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(The Hosting News) - Selecting the perfect domain name is a critical step towards the online success of any small- to medium-sized business (SMB). Recently honored as a top registrar at the 25th Anniversary of .com Gala in May, 1&1 Internet, Inc., the largest Web host by known servers, provides businesses with the tools and helpful tips for choosing and registering their domain name and utilizing it to their benefit.
“Domain names are becoming increasingly important for developing brand recognition,” said Oliver Mauss, CEO of 1&1 Internet. “People are referring to companies more and more by their websites and using domains interchangeably with company names. This is especially important for SMBs who are just established in their industry and looking to gain a customer base. If a new business can register a domain that best represents the company as a whole, they have a good chance at improving their visibility on the Web.”
Mauss adds that SMBs should take a few things into consideration when choosing their online alias. A concise, yet informative, domain name will be recognizable to the public and allow the business’s website to be easily accessible. Length is an important factor in the decision process as well. Unless a company’s name is longer, businesses should try to limit the number of characters to 20. If the most obvious name is already taken, words that inform the public about the company, its industry, or its services make a good alternative.
The choice of a certain top-level domain (TLD) can be an effective tool for lowering marketing costs and raising brand awareness for SMBs. A .com domain, for example, is the most familiar global TLD in many languages around the world, which means it can translate to a wide audience. TLDs are also commonly used when guessing a website’s URL address, which is one reason why owning variations of your domain under different TLDs is important.
“The domain selection process is a crucial part of the marketing strategy for any company,” said Mauss. “A well-planned domain name has the potential to drive traffic to the site, maintain public interest, and increase brand awareness – all key factors for successful marketing both on and off the website. It’s actually so important that today’s Web entrepreneurs first check for available domains before deciding on their company name.”
Consistency across various online platforms is another easy tip for maintaining brand awareness and identity. Use the name in the company’s URL address as the company’s alias on social media platforms, like Twitter and Facebook, to increase brand recognition and familiarity. It can also help to purchase similar domains with various spellings or extensions, so that different attempts at the domain will redirect people to the appropriate site.
To help SMBs get a jump start on their website, 1&1 is currently offering the first-year free for any .com domain registration.
For more information about 1&1 and its services, please visit www.1and1.com.
(The Hosting News) – Las Vegas colo provider, CoreLink Data Centers, is now providing Realistiq.com with innovative colocation solutions. CoreLink’s services include high performing network and IP offerings, performance and availability, transparency, 100% uptime service level agreement and flexible contract terms.
“RealistiQ has greatly benefited from our business relationship with CoreLink Data Centers,” said Lyle Karstensen, Jr., Chief Executive Officer at RealistiQ. “Their colocation services have reduced our costs and improved our efficiency, which has allowed us to provide our customers with better customer service and an overall improved customer experience.”
RealistiQ is a leader in real estate technology solutions, providing a broad range of web-based tools and applications for real estate professionals. RealistiQ’s products range from IDX-based broker Web sites and voice info hotlines for lead capture, to intuitive, easy to use office intranets for collaboration, e-marketing and lead management.
RealistiQ researched numerous data centers in their area and chose CoreLink because they provided better service at lower prices than their competitors. RealistiQ was especially impressed with CoreLink’s 24-hour network uptime guarantee as well as their 24-hour remote hands service.
“CoreLink provides great colocation solutions for any small or medium sized business that is considering acquiring colocation services or searching for a new colocation provider,” said Rick Crutchley, Vice President & General Manager of CoreLink Data Centers. “Our pre-packaged bundles allow us to deliver increased efficiencies through reliable and innovative technology solutions at a fraction of the price.”
CoreLink Data Centers offers data center services from locations in Phoenix, Seattle, Chicago and Las Vegas, including colo and enterprise hosting, in secure, environmentally controlled facilities. Their services provide the following benefits to small and medium sized businesses: improved uptime for mission critical applications, ability to scale without infrastructure concerns, reduced capital costs for facility infrastructure, reduced labor expenses associated with facility management and a state-of-the-art facility to support our customers sales process. Contact CoreLink Data Centers for more information about Las Vegas colo providers.
For more information about RealistiQ visit http://www.realistiq.com.
CoreLink Provides RealistiQ with Innovative Colocation Solutions
(The Hosting News) – Las Vegas colo provider, CoreLink Data Centers, is now providing Realistiq.com with innovative colocation solutions. CoreLink’s services include high performing network and IP offerings, performance and availability, transparency, 100% uptime service level agreement and flexible contract terms.
“RealistiQ has greatly benefited from our business relationship with CoreLink Data Centers,” said Lyle Karstensen, Jr., Chief Executive Officer at RealistiQ. “Their colocation services have reduced our costs and improved our efficiency, which has allowed us to provide our customers with better customer service and an overall improved customer experience.”
RealistiQ is a leader in real estate technology solutions, providing a broad range of web-based tools and applications for real estate professionals. RealistiQ’s products range from IDX-based broker Web sites and voice info hotlines for lead capture, to intuitive, easy to use office intranets for collaboration, e-marketing and lead management.
RealistiQ researched numerous data centers in their area and chose CoreLink because they provided better service at lower prices than their competitors. RealistiQ was especially impressed with CoreLink’s 24-hour network uptime guarantee as well as their 24-hour remote hands service.
“CoreLink provides great colocation solutions for any small or medium sized business that is considering acquiring colocation services or searching for a new colocation provider,” said Rick Crutchley, Vice President & General Manager of CoreLink Data Centers. “Our pre-packaged bundles allow us to deliver increased efficiencies through reliable and innovative technology solutions at a fraction of the price.”
CoreLink Data Centers offers data center services from locations in Phoenix, Seattle, Chicago and Las Vegas, including colo and enterprise hosting, in secure, environmentally controlled facilities. Their services provide the following benefits to small and medium sized businesses: improved uptime for mission critical applications, ability to scale without infrastructure concerns, reduced capital costs for facility infrastructure, reduced labor expenses associated with facility management and a state-of-the-art facility to support our customers sales process. Contact CoreLink Data Centers for more information about Las Vegas colo providers.
For more information about RealistiQ visit http://www.realistiq.com.
CoreLink Provides RealistiQ with Innovative Colocation Solutions
(The Hosting News) – CoreLink Data Centers is now providing Continuity Focus with innovative colocation solutions. CoreLink’s services include high performing network and IP offerings, performance and availability, transparency, 100% uptime service level agreement and flexible contract terms.
“At Continuity Focus, our clients rely on us to ensure that their business functions are protected,” said Jon Newman, Chief Technical Officer at Continuity Focus. “Our relationship with CoreLink has allowed us provide our clients with a stable environment, zero downtime as well as a guarantee them that there business functions are secure.”
Continuity Focus helps client organizations establish the appropriate continuity posture to ensure that business functions are protected. This emphasis on safeguarding workflows and organizational capability differentiates them from standard backup service providers that are limited to data protection offerings. Continuity Focus is dedicated to helping clients protect their businesses by avoiding unplanned downtime and data loss.
Continuity Focus chose CoreLink because they needed a colocation provider that could guarantee them a network that would experience no downtime. CoreLink’s 24-hour network uptime guarantee as well their 24-hour remote hands service was a driving factor for Continuity Focus’ choice. Continuity Focus also found that CoreLink offered superior colocation services at prices lower than their competitors.
“CoreLink provides great colocation solutions for any small or medium sized business that is considering acquiring data center services.” said Rick Crutchley, Vice President & General Manager of CoreLink Data Centers. “Our pre-packaged bundles allow us to deliver increased efficiencies through reliable and innovative technology solutions at a fraction of the price.”
CoreLink Data Centers offers data center services from locations in Las Vegas, Seattle, Chicago and Phoenix, including colocation and enterprise hosting, in secure, environmentally controlled facilities. Their services provide the following benefits to small and medium sized businesses: improved uptime for mission critical applications, ability to scale without infrastructure concerns, reduced capital costs for facility infrastructure, reduced labor expenses associated with facility management and a state-of-the-art facility to support our customers sales process. Contact CoreLink Data Centers for more information about co location providers.
For more information about Continuity Focus visit http://www.continuityfocus.com.
(The Hosting News) – Hostway Corporation has recently named Gordon Henry as executive vice president and general manager. Henry will head the company’s small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) division, which focuses on providing Web hosting, Web site design, online advertising and other services to SMBs.
Henry is a veteran of the online search and local advertising industry. He was chief marketing officer at Yellowbook, where he led the development of the company’s online site, Yellowbook.com, built the company’s brand into a nationally recognized name and oversaw the expansion of its printed directories. More recently, Henry led online video agency Spotzer Media’s entry into the US. As president of Spotzer, he introduced video as a core offering of many top search and Internet sites.
Previously, Henry held marketing and business development positions at Knight Ridder/Philadelphia Newspapers Inc., where he led the launch and acquisition of new advertising businesses, and Columbia House Company, where he founded the company’s audiobooks division. He has an MBA from Wharton Business School, an MA from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from Yale University.
“We are excited to have Gordon join the Hostway team,” said Lucas Roh, CEO and co-founder of Hostway Corporation. “His experience in marketing to, selling to and understanding the needs of the small- and medium-sized business customer is unparalleled. He is a great fit to help lead our efforts in this area. We expect that he will expand our penetration among SMBs, grow the variety of Web hosting and online services we provide and further build our brand.”
Hostway’s service offerings range from Web hosting for SMBs to managed and dedicated server hosting for large enterprises. Hostway has garnered industry-wide recognition and praise for ServicePlex, an online service delivery portal developed internally to enable a seamless customer experience. In 2009, the company launched its cloud hosting offering, FlexCloudTM, which enables customers to access a multi-million dollar hosting infrastructure that scales up and down based on business needs for as low as $15 per month. Hostway has also partnered with telecom companies, cable operators and large retailers to deliver fully private-labeled online services to their customers.
Last month, Hostway announced that it raised $110 million in debt and equity financing to support its continued growth plan. The transaction was led by private equity firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson, along with Fortress Capital, Regiment Capital and Phoenix Life.
“Since our founding in 1998, we have continuously sought ways to deliver more value to our customers by investing in our people, technology and infrastructure. As a result, we have built a solid platform for growth. In the next stage of our history, in partnership with our new investors, we aim to accelerate the pace of becoming the leading provider in the expanding online services market,” said Roh.
Dedicated/managed web host launches industry-leading green initiative, joins EPA Leadership Club to encourage sustainable business solutions worldwide.
( The Hosting News ) – December 2, 2009 – With the recent purchase of 12,600 MWh in renewable energy credits (RECs), Codero now supplies 100% green power to its data centers in Phoenix, AZ and San Diego, CA and headquarters location in Overland Park, KS. Through this long-term commitment, Codero becomes the largest dedicated server and managed hosting provider in the industry to offer green hosting solutions across its entire operations. The new Green with Codero Initiative means any small- to medium-sized business can power their websites and online stores using green energy.
“Green hosting is an important step forward in our evolution as a company,” notes Phil Spencer, CEO of Codero. “Through innovative practices and opportunities like the Green-e program, our customers can make smarter energy choices for their online businesses – and that benefits all of us.”
Codero’s broad commitment to greening its operations was made possible through Ecoelectrons Renewable Energy, which specializes in helping corporations reduce their carbon footprint through the purchase of Green-e certified RECs. Green-e is the nation’s leading independent consumer protection program for the sale of renewable energy and greenhouse gas reductions in the retail market. In addition, Codero has joined USEPA’s Green Power Partnership as a Leadership Club member to support others within the industry and abroad to achieve more sustainable practices.
“EPA is pleased to welcome Codero to the Green Power Partnership. We applaud their commitment to using green power to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says Susan Wickwire, Chief of the Energy Supply and Industry Branch at USEPA.
Codero joins a growing list of companies and organizations taking action to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. A member of Green-e Energy’s Marketplace program, the company now displays the Green-e logo on its website and other communication materials; this national symbol identifies Codero as an environmental leader in purchasing 100% certified renewable energy. As part of the company’s REC purchase, energy is sourced from the Pioneer Prairie Wind Farm, in Howard County, IA, and confirmed by the Center for Resource Solutions, the nation’s leading independent certification and verification program for renewable energy.
For more information on the Green with Codero Initiative, carbon offsets, renewable energy credits and other elements of the program, see Codero’s Green Hosting page.
Managed Dedicated Host Codero Commits to Renewable Energy is a post from: Hosting News and Reseller Web Hosting information.
Dedicated/managed web host launches industry-leading green initiative, joins EPA Leadership Club to encourage sustainable business solutions worldwide.
( The Hosting News ) – December 2, 2009 – With the recent purchase of 12,600 MWh in renewable energy credits (RECs), Codero now supplies 100% green power to its data centers in Phoenix, AZ and San Diego, CA and headquarters location in Overland Park, KS. Through this long-term commitment, Codero becomes the largest dedicated server and managed hosting provider in the industry to offer green hosting solutions across its entire operations. The new Green with Codero Initiative means any small- to medium-sized business can power their websites and online stores using green energy.
“Green hosting is an important step forward in our evolution as a company,” notes Phil Spencer, CEO of Codero. “Through innovative practices and opportunities like the Green-e program, our customers can make smarter energy choices for their online businesses – and that benefits all of us.”
Codero’s broad commitment to greening its operations was made possible through Ecoelectrons Renewable Energy, which specializes in helping corporations reduce their carbon footprint through the purchase of Green-e certified RECs. Green-e is the nation’s leading independent consumer protection program for the sale of renewable energy and greenhouse gas reductions in the retail market. In addition, Codero has joined USEPA’s Green Power Partnership as a Leadership Club member to support others within the industry and abroad to achieve more sustainable practices.
“EPA is pleased to welcome Codero to the Green Power Partnership. We applaud their commitment to using green power to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says Susan Wickwire, Chief of the Energy Supply and Industry Branch at USEPA.
Codero joins a growing list of companies and organizations taking action to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. A member of Green-e Energy’s Marketplace program, the company now displays the Green-e logo on its website and other communication materials; this national symbol identifies Codero as an environmental leader in purchasing 100% certified renewable energy. As part of the company’s REC purchase, energy is sourced from the Pioneer Prairie Wind Farm, in Howard County, IA, and confirmed by the Center for Resource Solutions, the nation’s leading independent certification and verification program for renewable energy.
For more information on the Green with Codero Initiative, carbon offsets, renewable energy credits and other elements of the program, see Codero’s Green Hosting page.
Managed Dedicated Host Codero Commits to Renewable Energy is a post from: Hosting News and Reseller Web Hosting information.
New York, New York – (The Hosting News) – July 21, 2009 – Hosting over 200,000 premium Microsoft Exchange mailboxes, Intermedia has revealed a sign of growing optimism among the company’s customer base of 11,000 small and medium-sized businesses.
The 200,000+ total puts Intermedia ahead of any other Exchange hosting provider. Intermedia hosts more than 400,000 mailboxes overall. The premium mailboxes use Microsoft’s full MAPI license, which includes a downloadable copy of Microsoft Outlook, the power to share calendars, and other features essential to business users.
Serguei Sofinski, chief executive officer at Intermedia remarked, ”It’s still too early to tell whether the economy is getting back on track. Intermedia’s growth indicates that small and medium-sized businesses aren’t standing by, waiting for the economy to turn around or the stimulus to kick in. Our customers are optimistic about what the future holds – they are taking concrete steps to improve their business.”
Intermedia’s recent performance parallels trends in the small and medium-sized business climate:
- In Q4 2008 and Q1 2009, Intermedia saw slower mailbox growth in its existing customer base. Higher than average numbers of accounts pared back the number of mailboxes they use – a reflection of staffing cuts enacted in response to the economy. This phenomenon tapered off in Q2 2009, signaling that many small and medium-sized businesses are stabilizing operations.
- An offering aimed at “corporate refugees” – business people who left or were laid off from large enterprises – experienced 240 percent monthly account growth in Q2 2009. Intermedia attributes the spike to growing entrepreneurial spirit among displaced workers. The offering combines a hosted Exchange email account with synchronization to a Blackberry, iPhone or Windows Mobile smartphone.
- Intermedia’s revenue and mailbox count continued to grow in Q1 2009, but the pace slowed to a level similar to that seen following the dot-com bust. In Q2 2009, the growth rate for new accounts more than doubled from the prior quarter. Q2 2009 “revenue per mailbox” also grew as existing customers provided Intermedia’s Blackberry, iPhone and Windows Mobile smartphone synchronization to additional employees.
A profitable 14-year old company, Intermedia has grown organically and without debt. The company attributes its consistent quarterly gains in part to its Exchange Concierge service that manages customers’ transition to Intermedia from other hosting providers or an in-house server. Typically in less than an hour, customers are set up without disruption to email or other files.
Mr. Sofinski added, ”We are passionate about providing small and medium-sized businesses with the same communications and collaboration experience a Fortune 500 company can provide its employees. But we need to deliver our services in a way that is simple to set up, use and manage. That’s the bar we set for ourselves and how we can best help our customers put technology to work.”
Intermedia recently exhibited at the Microsoft World Partner Conference (WPC) in New Orleans.
Founded in 1995, Intermedia is the leading provider of business email including Microsoft Exchange hosting to the small and medium business market. Intermedia specializes in providing enterprise-grade solutions through its world class infrastructure and service to small and medium businesses at a price they can afford. Businesses looking for a more cost-effective and manageable solution for enterprise-class email and collaboration solutions should visit Intermedia’s Web site.
To learn more, please visit: www.Intermedia.net/Exchange.
New York, New York – (The Hosting News) – July 21, 2009 – Hosting over 200,000 premium Microsoft Exchange mailboxes, Intermedia has revealed a sign of growing optimism among the company’s customer base of 11,000 small and medium-sized businesses.
The 200,000+ total puts Intermedia ahead of any other Exchange hosting provider. Intermedia hosts more than 400,000 mailboxes overall. The premium mailboxes use Microsoft’s full MAPI license, which includes a downloadable copy of Microsoft Outlook, the power to share calendars, and other features essential to business users.
Serguei Sofinski, chief executive officer at Intermedia remarked, ”It’s still too early to tell whether the economy is getting back on track. Intermedia’s growth indicates that small and medium-sized businesses aren’t standing by, waiting for the economy to turn around or the stimulus to kick in. Our customers are optimistic about what the future holds – they are taking concrete steps to improve their business.”
Intermedia’s recent performance parallels trends in the small and medium-sized business climate:
- In Q4 2008 and Q1 2009, Intermedia saw slower mailbox growth in its existing customer base. Higher than average numbers of accounts pared back the number of mailboxes they use – a reflection of staffing cuts enacted in response to the economy. This phenomenon tapered off in Q2 2009, signaling that many small and medium-sized businesses are stabilizing operations.
- An offering aimed at “corporate refugees” – business people who left or were laid off from large enterprises – experienced 240 percent monthly account growth in Q2 2009. Intermedia attributes the spike to growing entrepreneurial spirit among displaced workers. The offering combines a hosted Exchange email account with synchronization to a Blackberry, iPhone or Windows Mobile smartphone.
- Intermedia’s revenue and mailbox count continued to grow in Q1 2009, but the pace slowed to a level similar to that seen following the dot-com bust. In Q2 2009, the growth rate for new accounts more than doubled from the prior quarter. Q2 2009 “revenue per mailbox” also grew as existing customers provided Intermedia’s Blackberry, iPhone and Windows Mobile smartphone synchronization to additional employees.
A profitable 14-year old company, Intermedia has grown organically and without debt. The company attributes its consistent quarterly gains in part to its Exchange Concierge service that manages customers’ transition to Intermedia from other hosting providers or an in-house server. Typically in less than an hour, customers are set up without disruption to email or other files.
Mr. Sofinski added, ”We are passionate about providing small and medium-sized businesses with the same communications and collaboration experience a Fortune 500 company can provide its employees. But we need to deliver our services in a way that is simple to set up, use and manage. That’s the bar we set for ourselves and how we can best help our customers put technology to work.”
Intermedia recently exhibited at the Microsoft World Partner Conference (WPC) in New Orleans.
Founded in 1995, Intermedia is the leading provider of business email including Microsoft Exchange hosting to the small and medium business market. Intermedia specializes in providing enterprise-grade solutions through its world class infrastructure and service to small and medium businesses at a price they can afford. Businesses looking for a more cost-effective and manageable solution for enterprise-class email and collaboration solutions should visit Intermedia’s Web site.
To learn more, please visit: www.Intermedia.net/Exchange.
Having a dedicated server is one of the true signs that you have made it as a small to medium sized business owner. Unfortunately, it also makes you a likely target of hacking and other security threats. Securing any machine equipped with a web or application server is a huge challenge, one you may not be able to overcome alone. You need to worry about everything from your email and FTP communications to OS and kernel patches. And let’s not forget about those web technologies that can bring you so much functionality along with a lot of grief when not properly secured. This web-based world we live in can be very hazardous to any business so if you want to protect your server, we suggest paying close attention to the contents of this article.
Must-Have Defenses
Securing a dedicated server begins with creating a two-layer bullet proof vest to deflect the attempts of the enemy. Two of the most effective weapons to carry into battle: firewall and intrusion protection technology. With a firewall, your server will be able to fight off common exploits such as DDoS (distributed denial of service) and brute force attacks. Usually originating from multiple unsecured, enslaved machines, the dreaded DDoS attack will slam your dedicated server with awful amounts of insignificant traffic, overwhelming critical resources and rendering the hardware inaccessible to legitimate users. A quality firewall with good configurations will enforce rules that filters access and blocks malicious traffic while allowing legitimate traffic to pass. This is all done in a way that reduces latency and slow moving processes, so it all appears transparent to the end-user.
Though similar in a nature, intrusion detection and prevention takes a more advanced approach towards server security. This technology blocks malicious traffic right at the source, locking compromised hosts in a quarantine area all while routing genuine user traffic in a quick and efficient manner. If a firewall represents your first line of defense, then intrusion protection serves as your behind enemy lines mechanism. This powerful combination allows you to shift security measures from a reactive to proactive aspect.
Don’t Stop There
While the implementation of firewalls and intrusion protection make good first steps, one should keep in might that this isn’t the set it and forget it type of deal. In order to stay ahead of the hackers, malware coders and corporate saboteurs you must consistently employ vigilance as well as frequent updates of your patches, blacklists, filters and other vital elements. Purchasing and installing a few security devices and applications can be viewed as the easy part. Managing them with efficiency is an entirely different story.
Because properly securing a dedicated server is cost prohibitive for most small and medium sized organizations, you may want to consider a managed service to help keep the intruders away. Managed hosting is the often overlooked aspect of a dedicated server that could spell the difference between running a successful business, or going down because of a major security breach. If you are not sure where you stand on server security, consult your IT team or speak with a professional firm for guidance.
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