloud Hosting, Data Centres, Dedicated Servers

Rackspace Hosting Updates Rackspace Hybrid Email for 1.7 Million Users

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Rackspace Hosting (NYSE: RAX), the world leader in the hosting and cloud computing industry, has enhanced its popular Rackspace Hybrid Email offering – a custom mix of Hosted Microsoft Exchange and the business-focused Rackspace Email platform on a single domain. Rackspace Hybrid Email now features easy calendar viewing between Hosted Microsoft Exchange and Rackspace Email, as well as a faster webmail design for Rackspace Email to make businesses using Rackspace Hybrid Email even more productive.

Rackspace Hosting Updates Rackspace Hybrid Email for 1.7 Million Users

“We’ve learned from our customers that, on average, only a small percentage of employees really need and use the advanced features of Microsoft Exchange, yet many businesses are paying a lot more to run Exchange for every single user,” said Kirk Averett, director of product for cloud applications at Rackspace. “With Rackspace Hybrid Email, companies can purchase a combination of Exchange and low cost Rackspace Email accounts on a single domain, without sacrificing features for any employee. Most businesses can realise a significant cost savings by utilising this model because they have different types of email users.”

Rackspace Hybrid Email has been a key attraction for Rackspace solution partners and resellers because it provides another unique selling point, in addition to Rackspace’s Fanatical Support. Businesses can reduce total costs by substituting even one Exchange user with Rackspace Email. For example, using an average 80/20 ratio of Rackspace Email to Hosted Exchange, businesses can save more than 60 percent on email with Rackspace Hybrid Email compared to Hosted Exchange alone, and significantly more than hosting their own email in-house.

Via EPR Network
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B2b, B2C, Cloud Hosting, Hosting, Internet, Secure Hosting

Businesses Would Love To Never Have To Buy Another Server Again

Rackspace Hosting, the world’s leader in hosting and cloud computing, has announced the results of its latest survey, which highlights the growing problem of businesses struggling to cope with the demands of managing their own servers. More than half of the businesses surveyed responded that they would ‘love to never have to buy another server again.’

Rackspace’s online survey research was conducted in September 2009 and involved 441 US and UK-based IT decision-makers at companies with 100-500 employees

The research underscores Rackspace’s recent launch of No More Servers, a campaign and community dedicated to a new way of buying IT which includes managed hosting, cloud computing and email hosting. The new service has been created to help free businesses from the hassle of in-house server management and to enable them to instead shift their focus onto mission critical applications, core competencies and innovation. Rackspace is augmenting this initiative with Rackspace.co.uk/NoMoreServers, a location for companies to learn the benefits of hosting services.

The study, conducted by LoudHouse on behalf of Rackspace, investigated the views of more than 441 IT managers at mid-size enterprises and revealed that approximately one third of their IT staff’s time is spent on server management, which is liable to limit their ability to focus on strategic initiatives that could benefit the business. Fifty eight percent of respondents cited the ‘hassle of managing servers’ as a challenge for their organization, while 61% of IT managers said ‘time to drive innovation’ was a challenge.

Additionally, on-site servers were seen to also cause ‘server stress’ for IT managers, who cited ‘the need to be available 24×7’, ‘hardware issues and maintenance’, and ‘after-hours calls and issues’ as the top three server management issues. The survey also found that 51% of respondents have made mistakes in their server capacity planning. Fifteen percent have bought too many servers and 36% have failed to buy enough. This leaves businesses exposed to the risks of financial waste and the inability to cope with user demand by not getting server spending right the first time.

The survey also revealed that 35% of companies identify themselves as ‘proactive and slightly ahead of the curve’ when it comes to describing their approach to new technologies, while 28% remain ‘cautious and reactive.’ When it comes to hosting and cloud computing, barriers to adoption include assurances of reliability (29%), evidence of cost savings (28%) and assurances of security (27%).

“IT should be an enabler,” said Lanham Napier, president and chief executive officer of Rackspace Hosting. “The survey seems to reveal that a huge chunk of time and resources are spent keeping the lights on and preventing problems. Rackspace, with its world class Fanatical Support, can free organizations from the hassle of server management and enable their IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives that will positively impact the business.”

Via EPR Network
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B2b, Dedicated Servers, Domain Names, E-mail, Hosting, Internet, Secure Hosting, Services

Report Says Small Firms Floored By Basic Web Errors

Streamline.net web hosting research finds the majority of consumers using SME websites in the past year experienced usability faults.

The Streamline.net study of 1700 consumers found that 83% faced faults including unfinished web pages, broken URLs and an out-dated design. A further survey of 450 UK firms revealed that whilst half consider their website to look ‘professional’, 1 in 3 owners admit that they are guilty of ‘neglecting’ their sites. There is also a worrying discrepancy between where consumers wish to find web addresses, and where companies are displaying them. For example, 48% of firms still do not make any efforts to optimise their URL on search engines. Whilst 1 in 5 consumers took a web address from the side of a small company’s vehicle, only 10% of small firms currently display theirs in this way.

The data from Streamline.net showed that many SMEs are alienating web users through simple web errors. 76% of consumers have now used the website of a small business. Whilst 47% of consumers consider their experiences of such sites to be overall ‘good’, a further 1 in 4 Britons conclude such websites to be ‘barely usable’. In the past year, 83% of online consumers found faults on more than one occasion. Web errors reported included unfinished web pages (54%), broken URLs (52%), outdated email addresses (50%), and missing contact details (31%).

Top design gripe with SME websites is an outdated website design, faced by one third of users in the past year. 1 in 5 online consumers have encountered superfluous descriptions of products and services. 20% have been confused by the use of generic corporate images that bear no relation to specific company’s.

The findings are in contrast to another survey of 450 small firms where 76% felt confident that the language on their website could in no way be perceived negatively, and 84% saw the images on their website as fit for purpose.

Steve Holford, Marketing Director at Streamline.net, said, “As with many areas of business, if the basics of a website are not sound, customers will be deterred from purchasing”.

Almost half of companies (48%) made no attempt at optimise their position on search engines, when 77% of consumers call upon these. Many enterprises are prioritising the display of their URL in places unpopular with online consumers. 43% of companies publish their web address on industry websites whilst only 15% of consumers use this source. Remarkably, only 9% display their web address on signage or windows of their premises, when 1 in 5 Britons have made use of a domain name taken from here in the past year.

Holford added, “Every opportunity to capture online custom must be seized upon, which means promoting a web address in every possible environment – online and off-line”.

Streamline.net provides a comprehensive range of domain registrations. Users can even try free web hosting for 3 months with Streamline.net.

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B2b, Dedicated Servers, Domain Names, E-mail, Hosting, Internet, Secure Hosting, Services

Fasthosts and Microsoft launch WebsiteSpark

Fasthosts Internet Ltd, a leading web hosting provider, has announced its work with Microsoft to promote the new Microsoft WebsiteSpark program for web professionals. The initiative assists smaller web design and development companies in launching or growing their business by providing better access to the Microsoft web platform. The scheme delivers free Microsoft Server OS, free licenses for Microsoft Expression and Visual Studio software, as well as training and access to MSDN newsgroups.

Eligible Fasthosts customers can save over £240 a year in server licensing costs as well as valuable software licences direct from Microsoft. The scheme is an example of how businesses can gain significantly from discussing their technical requirements and business needs with Fasthosts. Fasthosts has been selected by Microsoft to promote the program benefits and guide eligible Windows Server customers through enrolment.

The Microsoft WebsiteSpark program offers new support for web design and development agencies with up to 10 employees. Eligible Fasthosts customers gain an immediate financial benefit – saving £240 per year with a free Windows Server license and saving even more with a free MSSQL license. Upon enrolment, members gain access to free Windows Expression Studio 2 (1 user license), Expression Web 2 (2 user licenses), Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition (3 user licenses) and DotNetPanel control panel.

A great number of professionals and enterprises can achieve cost savings by discussing their server and software needs with a long-standing expert like Fasthosts. The company’s advisers are trained to identify and leverage the efficiencies that hosted technologies can deliver. By working-through requirements with Fasthosts, synergies between software and hardware can often be identified.

Steve Holford, CMO Fasthosts Internet Ltd., said: “WebsiteSpark is an excellent opportunity for smaller web agencies. It delivers exactly what they need most – free tools and practical help. As hosting partner to thousands of web pros, Fasthosts is well qualified to advise participants on how to apply Windows hardware and development tools to best effect.”

Simon Pryce, Director of Skylight Media, is a Fasthosts customer who enrolled in the WebsiteSpark program to help boost the web design side of the business. Pryce commented: “We had discovered WebsiteSpark through our business network, and our successful enrolment in the scheme led to us setting up additional dedicated servers with Fasthosts at the same time. The WebsiteSpark scheme is an ideal way for us to update our use of Windows Server technology, enabling us to save a significant sum of money on license fees. We were also delighted to find during our consultation with the ever-reliable Fasthosts, that these new server resources will save us money too, so we’re very pleased all round.”

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B2b, B2C, Cloud Hosting, Hosting, Internet, Secure Hosting

NoMoreServers.com, a site dedicated to the emergence of Computing-as-a-Service models

Rackspace Hosting (NYSE:RAX) has announced the launch of NoMoreServers.com, a site dedicated to the emergence of Computing-as-a-Service models (like hosting, cloud computing and SaaS) to power corporate computing.

To support this campaign, the hosting company has hired renowned hosting industry strategist Andrew Schroepfer. In his role, Schroepfer will cover the trend in depth from how providers are evolving to how real businesses are making this trend pay off.

“A new way to run business computing is emerging,” said Lanham Napier, president and CEO of Rackspace. “We have countless business customers tell us they are finished buying servers and are looking for a computing partner. People don’t want to buy standalone computing, they want computing as a service with Fanatical Support. This trend will have major implications on the entire IT industry, and there is no one more qualified to cover it day-to-day than Andy.”

NoMoreServers.com will feature daily and unique commentary explaining the next era in computing. In addition to filtering and reviewing interesting developments and third-party content about the NoMoreServers computing era, the site will feature daily commentary and a live community portal for visitors to engage on the topic and offers a white paper on the subject for community members.

Schroepfer has been a key analyst in the hosting industry since its inception in the late 1990s. From his beginnings at Piper Jaffray where he developed and managed the VoIP (Voice-over-Internet-Protocol) industry’s primary market statistics, Schroepfer published a 270-page report on the dis-aggregation of communications which sparked his coverage of the Web hosting industry. He then joined Goldman Sachs as VP and senior equity analyst on the Internet Infrastructure Services industry during the time when Equinix, Loudcloud (now HP), and Webex (now Cisco) were executing their IPOs (Initial Public Offerings). In late 2000, Schroepfer founded, led, and later sold Tier1 Research, the leading specialist research firm on the hosting and data centre industry whose insights and data remain highly relevant.

“Having covered the hosting industry since its inception, and having strongly recommended Rackspace since 2001, I am excited to now become a Racker,” said Andy Schroepfer. “I have always said Rackspace will be more than just a leader in hosting, and I am honoured to join the 2,700-strong Fanatical Support team tasked with sustaining and evolving our leadership role as the IT value chain is recast.”

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Report Says That Firms Are Not Measuring If Their Website Is Working

Fasthosts, a leading web hosting provider and domain name registrar, reports that 43 per cent of UK companies admit that they have no quantifiable method of measuring whether their website is effective, according to recently released research released.

The study of 430 UK firms (431 UK businesses with a website surveyed via electronic feedback form) by Fasthosts found that whilst the average business has published a website for 3-4 years, a huge number of businesses have no numerical grasp on how well their website is performing, or whether it is leading to sales. One in four owners do not believe their website has potential as a sales channel. A remarkable 77 per cent of firms fail to measure any type of ‘return on investment’ for their websites, and 1 in 3 owners (34 per cent) admit that they have never considered checking the popularity or effectiveness of their website. The research suggests that many companies are failing to analyse and optimise online as diligently as they do other areas of their operation.

Whilst studies show that the majority of business owners today realise the importance of having a presence on the Internet, it appears that a great many do no more than publish their website. Fasthosts’ survey of 430 small local businesses using a website, found that over 40 per cent currently do not use data (such as a graphical web statistics tool to assess whether their website is working to support their business goals. During the first half of 2009, the vast majority of SMEs (83 per cent) have not analysed their websites performance against their business plan.

Despite half of businesses feeling happy with their websites and 43 per cent viewing these as integral to their marketing efforts, it would appear that a great many firms simply do not know whether their website is making the right impact. Only 57 per cent of firms do monitor their website performance by checking an overall traffic volume statistic for their homepage. However, only 40 per cent currently analyse where their website visitors are being referred from, an essential element of effective online marketing. Furthermore, only 33 per cent of owners who do measure their website look at the click-through rates to individual sections of the site.

It is perhaps unsurprising over three quarters of businesses questioned (77 per cent) make no assessment of ‘return on investment’ for their websites. Only 11 per cent of those surveyed, judged the effectiveness of their website in terms of ‘clicks vs. sales’ or ‘web cost per order’. Worryingly, the research would suggest that for a significant number of companies, expectations for their website are rather low. 1 in 4 owners (23 per cent) still do not believe their website has potential to be a sales channel.

However, nowadays easy-to-use tools are available for any business owner to evaluate the effectiveness of their website themselves. For example, Fasthosts provides its hosting customers with a free MatrixStats tool, a graphical web statistics tool that provides an instant snapshot of how well websites and domains are performing.

Steve Holford, CMO Fasthosts Internet Ltd., said: “By taking note of their website statistics and making necessary changes, many companies we work with enjoy a real fiscal impact.”

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Advertising, B2C, Cloud Hosting, Hosting, Internet, Secure Hosting, Video

Rackspace Hosting Announced That Leading Viral Video Advertising Agency, Keta Keta, Will Be Hosting Its Video Portfolio In The Rackspace Cloud

Rackspace Hosting (NYSE:RAX), the world’s leader in hosting and cloud computing, has announced that leading viral video advertising agency, Keta Keta, will be hosting its video portfolio and movie previews in the Rackspace Cloud.

Ronen Lefler, CEO, Keta Keta said: “Effectively showcasing our viral videos has become a real challenge as the amount of content that we have to stream has grown. Moving to the Rackspace Cloud has enabled us to showcase videos to a global audience without interruption. We chose Rackspace due to its focus on customer service and support, as well as the flexibility and efficiency of The Rackspace Cloud Files solution.”

As the viral video market continues to explode, with traffic increasing 178% over the last 12 months (Source: Econsultancy’s 2009 Internet Statistics report), Keta Keta needed to maximize opportunities across consumer brands by promoting its videos to a global audience. It launched a new corporate website in March 2009 to support this need and turned to Rackspace Hosting to provide a reliable and cost-effective hosting solution to stream multiple movies to over 100 different countries.

Brian Thomson, EMEA Managing Director at Rackspace Hosting said: “Hosting business critical applications in the cloud is something we do on a regular basis and we are delighted that Keta Keta has chosen us to support its corporate awareness drive. We understand the demands placed on websites by streaming rich media content and believe the cloud’s flexible, pay-as-you go structure makes it an ideal choice to meet these new media needs.”

Keta Keta, the viral video partner of ad:tech 2009, is an advertising agency with in-house creative, production, seeding and tracking departments. It has launched hundreds of successful viral video campaigns that have entertained and engaged people around the world for customers including LG, Fiat, MSN, L’Oreal and Orange.

About Rackspace
Rackspace’s portfolio of hosted services includes hosted exchange, managed hosting, dedicated servers, cloud hosting, virtualisation and managed exchange.

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Fasthosts Internet Announced That An API Is Now Available To Their Resellers Free Of Charge

Fasthosts Internet, a leading reseller web hosting provider, has announced that an API (Application Protocol Interface) is now available to their resellers free of charge through their control panel. Allowing for automation and enhanced control, this complimentary tool gives Fasthosts’ resellers easier management of their reseller business and customer base.

Fasthosts’ API is a flexible and powerful resource that can be seamlessly incorporated into resellers’ websites. Fasthosts partners can customize the interface to perform tasks that are best suited to their needs. Most importantly, its automated performance leaves business leaders with more time and energy to put towards things like marketing and sales.

For Fasthosts, this is an important step in boosting the company’s appeal within such a competitive market. Stephen Holford, Chief Marketing Officer for Fasthosts, highlighted that the company is committed to providing a world class service for its resellers and believes this API will be an extremely valuable reseller tool to Fasthosts partners.

The API allows resellers to automate new customer signups, create admin tools for end-customers, and process customer orders automatically. Resellers using the API can have their customers set up hosting directly from their website and secure domain names in real-time. What’s more is the potential for resellers to increase their profit margins – this API is an efficient mechanism for running a smooth and profitable business operation.

Fasthosts is automatically including the API into its reseller control panels. It is accessible using any server side language, and provides full documentation and examples for all API functions. Resellers are also given test scripts as another way to customize the API for their business needs.

About Fasthosts
Fasthosts is the UK’s leading web hosting company. Based in the UK and operating 24×7 from its dedicated UK data centres, Fasthosts keeps over 1 million domains running smoothly and ensures over 6 million emails are delivered safely each day.

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Report Says Non-Profit Websites Grow Amidst UK Recession

Fasthosts Internet Ltd, a leading web hosting provider and domain name registrar, today reported a marked increase in the number of .ORG domains registered by non-profit organisations during the past year. The domain suffix has out-grown in percentage terms many other non business top-level domain suffixes, indicating an increase in the number of non-profit and charitable projects being launched in the first half of 2009. The unique growth lends weight to the theory that many such organisations have initiated or grown web-based projects in response to the global recession.

The .ORG domain name is the domain of choice for organisations dedicated to serving the public interest. Data from Fasthosts, one of the UK’s largest domain name registrars, shows that .ORG registrations made by its customers grew by 27% compared to the same period in 2008. The domain has seen the highest demand over all other non-business domains. Whilst domain success can often be skewed by short-term price promotions, the growth of .ORG comprises like for like growth over the 12 month period.

As many UK charities have reported falls in donation income since the economy slowed down, such growth in .ORG domain registrations may suggest that non-profit bodies have stepped up investment in the internet. Web solutions now offer such groups extremely cost effective and scalable channels for gathering support and participation for causes, and taking donations directly from a website.

Steve Holford, CMO Fasthosts Internet Ltd, said: “It is pleasing to note the growth of the .ORG community and witness the remarkable difference that the web can deliver to non-profit organisations. In challenging economic times, such groups are wise to leverage the efficiencies and visibility that online projects can offer.”

Holford added: “Just as the recession has led UK businesses to step up ecommerce efforts, the Internet is the right logical step for non-profit groups to broaden their reach and safeguard their revenues.”

iT4Communities, a Fasthosts customer, is a charity that runs a large UK-wide network of IT volunteers who support hundreds of charity IT projects a year. They have seen a steady increase in requests for volunteer help with websites for small charities year on year. It remains the largest area of request for help as charities strive for a good website that helps them reduce costs and attract more support.

Anne Stafford, Programme Manager for iT4Communities, said: “Charities are relishing the benefits of websites with a CMS, making it cost effective to update their information and easier for volunteers to help as building a good site can take much less time”.

Fasthosts is a leading provider for shared and dedicated web hosting and business-class email solutions, and is the UK market leader for reseller web hosting.

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Study Shows That 53 Per Cent Of US Business Owners Seek More Involvement In The Purchasing Of Their IT Services, Such As Hosting, Than Ever Before

Fasthosts Internet Ltd, a leading web hosting provider, has released a study showing that 53 per cent of US business owners seek more involvement in the purchasing of their IT services, such as hosting, than ever before.

Study Shows That 53 Per Cent Of US Business Owners Seek More Involvement In The Purchasing Of Their IT Services, Such As Hosting, Than Ever Before

The survey of 132 US business* owners found that in the past year, over half (53 per cent) have purposefully sought a greater understanding of the IT services they use as a direct result of economic pressures, and intend to be more involved in selecting their IT service providers going forward.

F r o m those businesses that use dedicated hosting services, 1 in 4 owners wish to renegotiate associated costs this year. As businesses worldwide scrutinize IT costs, Fasthosts is encouraging UK companies to review their hosting costs and seek out the best possible technology for their money. Fasthosts is also helping UK businesses to lower their server costs by reducing its dedicated server prices with discounts of up to £480 per annum for the life of the contract.

Steve Holford, CMO Fasthosts commented, “Every business owner understands the importance of procurement. One should review their web solutions periodically, and push through necessary changes. In a challenging operating environment, it is imperative that every business gets what it pays for and pays only for what it needs”.

Fasthosts dedicated server solutions have been tailored to support business needs with high-speed performance and connectivity, no bandwidth charges and 24/7 UK-based support. All dedicated servers are housed within a state-of-the-art data centre in Gloucester and designed to provide demanding users with high specifications and excellent service levels. Business owners can contact advisors at Fasthosts to discuss their requirements and potential cost savings for their business.

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Survey Shows Fear Outweighs Cost Concerns With Business IT Needs

A new survey by IT specialists Fasthosts Internet has revealed that companies are being forced to re-evaluate their IT systems and question what they really need due to the unsettled economy. In these difficult times, one-third said they still hesitate to consider a replacement server even if it is necessary. At the same time, 53% of business owners are becoming more involved in decisions relating to their IT needs in light of the challenging economy.

Survey Shows Fear Outweighs Cost Concerns With Business IT Needs

When times get tough, a company’s budget spending strategy can seriously affect the quality and quantity of the company’s technology resources. The Fasthosts survey showed 29% of respondents have reviewed their budget for servers in the past six months. Nearly twice that number (54%) has analysed their finances during the last 12 months.

For many people the fear of what might happen when they replace their server looms over their decision. One in three survey participants (33%) said they would be fearful of switching to a new provider because of a potential disruption to their service. Perhaps bound by this fear, 22% have not updated or changed their server solution in at least three years even though at least 25% said they want to lower their external server costs.

Stephen Holford, chief marketing officer of Fasthosts Internet, says the company understands where its customers’ fears lay and hope they are able to clear up questions about servers.

He said: “Fasthosts products are offered by the leading provider for reseller web hosting in the UK, and one that is making a strong mark in the US. We try to emphasize that a background in IT isn’t necessary to use and profit from our servers and reseller solutions so that smaller businesses can better understand their IT needs. If given a closer look, they will see the top-of-the-line solutions that Fasthosts offers at very competitive prices.”

Getting the most value for their money is a concern many have when deciding how much should be spent on their IT provider, especially regarding servers. Almost half (45%) of survey participants said they felt overcharged for costs including monitoring fees, server management, additional memory and IP addresses, back-up space, consultancy fees and server traffic. One third of the respondents, however, pay more than just their provider to upkeep their server.

Holford added: “Balancing a budget is difficult, especially when there is uncertainty concerning necessary versus peripheral costs. IT solutions, like servers and online services, are important to any company. It seems that people must realize that there are providers out there like Fasthosts that can alleviate concerns by offering solutions that exhibit both quality and value for a reasonable cost.”

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B2C, Cloud Hosting, Hosting, Internet, Secure Hosting

Rackspace Announced Its New Private Cloud Offering, Which Allows Customers To Run The Centrally Managed VMware Virtualisation Platform On Private Dedicated Hardware Environments

Rackspace Hosting (NYSE: RAX), the world’s leader in hosting, has announced its new Private Cloud offering, which allows customers to run the centrally managed VMware virtualisation platform on private dedicated hardware environments.

Private Cloud Offering

Rackspace recognises the demand from enterprises for a more flexible and scalable hosting solution. Although multi-tenant cloud solutions are very flexible and cost-effective, they are not always right for every segment. The Rackspace Private Cloud’s single-tenant architecture offers increased control and security, while still maintaining the scalability, flexibility and resource optimisation that make shared cloud offerings so compelling.

“Rackspace provides an excellent option for customers to take advantage of the cloud,” said Dan Chu, vice president, emerging products and markets, VMware. “Enterprises who purchase the Rackspace Private Cloud can count on the powerful combination of VMware’s industry-leading virtualisation platform and Rackspace’s reliable hosting environment and infrastructure.”

Rackspace Private Cloud is an evolution of its popular dedicated virtual server (DVS) offering within the managed hosting business unit. In the last year, revenue from virtualisation solutions has grown substantially, driven mainly by the increased flexibility, improved asset utilisation and lower capital and operating costs that VMware’s virtualisation provides.

“Rackspace is implementing a true hybrid hosting vision that allows customers to create a blend of the right hosting solutions – from a dedicated server, to multi-tenant cloud to specialised application hosting such as hosted exchange – each backed by our industry leading support. The Rackspace Private Cloud is one piece of the entire hybrid vision”, said John Engates, Rackspace CTO. “Computing is changing at a rapid pace, and customers require that we stay ahead of the curve to continue providing best-in-class offers. We view the Rackspace Private Cloud as having a large impact for our enterprise customers who need the flexibility, scalability, and reliability provided by VMware’s virtualisation, paired with the control and security of a dedicated environment. It is the best of both worlds for those enterprises looking to explore the benefits of external cloud solutions, without as much risk.”

About Rackspace Hosting:
As the world’s leader and specialist in hosting, Rackspace Hosting is changing the way businesses worldwide buy IT. Rackspace delivers computing-as-a-service, integrating the industry’s best technologies into a flexible service offering, making computing more reliable and affordable.

A trusted partner to companies of all sizes, Rackspace enables IT departments to be more effective. Rackspace is distinguished by its award-winning Fanatical Support, furthering the company’s mission to be one of the world’s greatest service companies. Rackspace featured in the top 30 of both the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies To Work For list and the Financial Times Great Place to Work Awards, 2008.

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Virtual Private Server / VPS Hosting By AvaHost

AvaHost has just launched VPS hosting, virtual private servers which offer a fantastic alternative to shared hosting, with pricing as low as 14.95 per month. This allows clients to enjoy the benefits of having control over hosting, right down to full root access.

AvaHost is a shared and reseller hosting service which has now expanded to offer a brand new product, VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting. As many users are looking low cost alternatives to shared hosting, this new product offers four different levels of hosting to meet user’s particular needs.

Users may choose from the four tiers which begin at 256MB of Mb to 1024 Mb. Guaranteed RAM will range from 128 MB to 512 MB. Offered disk space will begin at 10 GB going up to 40 GB and data transfer will start at 300 GB and go up to 1200 GB.

All four tiers offer users full SSH root access, unlimited domain, development tools, the ability to install your own software, free DNS hosting, dedicated IPs, the capability to have your own DSN servers, reload and reimage OS, boot, shutdown and reboot commands, and to install can compile custom software. This new product also offers custom MIME settings, website access statistics, support for .htaccess, Cron job support, sendmail support, customizable error pages and access to both raw logs and error logs.

The goal of AvaHost is to offer users an easy, low cost method to exceed the strict confines of shared hosting. One of the most engaging features of this new product is full root access, no matter which tier a user chooses. This allows for personal adjustments including the installation of custom software and network services. All VPS hosting accounts are hosted on Dual or Quad Xeon servers running the Linux operating system, which are well known for offering high performance and dependability.

Everyone who chooses VPS via AvaHost, will be given a bonus package for webmasters worth more than $1300.00. This includes templates, graphic package, banner templates and a large assortment of quality eBooks with full Resale Rights.

AvaHost has established themselves a strong contender in the web hosting industry, offering topnotch products and prides themselves on excellent customer service. With the launch of the new VPS product, AvaHost proudly states, “We devote ourselves to small to medium businesses and the personal user and with our the introduction of our new VPS we are proud to continue our commitment of offering the best technology at prices everyone can afford, in fact we offer a 60-day Money Back Guarantee so that every client can feel confident in choosing us.”

You may visit http://www.avahost.net to see more details regarding AvaHost’s VPS and read the details of each of the four VPS tiers.

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B2b, Domain Names, E-mail, eCommerce, Hosting, Internet, Links, Online, Secure Hosting, Services, Social Networking, Web, Web Design & Development

BT Business Has Launched The Online Starter Kit, A Service Designed To Help Small Businesses Promote Themselves Online

BT Business has launched the Online Starter Kit, a service designed to help small businesses promote themselves online, offering a professionally-built web site and profile in the BT business networking community for £199 including 12 months of web hosting*.

web design packages

For the first time BT Business has brought together all of the essential ingredients for creating an online presence into one low cost bundle. For businesses looking to combine this with their broadband commitment, the Online Starter Kit is also available at just £5 per month with BT Business Total Broadband Option 3.

The bundle includes a web site design consultation and professional web site build, logo design, advice around web site copy and keywords, web hosting, domain based webmail and a BT Tradespace profile – all designed to work together to boost a business presence on search engines such as Google.

One in five small businesses don’t have their own web site, despite £78 billion – 25% of UK retail spend – in this year projected to come from online sales. According to BT Business research the vast majority that do are also not getting the most out of their websites or using them effectively to attract customers. Just one in over 3,000 web sites use keywords in the content they post on their sites, despite the use of keywords increasing the chances of search engines picking up web pages. 42% have websites with bad pages containing broken or invalid links**.

“Every business needs an effective online presence that works well with search engines, but this can sometimes be a daunting step for start-ups,” said Jerry Thompson, Director Business Products and Online. “By bringing everything together in one low-cost bundle BT is helping small businesses take the vital steps to getting online hassle-free. 20% of small businesses now also use social networking sites to win new business, so getting your company web site to work more effectively with social business networks such as BT Tradespace is becoming more and more important.”

BT Tradespace is a dynamic online community for sales and marketing and offers a comprehensive directory of small business products and services. It allows members to use the latest social media tools – podcasts, videos and blogs – to promote themselves, engage with customers, partners and suppliers and sell goods to consumers over a secure and safe trading platform.

* Based on 12mths contract. The Online Starter bundle costs £199 ex VAT. This comprises monthly costs of £5 per month ex VAT for a web hosting service plus a one-off cost of £139.
** Conclusion of an investigation of 70,000 websites released by BT Business in March 09.

About BTTradespace.com
BTTradespace.com is a 350,000-member online community, which enables businesses to sell products and services and connect effectively with other people – in order to build business and customer relationships. BT Tradespace provides social networking for businesses and free website set-up.

About BT
BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications solutions and services operating in 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to our customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, Openreach, BT Retail and BT Wholesale.

British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.

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B2b, Dedicated Servers, Domain Names, E-mail, Hosting, Internet, Secure Hosting, Services

Innovative New Reseller Platform By Fasthosts

Fasthosts Internet Ltd, a leading UK web host, has launched a brand new reseller platform for its UK reseller partners. The solution offers a highly effective platform for structuring and performing a reseller hosting operation.

Reseller Platform

The Fasthosts Reseller hosting package delivers access to a range of customisable web solutions including hosting, domains and email products at discounted reseller rates and features unlimited web space and bandwidth. Presently, new resellers will benefit from a 6 months free offer, allowing them to build their reseller business with no subscription costs. Fasthosts’ new platform sets a new standard in enabling resellers to develop a profitable business in this growing sector.

Reseller web hosting offers a highly profitable business opportunity for IT professionals and entrepreneurs. Resellers can combine re-branded white-label web solutions with their own services, such as web design, programming or IT advice, to create tailored services for niche markets. Users earn recurring profits on items they sell, can set their own price points and may charge for free elements such as unlimited web space, website traffic and email accounts.

Fasthosts’ new reseller platform provides a market-leading level of usability, transparency and control for a reseller. It also offers a high degree of freedom as resellers can create a customised package for each end customer, design and create their own range of packages or simply resell Fasthosts’ off-the-shelf packages. This flexibility means resellers can tailor their services closely to customers’ needs and remain competitive.

Fasthosts’ Reseller Control Panel has been re-engineered to reduce administration for resellers and improve efficiency. The custom branding tools enable resellers to customise their customers’ control panels, webmail and SiteBuilders.

Stephen Holford, Chief Marketing Officer, Fasthosts Internet said “We are focused on making sure our resellers can grow a successful and profitable business, even in this tough economic climate. Our service enables them to not only create their own brand, but also create their own packages. The new platform itself is designed to satisfy the technical needs of a demanding hosting provider and also inspire the complete beginner”.

Fasthosts’ philosophy is designed to free resellers to achieve the best possible business model, with both Linux and MS web hosting, a comprehensive range of domain name registrations and award winning MS Exchange email packages for resale. Other reseller web hosting providers can place limits on web space per end customer and levy expensive charges for bandwidth used. Fasthosts removes these risks with its unlimited web space and bandwidth. While resellers are free to make whatever charges they wish, Fasthosts’ resellers will never face their users being cut-off or unexpected charges from their provider.

In recent months, Fasthosts has promoted reseller hosting as a low risk and profitable way to develop an IT related enterprise. Recent research conducted by the company showed that 80 per cent of companies that begin to resell web hosting in addition to their regular products or services earn a profit from the practice within 1 year. By offering web solutions, many can bolster their revenues and prolong client relationships.

Holford added, “As a reseller hosting specialist, Fasthosts aims to deliver its resellers unrivalled support and innovation in equal measures”.

About Fasthosts
Fasthosts is the UK’s leading web hosting company. Based in the UK and operating 24×7 from their dedicated UK data centres, Fasthosts keeps over 1 million domains running smoothly and ensures over 6 million emails are delivered safely each day. All Fasthosts services can be self-managed through the award winning Fasthosts web-based control panel that provides customers with unparalleled online control, enabling them to manage hosted services including domain registrations, shared web hosting, business-class email, dedicated servers, software-as-a-service, internet merchant accounts and unlimited broadband. Fasthosts’ highly successful reseller channel has recently been rated Number 1 for reseller hosting by industry portal Web Host Directory.

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B2b, Dedicated Servers, Domain Names, E-mail, Hosting, Internet, Secure Hosting, Services

Survey Finds 1 In 3 UK Businesses Have No Time To Improve Website

A new survey of 145 UK businesses by Fasthosts Internet Ltd, a leading web hosting company, has revealed that whilst 69% of firms realise certain aspects of their website may require attention, 32% repeatedly neglect making the changes in favour of spending the time on other aspects of the business.

Fasthosts Internet Ltd

According to the survey, the average small company rates their website at 6 out of 10 for effectiveness, but also aims to treble the income generated by their website during 2009. The research suggests a clear discrepancy between business owners’ online ambitions and how much time they currently invest.

As their shop window to the world, the majority of UK companies recognise that having a web presence is a vital aspect of modern business. However, 27% are unhappy with their website design and a further 25% are concerned that their website does not allow feature sufficient methods to communicate with customers. The research also showed that 1 in 10 businesses would like to replace their website entirely.

Whilst there are plenty of products and services on the market to help enhance business websites, 1 in 3 owners admit to being floored by a lack of time. During the first quarter of 2009, a further 32% of business owners repeatedly sidelined changes to their website. The figures are alarming in contrast to the tough targets the same businesses have set themselves for online activity this year. 71% aim to increase their overall visibility on the Web during 2009, while 55% aim to grow the size of their website and 22% intend to begin online advertising.

Currently, the average business earns 10% of its total sales revenue as a direct result of its website, but in 2009, businesses are hoping to increase this income to 21%-30% of total sales revenue.

Steve Holford, CMO Fasthosts Internet, said: “In challenging economic conditions, business owners are more stretched for time and resources than ever. However, it is important to remember that often the simplest improvements to a website can make a noticeable impact on sales conversion rates. Even a modest business website must receive regular attention to fulfil its potential.”

Fasthosts’ research suggests that UK businesses risk missing their online targets unless they can prioritise the work that their websites require. The issue is further supported by the fact that 26% of respondents admit that tough operating conditions has either already led or may lead them to cut-back on external consultants such as web designers or IT advisors.

As UK online spending continues to snowball, business owners clearly recognise the value in investing in an online presence. 94% believe that every size of enterprise should have a website, and 79% would not wish to go back to the days of solely off-line trading.

Holford added, “Businesses can often find the Internet to be as challenging as the high street. However, a big flashy website is not a prerequisite to achieving online sales growth. With a realistic online strategy and a consistent commitment of time and resource, every enterprise can better achieve their online potential this year.”

 

About Fasthosts
Fasthosts is the UK’s number one web hosting company. Based in the UK and operating 24×7 from their dedicated UK data centres, Fasthosts keeps over 1 million domains running smoothly and ensures over 6 million emails are delivered safely each day. All Fasthosts services can be self-managed through the award winning Fasthosts web-based control panel that provides customers with unparalleled online control, enabling them to manage hosted services including domain name registrations, shared web hosting, business-class email, dedicated servers, software-as-a-service, internet merchant accounts and unlimited broadband. Fasthosts’ highly successful reseller channel has recently been rated Number 1 for reseller hosting by industry portal Web Host Directory.

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Colocation, Dedicated Servers, Events, Free Stuff, Hosting, Internet, Secure Hosting

Waveform Technology Is Now Offering Two Months Free Server Colocation For Unemployed Workers Who Want To Start Or Expand A Business

With the unemployment rate in Michigan continuing to rise, there are plenty of smart, talented individuals from information technology who are now out of a job. Waveform Technology is encouraging those people to take their great Internet start up ideas and form new companies to rebuild Michigan’s economy.

Waveform’s Data Center, located in Troy Michigan, is now accepting servers for colocation through the new Start program. With Start, new companies can bring servers online quickly and have no worries about data center fees for the first two months.

Parishpilot.com will be the first organization to take advantage of Waveform’s Start program. Parishpilot.com provides low cost Internet services to Detroit churches, including websites and E-mail. “I’m tired of jobs leaving Michigan,” said Bill Wilson, who founded parishpilot.com after twelve years in the information technology industry. “I’m going to become part of the solution and start something that can help Michigan grow. I’m proud to join forces with Waveform on this.”

Data centers are where start ups begin. Flexibility and reliability are always important when selecting a data center, but cost is also key for new businesses. With Start, Waveform Technology will provide trusted colocation for start ups and a helping hand in tough economic times.

Colocation is the hosting of user owned servers in a data center to take advantage of superior Internet connections and other support systems such as backup power. Colocation is excellent for developing start ups because they have complete control over their machine, there is no sharing of server resources or conforming to the provider’s preferred software installations.

Participants are eligible as long as they can provide proof of unemployment. Interested parties should contact Waveform Technology through the website, http://www.michigan-colocation.com, or by calling 1-866-Waveform.

About Waveform Technology, LLC
Waveform Technology is a Michigan based data center operator and metro Ethernet provider. Waveform’s Troy data center is a world-class facility, featuring Liebert cooling and uninterruptible power systems, along with backup generator support, unmatched connectivity, and advanced security. Tenants of all sizes colocate in Waveform facilities. Waveform Technology is a privately held company in operation since 1992. More information is available at http://www.michigan-colocation.com or 248-784-7000.

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Cloud Hosting, Dedicated Servers, eCommerce, Events, Hosting, Internet, Online, Secure Hosting, Services, Web

Rackspace Recognised By The European Business Awards 2009 For Customer Focus Excellence

Rackspace Hosting, a leading provider of IT hosting services, has announced that it has been successfully recognised as one of Europe’s leading customer service organisations by the European Business Awards 2009.

The European Business Awards recognises and rewards excellence, best practice and innovation in companies across the 27 EU member states. Now in its third year, the European Business Awards serve to showcase Europe’s most successful business achievements, with hundreds of companies entering each year. This year Rackspace Hosting achieved a top 10 place in the Award for Customer Focus category at the high profile awards ceremony, held in Rome on 7th April.

Brian Thomson, Managing Director at Rackspace, commented: “This recognition is particularly satisfying for us, as it really underlines our mantra of Fanatical Support. In the competitive IT hosting marketplace, everyone claims they deliver excellent customer service, so it’s great to prove that with Rackspace, customer focus is a reality, not just hype.

“2009 has already been a great year for recognition of our endeavours. This success follows closely on the heels of Rackspace being voted 15th best company to work for by the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies Awards, moving up nine places from 2008. This European recognition comes after Rackspace won the overall award for customer focus in the 2008 National Business Awards”.

The recognition Rackspace has achieved at these awards highlights the company’s total commitment to its customers through the Fanatical Support service which focuses on the 5 important key criteria of responsiveness, ownership, resourcefulness, expertise and transparency.

About Rackspace Hosting:
As the world’s leader and specialist in hosting, Rackspace Hosting is changing the way businesses worldwide buy IT. Rackspace delivers computing-as-a-service, integrating the industry’s best technologies into a flexible service offering, making computing more reliable and affordable.

A trusted partner to companies of all sizes, Rackspace enables IT departments to be more effective. Rackspace is distinguished by its award-winning Fanatical Support, furthering the company’s mission to be one of the world’s greatest service companies. Rackspace featured in the top 30 of both the Sunday Times 100 Best companies to work for list and the Financial Times Great Place to Work Awards, 2008.

Rackspace’s portfolio of hosted services includes managed hosting, hosted exchange and cloud hosting.

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Dedicated Servers, Hosting, Internet, Online, Secure Hosting, Traffic, Web

Swiss offshore Hosting Provider Artmotion Ltd – the first offshore hosting provider who offers unlimited 10 Mbit/s Dedicated Server Products for $149 USD/mo

According to Artmotion, it is no secret that Switzerland is becoming a main attraction for high security server applications. During the last few months the company has came across many US customers seeking for unlimited dedicated server solutions with a high secure datacenter location. The partnership with many international upstream providers allows Artmotion to deliver 10 Mbit/s Dedicated Server including unlimited traffic at extremely cost-efficient price.

As Mateo Meier, President and CEO of Artmotion Ltd, explained “An offshore dedicated server with a 10 Mbit/s port usually costs over $350/mo. Our new partnership with many international upstream providers enables us to deliver dedicated servers with unlimited bandwidth for under $150 USD.” He also said “With hosted server solutions we find that every customer’s requirements can be quite different, the best approach is to make the server fit its application and not the other way around. Therefore we also lunched business dedicated servers which are fully customized for each client”

Artmotion Ltd allows the customers to host their IT infrastructure as well as their Website on a secure offshore location. According to the company, Switzerland has a central European location and offers many benefits such as an extremely low risk of natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes etc.) and a high level of privacy protection.

About Artmotion Ltd

Founded in 2000, Artmotion Ltd is a privately held offshore Internet Solutions Provider. The company provides a full range of Internet-based solutions focused on small and medium businesses. Artmotion has offices in Zug – Switzerland as well as in London – England. Its data center operations are located in a highly secure Swiss offshore location. The datacenter is multi homed and connected to 17 different peerings and providers, enabling the company to offer a 99,9% network uptime guarantee.

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