Web Hosting Year in Review: Hosting Software and Technology

By David Hamilton, December 28, 2009

(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- The original promise of cloud computing - computing served as a limitlessly scalable, always accessible, dependable utility - is finally being realized by both consumers and businesses thanks to advances in hosting software and technology, and 2009 has been a crucial year to that effect.

Open-Xchange has made incredible advances in web-based email and collaboration. R1Soft's CDP 3.0 represents the importance of data backup to enterprise customers interested in benefiting from the cloud. Parallels has made it easier for web hosting businesses to manage their hosting, and provide Software-as-a-Service applications. VMware has created what it calls the first cloud operating system. Finally, Windows launched its latest server operating system release, adding features for new server infrastructures. virtualization tools, and web resource management.

Put together, these new technologies form an exciting picture, showing that the advances in the web hosting realm are quickly meeting the needs of individuals and businesses, and paving the way for more enhancements as we wake up from dream clouds to find they are are real.

Open-Xchange

While Microsoft Exchange remains the choice email client for most business applications, open-source messaging and collaboration platform Open-Xchange (www.open-xchange.com) has added features this year that integrate all sorts of social features alongside business-class functionality, making it no wonder it has seen an 80 percent increase in its user base in 2009.

Open-source groupware provider Open-Xchange announced its "Social OX" concept in July, providing features that bridge isolated information such as email, contacts, calendars and documents. Under Social OX, all email and contact information are in one place, whether personal or business. It can aggregate webmail from Google, Yahoo and many others into a folder in Open-Xchange, plus automatically add and incorporate contact details from social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn or Xing to the Open-Xchange address book.

In 2009 alone, Open-Xchange has formed relationships with domain name registrars Dotster and NameCheap, as well as French web host Nexen-Alterway Hosting, and Asian SaaS distributor NTS.

CDP Server 3.0 Standard Edition

Unveiling the next major update to its continuous data protection technology used in many of the finest data centers around the world, software developer R1Soft (www.r1soft.com) unveiled the latest version of its CDP software at the cPanel Conference in October. CDP Server 3.0 Standard Edition, the first release of R1Soft's CDP 3.0 products, offers users high-performance CDP backups on a single server without the need of a dedicated backup server.

R1Soft's enterprise-level backup solution provides data protection for Linux and Windows servers with near-continuous disk-based backups that can be scheduled as often as every 15 minutes. It also increases server uptime with its bare-metal restores, which skip the OS re-installation step, allowing data to be recovered from any point-in-time backup in minutes.

The beta version of the CDP 3.0 Standard Edition also provided early access to some of the features from CDP 3 Enterprise, which would be released later. CDP advancements include file and folder excludes, on-disk journaling, and storage of disk-based backups on NAS, Windows shares, cloud storage and other places. And unlike CDP 2.0, which required a dedicated CDP Server be set up, version 3 lets users install it directly on the server being backed up.

Along with this added functionality, there are also more user friendly interfaces and reporting features to boost web host productivity.

Web hosts such as NEXCESS.NET (www.nexcess.net) have chosen to make R1Soft CDP available to their entire client base, letting them protect their clients`s mission-critical data. As CDP 3 goes into wide release, it is likely that more web hosts will be won over.

Parallels Small Business Panel 10

Parallels Panel 9 went into wide release in December 2008, and would have more than qualified for a mention as one of the top technologies of 2008 because of the immense power and control it gives to web hosts. With Parallels' Small Business Panel 10, released this year, the virtualization automation provider has come out with a streamlined and accessible control panel application that can be used to let a hosting provider easily offer a full line of services.

With Small Business Panel, Parallels introduced a new control panel designed to offer virtual private server and dedicated server hosts added ease-of-use and more revenue streams, as well as making self-service possible for SMB clients.

And Parallels` new Partner Marketplace offers commercial applications that cloud service providers can sell to their small business customers through an easy-to-use storefront, along with open-source apps such as SpamAssassin, Application Pack, Helpdesk, Tomcat, ColdFusion and MSSQL.

Essentially, Parallels SMB Panel 10 gives users the control and access to a wide range of solutions to make them a one stop shop for all of their clients` needs.

VMware vSphere 4

Billed as "the industry's first cloud operating system," and "the next evolutionary step in IT computing," VMware vSphere 4 emerged in 2009 as the foundation for a new kind of cloud. Evolving from VMware's proven virtualization platform, vSphere uses federation and standards to bridge cloud infrastructures, creating a hybrid cloud structure that can respond to both public and private cloud needs.

VMware vSphere lets users get more from their existing IT assets and reduce capital expenses of the datacenter by up to 60 percent, and lower power, cooling and real estate needs can cut energy costs by up to 80 percent, while keeping the flexibility to still use any OS, application or hardware.

vSphere 4 also includes support for up to 8 core virtual CPUs with a maximum of 255GB of virtual machine ram, and can run on host machines that have up to 64 CPU cores and 1TB of memory. vSphere 4 workload throughput is improved as a result of resource management and processor scheduling. Hardware-assisted memory virtualization also reduces both CPU and memory overhead. As well, storage is improved through a new para-virtualized SCSI driver, and additional ESX kernel-level storage stack optimizations.

Virtual server technology provider Infinitely Virtual (www.infinitelyvirtual.com) recently completed an upgrade to vSphere 4, increasing its operational efficiencies, and providing customers with break-though virtualization features, scalability and performance. And it was done with no downtime. Furthermore, it lets customers gain more out of their infrastructure, and lets Infinitely Virtual release new products, including those based on VMware Fault Tolerance, which provides continuous availability to any application without any data loss or downtime. Infinitely Virtual also plans to offer support for vApps, which ensures seamless application movement and choice between clouds using Open Virtualization Format to designate and enclose all components of a multi-tier application, as well as the operational policies and service levels relevant to it.

VMware vSphere is available in several different flavors for small business and medium-sized businesses, and enterprises.

Windows Server 2008 R2

Launched in the fall, Microsoft`s latest server operating system release, Windows Server 2008 R2, while not nearly as hyped as its other OS release, Windows 7, proved to be a major deal for Windows-based web hosts and developers. Version enhancements included new functionality for Active Directory, new virtualization and management features, as well as support for up to 256 logical processors, and the use of Internet Information Services version 7.5.

Built on the foundation of Windows Server 2008, R2 lets organizations increase the reliability and flexibility of their server infrastructures. new virtualization tools, web resources, management enhancements, and Windows 7 integration, helping save time, reduce costs, and provide a platform for a dynamic and efficiently managed data center.

Powerful tools such as IIS 7.5, updated Server Manager and Hyper-V platforms, and Windows PowerShell version 2.0 combine to give customers greater control, increased efficiency, and the ability to react to front-line business needs faster than ever before.

How to make a user friendly 404 error page

As much as web design is about big things – getting your site structure right, creating a compelling visual design, ensuring your code doesn't cause browsers to copiously vomit error messages on an absurdly regular basis shortly before committing seppuku – it's also about little things.

A good site is polished and finely tuned, taking care to include and refine content that many users won't ever see, because the savvy designer knows full well that some of them will.

A case in point: the humble 404 error, an HTTP standard response code that's shoved in your face when a browser communicates with a server and promptly discovers that what it was looking for isn't there.

There are a whole bunch of reasons why a user might happen across such an error message, but they usually arrive because of one of two reasons: user error or webmaster error – unintended or otherwise.

Spulling mistokes

Probably the most common reason for a 404 is that someone with sausage fingers (or, indeed, perfectly normal fingers, but that's a much less funny image) hammered away at the keyboard, hit Enter, and failed to realise that the URL they wanted doesn't actually exist due to, for example, cunningly spelling 'contact-details.html' with some exciting extra characters that really shouldn't be there.

Net result: the server unintelligently goes "We're all out of cpntact-details.html, I'm afraid" and spews out a 404. The other issue is your fault (assuming you're a designer, developer or general website-making person), if you've linked to something that doesn't exist (due to some amazing sausage-finger handiwork of your own) or if a once perfectly valid URL is now a dead link, due to you moving content about.

Depending on your hosting environment, the 404 can take on all manner of guises, most of which are somewhat unhelpful. On IIS, you often get an error message that makes perfect sense to web designers, but that will make the typical user squeal in horror at its barrage of technical information.

Apache is rather more blunt, uttering 'Not Found' and scant other information, doing the rough digital equivalent of slamming the door in your face and grumpily muttering about "when it was much quieter around these parts and you didn't keep getting interrupted". And if you're using Internet Explorer, there's a good chance it'll hijack whatever it should be showing to instead display Microsoft's 'friendly' error message anyway. (To be fair to Microsoft, its message is friendlier than the standard one, but hijacking default behaviour is always reprehensible and makes us angry.)

Creating custom error messages

With a little thought, most of this nastiness can be avoided, since it's simple enough to create custom error messages for the vast majority of hosting environments. This means that instead of seeing whatever garbage a server spews out, or whatever branded message your host has decided to apply (several hosts now cunningly hijack 404s to present an equivalent page with a URL back to their homepage, rather than yours), you get to decide exactly what appears on the error page. The important thing is to ensure that whatever you present is a lot better than what exists by default.

Jakob Nielsen more or less suggests that because default error messages are so appallingly bad, the very act of changing them at all is an improvement. However, he cites as a starting point taking into account three basic guidelines.

First, the error message must be written in a language that can be fully understood by everyone, including non-technical users, and in a way that doesn't imply what's happened is the user's fault. Secondly, the message needs to detail precisely what's gone wrong. Finally, suggestions need to be made regarding how the user can deal with the problem at hand.

A quick scoot around dozens of 404 pages shows that the majority of sites don't in fact take a great deal of notice of such advice. Some actually go as far as to call the user a ham-fisted idiot, which might just about be OK for a cartoon site for teens, but it's not going to win much praise for a shopping portal.

Too many sites also have a seriously geeky love-in, peppering their 404 pages with imagery and in-jokes that'd even make the typical B3ta aficionado wince and then request a claw hammer for uncurling their toes. (As a quick sidenote, the characters '404' are particularly overused as a design device, despite meaning nothing at all to non-technical people.) Most importantly, many of the pages simply aren't usable: they don't provide any indication of what's happened to get the user there, nor do they offer any means of helping them figure out what to do next.

Amazon's 404 page is brutally simple but surprisingly effective, and covers most of Nielsen's points in just a few lines of text. The user is told that the address entered is not a functioning page on the website, and a clear link is provided back to Amazon's homepage (along with a logo, which does the same).

Yes, the company could do more to help, but as a minimum Amazon's is a good model to follow. Play.com, by comparison, commits one of the worst sins in 404 world, by just redirecting you to its homepage instead of displaying any kind of error message.

The problem there is that a user might assume that the site itself is defective (rather than their typing or a search-engine listing) and go elsewhere. At the very least, it'll take a second attempt to get to relevant content, which psychologically makes people think negatively of the site that's being used.

If no-frills 404 doesn't appeal, others have taken their pages a bit further, with varying degrees of success. BBC News offers simple branding on a white background, and displays "404 - Page Not Found" in red.

Underneath, there's a clear explanation of why this page may have been arrived at, including a brief explanation of link conventions, stating that spaces and capital letters don't exist in BBC URLs. It also explains that the user can click the back button, and gives links to homepages and the BBC's full list of sites and services.

Note that the BBC provides a link to its sites and services, rather than nailing a site map to its error page. The latter was once considered good practice, but it can be overwhelming on an error page for lost users; nowadays, a diminishing number of sites use site maps in this way.

ORCS Web Inc Selected as Network Partner for Microsoft BizSpark Program

by Tabitha Berg

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — ORCS Web, a specialist in Windows-based internet hosting for small businesses, announced that it has been selected to join the Microsoft BizSpark Program as a Network Partner. The BizSpark Program is a new global program designed to accelerate the success of early stage Startups by connecting them to Network Partners who can provide mentorship, guidance and resources to BizSpark Startups. BizSpark creates an ongoing, mutually beneficial relationship among Microsoft, Startups and Network Partners.

ORCS Web’s CEO, Brad Kingsley, was delighted to be part of this program aimed at helping entrepreneurs transform their ambitions into sustainable, dynamic businesses and to foster innovation and growth. “Our hosting is geared to the realities of life in a small business,” he said, “which makes this a great match.”

The three areas of particular synergy he outlined were:

* Allowing entrepreneurs to focus entirely on their business growth by using ORCS Web to manage their firm’s internet presence, providing the expertise, resources, and dedication to keep everything running smoothly. Such professionalism gives website visitors the impression of a much larger, more established company.

* The ability to immediately address any requests or issues, by offering direct access to a dedicated support team. ORCS Web has no forms to complete, problem tickets to fill out, or other impediments to getting clients’ needs taken care of quickly and efficiently.

* Offering flexibility to change plans as needs change. Most plans have no minimum commitment period; and ORCS Web technical specialists monitor the site and recommend new configurations as appropriate to satisfy new requirements most economically.

BizSpark gives young companies fast and easy access to Microsoft’s full-featured development tools and platform technologies, as well as production licenses, to bring innovative solutions to market. For its part, ORCS Web gives them a stable, professional web presence with minimum investment and hassle and maximum flexibility and peace of mind.

To learn more about ORCS Web, visit www.ORCSWeb.com/SmallBiz .

About ORCS Web

ORCS Web is a Charlotte-based web hosting firm that has provided managed hosting solutions since 1996 for clients in more than 70 countries who develop and deploy their applications on Microsoft Windows platforms. Services include shared hosting, dedicated hosting, and webfarm hosting, with specialty in ASP .NET, SQL Server, and architecting highly scalable solutions. ORCS Web’s dedication to being Number One in customer service offers an Unrivaled Windows Web Hosting Experience. ORCS Web is a Gold Certified Microsoft Partner.

AuctionBytes Interviews GoDaddy GM on New Marketplace

By Ina Steiner
AuctionBytes.com

AuctionBytes interviewed Jonathan Cottrell, General Manager of Marketing Solutions at GoDaddy.com, about the new Go Daddy Marketplace that launched on Tuesday. As we reported last week, GoDaddy is charging sellers $4.99/month to list on the site with a 10% commission fee on all sales. The company, known for its domain-name registration and web-hosting services, will process customer payments on behalf on merchants.

AuctionBytes: Where can users find the User Agreement/Terms of Service for the marketplace service?

Jonathan Cottrell: Upon adding a product to their cart and then moving forward to the check out, customers must indicate they have agreed to the following end user license agreement: Link

AuctionBytes: Can sellers cancel their subscription at any time?

Jonathan Cottrell: Yes. There is no obligation to remain a merchant.

AuctionBytes: Do you have customer support for buyers and for sellers?

Jonathan Cottrell: Go Daddy is renowned for its industry-best customer service. As usual with Go Daddy products and services, we offer 24/7/365 LIVE customer service support, whether by phone or email.

That being said, if a buyer had a product-specific question, we may find it prudent to direct them to the seller, as the only information our customer care representatives have is that which the seller has listed on their product pages.

We make all sellers' information available to buyers, as can be seen on the business listings (e.g. see the right sidebar here: Link)

AuctionBytes: Do you have an import tool for sellers to import product listings onto the Go Daddy Marketplace?

Jonathan Cottrell: We certainly do! It's called Quick Shopping Cart (QSC). As noted on our Go Daddy Marketplace offer, sellers can quickly import all their product listings directly from Quick Shopping Cart.

Quick Shopping Cart has been an incredibly successful application that Go Daddy's ecommerce customers have used over the years, and we view Go Daddy Marketplace as just another distribution point for those merchants who use it. Quick Shopping Cart creates a fully-functional ecommerce Web site for companies doing business exclusively online, or brick and mortar stores looking to expand their Internet presence. For more information about Quick Shopping Cart, see: Link

AuctionBytes: How will Go Daddy handle disputes of item not described or item not received from buyers?

Jonathan Cottrell: If a buyer wishes to dispute an item, they can call, enter a support ticket online, or email marketplacedisputes@godaddy.com and our dedicated dispute and compliance staff will contact both parties to gather information and make a decision based on that data.

We also have a returns and refund policy located here that describes what we expect in our transactions.

AuctionBytes: Will Go Daddy accept all types of merchandise and services? Digital content?

Jonathan Cottrell: Currently, we are accepting only shippable products and service contacts, no downloadable content or chargeable services. In addition, we have a list of prohibited items

AuctionBytes: Must sellers reside in the U.S., or can they be located anywhere in the world? Are there other restrictions?

Jonathan Cottrell: Currently, buyers and sellers must reside in the U.S. However, we are working quickly to enable international shipping. This is a high priority for us.

AuctionBytes: Will there be any type of feedback system in which buyers and sellers can leave each other feedback?

Jonathan Cottrell: Certainly. Go Daddy provides avenues for both feedback and contact between buyers and sellers. This includes standard channels, such as comments, and will move toward more unique offerings, such as instant chat and using Go Daddy Customer Manager to inform sellers when their buyers or potential buyers have product questions or want to speak with them about the products they have already purchased.

Beyond that, our developers gather feedback regularly - directly from customer care calls -to make our products and services better and more effective.

AuctionBytes: Can sellers brand themselves?

Jonathan Cottrell: We are definitely not limiting Go Daddy Marketplace sellers from communicating their brand's name, information about their business, where they can be located, etc. In fact, Go Daddy intends to develop additional marketing solutions centered around Go Daddy Customer Manager that will enable our sellers to continue marketing to those customers for retention purposes. Above all, Go Daddy aims to empower our loyal vendors to establish and build their businesses online, and we see Go Daddy Marketplace as another extension of that objective.

Inaugural Microsoft Web Hosting Interview Series Highlights ORCS Web

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:07:51 -0800 PST
by Aria Munro

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The importance of ORCS Web to the Microsoft web hosting community was underscored today as the company announced it had received top billing in Microsoft’s new Web Hosting Interview series. Representatives from ORCS Web, listed as “one of the most experienced Microsoft Platform hosting companies in business,” offered their insights into web hosting in the Windows world. “ORCS Web’s working relationship with Microsoft enables us to serve our shared, virtual, and dedicated plan clients with the highest level of technical expertise and timeliness in the business,” said Brad Kingsley, CEO.

He added, “We are pleased to be a key participant in Microsoft’s Web Hosting Interviews site, and look forward to nurturing the synergies that the two companies have, to provide superior service to our mutual customers.”

Among the key points made by ORCS Web in the interview were:

* Focusing only on Microsoft technologies has both increased the depth of technical expertise on the team, as well as enabled an outstanding relationship with Microsoft support personnel.

* Working with a single operating system vendor provides a level of predictability and continuity that is infeasible in the diffuse community of Linux/UNIX vendors.

* The reliability of Microsoft’s server products has been outstanding, despite impressions from years past.

* The ability to work with Microsoft in the early stages of new technologies such as IIS7 and SQL Server 2008 has given ORCS Web the ability to offer its clients access to new releases on Day One, ensuring new product support that is both cutting-edge and well tested.

Interview series: www.microsoft.com/windowsserver/compare/web-hosting-orcs-web.mspx

About ORCS Web

ORCS Web is a Charlotte-based web hosting firm that has provided managed hosting solutions since 1996 for clients in more than 70 countries who develop and deploy their applications on Microsoft Windows platforms. Services include shared hosting, dedicated hosting, and webfarm hosting, with specialty in ASP.NET, SQL Server, and architecting highly scalable solutions. ORCS Web’s dedication to being Number One in customer service offers an Unrivaled Windows Web Hosting Experience. ORCS Web is a Gold Certified Microsoft Partner.

To learn more about ORCS Web, visit www.ORCSWeb.com .