For those of you that haven’t heard, managed hosting company, Rackspace, has filed the paperwork persuant to an initial public offering (IPO) of stock. Here are a few of the highlights from the S-1 documents filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission:

Rackspace has traditionally offered managed dedicated servers and more recently, hosted email services. In the S-1 documents, here is how Rackspace describes its business. ‘’We deliver websites, web-based IT systems, and computing as a service. Our rapid growth is the result of our commitment to serving our customers, known as Fanatical Support, and our exclusive focus on hosting.

Hosting providers offer services to support websites, web-based IT systems, and computing. The equipment required (servers, routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, cabinets, software, wiring, etc.) to deliver services is typically purchased and managed by the hosting provider. As a result, hosting providers reduce customers’ initial capital investment and ongoing operating costs. Hosting also reduces the complexity of deploying and managing IT systems and computing, and changes the way companies purchase these products and services. Rackspace offers a full suite of hosting services, including dedicated hosting, managed hosting, and email hosting, as well as emerging services such as platform hosting and cloud hosting.'’

According to the S-1 documents, the following financial services companies are designated as underwriters of the shares, Goldman, Sachs & Co., Credit Suisse, Merrill Lynch & Co. and WR Hambrecht + Co.

Rackspace has been growing substantially over the past few years. The filing outlines that Rackspace has grown net revenue over the past five years from $56.6 million in 2003 to $362.0 million in 2007, representing an annual growth rate of 59.0%. During the same five year period, the company grew net income from $208,000 to $17.8 million.

So how will Rackspace pay back thier investors and shareholders? By growing even more of course! Here is the statement regarding the company’s prospects moving forward:

‘’Our vision is to be recognized as one of the world’s great service companies. Our goal is to expand our leadership position in hosting around the world, and our strategy for accomplishing this goal includes the following key elements:

Add New Customers. We intend to continue our focus on aggressively acquiring profitable new customers.

Keep Existing Customers for Life and Sell Existing Customers More Services. When we serve customers well, they generally stay with us and buy more services. This means each customer has the potential to generate significant lifetime economic value.

Add New Services. Our goal is to add new services to meet our customers’ growing needs.

Expand Globally. We intend to expand further into continental Europe and to Asia.

Continue to Invest in Our Culture and Hire the Best People. We intend to continue our highly selective hiring process and maintain a work environment that encourages passionate, engaged Rackers.'’

Reagrdless of the outcome of this filing, it is a great step forward for Rackspace. The publicity surround the potential for an IPO is boosting the entire web hosting industry. I wish Rackspace well in capitalizing on this fantastic opportunity!

This content is presented coutesy of the VPS and dedicated hosting experts at HostMySite.com.

ColdFusion hosting and development received a big boost earlier this year with the official launch of Adobe’s ColdFusion 8 platform. Now that the dust has settled, I thought that I would list off a few good resources for those of you considering using ColdFusion 8 to produce websites or online applications. So here is a brief list of ColdFusion resources in no particular order:

The ColdFusion section of the Adobe website: You can read up on all the specifications of ColdFusion 8. Also compare the latest version features with previous versions. If you are so inclined, you can buy a full license to install on your own server. There are also some pretty entertaining customer story videos embedded in the home page.

The Adobe ColdFusion support forums: An active community of ColdFusion developers sharing tips and techniques for getting the most out of ColdFusion 8. There are posts from the very basic (read, getting started) to the uber complex. A good first place to go with any general technical ColdFusion 8 queries.

ColdFusion hosting and ColdFusion VPS hosting from HostMySite.com: You’ve got to host your ColdFusion site somewhere. HostMySite.com is a certified Adobe Solution Partner and has been hosting ColdFusion websites for 10 years. That plus the fact that they answer the phone in 3 rings or less.

The Forta.com website (the official blog of ColdFusion guru Ben Forta): Ben Forta has forgotten more about ColdFusion than anyone else on the planet has ever even learned. He has written several definitive ColdFusion coding books, and is currently the most Senior ColdFusion Product Evangelist for Adobe. That means he travels around the world explaining why ColdFusion is so great to the masses. If you want to see more on Ben’s credentials, check out his Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Forta.

Another great ColdFusion resource for developers is House of Fusion: This website developed and run by Michael and Judith Dinowitz is a deep and unparalleled coder’s paradise. There are significant chunks of well-written code, a very active ColdFusion developer community and also a ColdFusion jobs section. Plus, if you need ColdFusion tutorials, House of Fusion is the website for you.

There are many many more resources online for ColdFusion hosting and development. Another way to get started with this huge list of sites is simply to conduct a few Google searches on topics like, ColdFusion resources, ColdFusion code snippets, or any other ColdFusion-related search queries.

Good luck getting your ColdFusion 8 website launched!

I was fortunate enough to attend the launch of Microsoft’s Windows Server 2008 last week in Los Angeles. I wrote a summary which I am including below. It was a truly fun and exciting event. I highly recommend that you consider attending a launch event near you if you are a Windows host or developer. Register early though - the first event was ‘’sold out'’.

In a spectacular production that felt right at home in the land of motion pictures, Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft, Mr. Steve Ballmer, on Wednesday addressed a capacity crowd at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles to usher in the era of Windows Server 2008. Using 3 dimensional powerpoint slides, no less than 6 video cameras, huge wall projections, and a visually stunning steady cam shot throughout, Mr. Ballmer stepped through the entire Microsoft Strategy of Dynamic IT and the implications for developers embracing the new paradigm.

The preliminaries were conducted by another familiar face - the longtime anchor and managing editor of the NBC Nightly News, Mr. Tom Brokaw. In his eloquent introductory remarks Mr. Brokaw examined the rapid changes in technology over the past few years, and told personal anecdotes that illuminated the human side of technology. His defining statement offered was, ‘’The test of our place in this world is not yet complete, after all we don’t want to become Easter Island. What I believe in my heart and in my mind is that it will do us little good to wire the world if we short circuit our consciousness, and our souls - if we shortchange our potential to use this technology to advance mankind.'’

In a bluster of confidence born of running one of the world’s most successful businesses ever, Mr. Ballmer then strode to the stage and seamlessly brought together the impressive array of technology that wrapped around his cogent remarks. Teleprompter, video projection, 3-D floating graphics, wireless microphone, steady cam, video clips of a ficticious retail coffee corporation and live person, on-stage demonstrations unveiled themselves one after the other in a supremely choreographed ensemble that belonged within a stone’s throw of Hollywood. The theatrics, however, were never overbearing nor did they ever distract from an important message delivered by Mr. Ballmer: “For me the heart of our industry is the software developers, and the I.T. professionals who go out every day and make great things happen.'’

The Los Angeles event was the kickoff of over 200 worldwide events celebrating the launch of Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008. In addition to the keynote address, the launch event featured Breakout Sessions, Hands On Labs, Microsoft and Partner Pavilions, Chalk Talks, and Ask the Experts.

A capacity crowd estimated at nearly 7,000 attendees flooded the Partner Pavilion at the first possible moment that the doors opened - leading sponsors to deal with an unusual problem: how to manage the overflow of interested potential customers. One such sponsor, Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Bronze Sponsor of the Launch event, and Windows Server 2008 hosting experts, HostMySite.com, experienced the Partner Pavilion rush firsthand. According to HostMySite.com Vice President of Marketing, Mr. Derek Vaughan, ‘’The response from the developer community for these new Microsoft products is absolutely overwhelming. The company has obviously hit a huge homerun with the new features and virtualization components of Windows Server 2008. We are honored to be a sponsor of this launch event, and will participate fully in future events as they are announced.'’

Microsoft maintains a website devoted to the Windows Server 2008 launch events unfolding throughout the year. To learn more or to attend an event in your local area, please visit: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/default.aspx.

To take advantage of a special trial offer on a Windows 2008 server from Microsoft Gold Certified web hosting company, HostMySite.com, please visit: http://www.hostmysite.com/ws08offers/ or go to: http://www.HostMySite.com.

This content was written by Derek Vaughan and is offered courtesy of HostMySite.com.

In a few weeks Microsoft will be releasing and launching its complement of 2008 development and hosting products. As is usual for the software giant, Microsoft will be holding over 200 worldwide events to mark the launch of Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008.

The first of these events will be held in Los Angeles, California on February 27, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. As a Microsoft Gold Certified web hosting partner, Windows Server 2008 hosting company, HostMySite.com, will be in attendance at the event. Mr. Matt Ferrari from HostMySite.com will be featured as a Microsoft ‘’Hero'’.

The keynote for the event will be delivered by the first business manager hired by Bill Gates in 1980 - and now serving as Chief Executive Officer at Microsoft, Steve Ballmer. According to the current agenda mapped out by Microsoft, the launch event will consist of:

Breakout Sessions - These are essentially classroom sessions to familiarize participants with the new products - Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008.

Hands On Labs - This will give attendees the opportunity to actually try out and test the software with Microsoft experts standing by to help and answer questions.

Microsoft and Partner Pavilions - Displays and information from Microsoft and partner companies that will enhance the software products.

Chalk Talks - A chance for developers and programmers to speak directly with the software engineers who wrote the code.

Ask the Experts - Members of the development team for Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008 answer any more questions thrown at them.

The launch event runs from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm on February 27, 2008. To view details about the launch event or to register, please visit:

http://www.microsoft.com/heroeshappenhere/events/los-angeles/default.mspx#

Remember, these launch waves will be held in over 200 locations worldwide over the next year. So if you are near any major city, there will be an event coming soon to your area. I’ll be in Los Angeles for this event - so I hope to see you there.

This content was written by Derek Vaughan and is provided courtesy of the .net hosting experts at HostMySite.com.

For anyone who’s been living under a rock since November 5th, 2007 I’d like to inform you that the folks who write your favorite Hollywood television shows and movies have been on strike. Since the studios could see this coming, they stockpiled programming that could last for as long as possible - in some cases a few weeks or even months. The two sides are still haggling over the details of the writing contracts, and there is currently no end in site for the strike. So what exactly does this have to do with web hosting?

There are a few lessons that are emerging from the situation that can help any business - especially web hosting compnaies - better prepare for the future. Here are a few things to think about that are illuminated by the strike conditions:

1. Plan Ahead - Web hosting is an unforgiving medium when it comes to disaster. Just as the Hollywood studios are discovering that they did not plan far enough ahead, any web host can be unprepared in the event of drastic changes in staffing, customer count, or data center failures. Prepare now for eventualities. This planning should include key personnel, key equipment, and a realistic look at cash flow and finances.

2. Make Certain That Key Personnel Are Redundant - Don’t rest the entirety of your business on one or a few key players that have no backup. Just as Hollywood has ground to a halt due to one key component failing, a web hosting company can grind to a halt if a critical employee exits the scene. Cross training is the key to business continuety. Don’t be caught off guard if a competitior or other superior business opportunity lures away your key talent. Plan for that continguency.

3. Learn to Improvise - Several of the late night talk shows have made the decision to return without the benefit of their regular staff writers. The stars will simply improvise their way through interviews and short segments. How on earth will these shows get by? No one is really sure. But it won’t be like it is when the writers are working. The talent will create entertainment spontaneously without scripting. The lesson for a web hosting company is that occaissionally it is good to change the way you do things - shake things up. You may discover a better, faster or more efficient way of operating. Don’t get so set in your ways that you give up on innovation.

4. People Don’t Miss Certain Things - Be careful what you fail to deliver to customers, they may not miss it! As shown by the writers strike, when new content on television isn’t available, the viewers simply turn elsewhere for entertainment. There was no loud uproar over the lack of new programming. In fact, one wonders what might happen if the strike continues for an extended duration - say one or two years. Will anything really change? As applied to web hosting, be careful that you properly evaluate which of your products and services are really important to your customers, and keep delivering it well. Here’s a hint: email falls into this category.

Take the lessons of the Hollywood writer’s strike to heart, and improve your web hosting business!

This content was written by Derek Vaughan, and is provided courtesy of the VPS hosting experts at HostMySite.com.

I’ve started to see a few web hosting companies that are celebrating birthdays in the media. It’s fun to see companies that have reached the “ripe old age” of say seven years old! For example, 34sp.com announced today that it is celebrating seven years in web hosting.

According to their press release, “34sp.com was founded in the year 2000. Entrepreneur partners, Stuart Melling and Daniel Foster, have grown 34SP.com to become synonymous with reliability, professionalism, value for the money and true expertise in content management solutions in a hosted environment.

Messieurs Melling and Foster began operations as a small web hosting and design firm operating out of a Manchester flat. Both partners had struggled to find quality, affordable web hosting during their University studies. 34sp.com was therefore founded with powerful features and affordability in mind. The founder’s first ad campaign was to affix hundreds of posters around various campuses of Manchester Universities. In fact, for a period, both Mr. Melling and Mr. Foster met personally with each and every customer that signed up for service! After seven years in business, the company has grown to encompass all facets of content management focused web hosting including: WordPress web hosting, dedicated servers, reseller hosting, VPS hosting, and domain name registration services.”

Another noteworthy birthday occured earlier this year when HostMySite.com announced its tenth anniversary in web hosting. According to information released by the company, ”

Founded by Lou Honick (CEO) and Neil Heuer (CTO) in 1997, HostMySite.com has thrived in the fiercely competitive website hosting industry. Over their 10 years in business, HostMySite.com has acquired an ever-rising list of awards and glowing testimonials that proves the company’s dedication to customer service and ongoing customer support. Most recently, the company was featured as one of Delaware Today’s ‘Great Places to Work’ and has earned ranking on the last 2 INC. 500 lists of the fastest growing privately held companies in the United States.”

I’m sure that there are other web hosting companies out there celebrating these longevity milestones as well. So in addition to congratulating the two hosts mentioned above, I give a general “shout out” to every web hosting company that has proven its staying power over the past decade. Let’s look forward to the next ten years as well!

This content was written by Derek Vaughan, Chief Marketing Officer with TechPad Agency, LLC - a full resource advertising and marketing agency, specializing in products and services for the web hosting industry. Mr. Vaughan’s writing appears courtesy of the dedicated server experts at www.thehostingnews.com.

For anyone who’s been out of the loop for a while, WordPress is a (mostly) free blogging platform created in an open source manner. While it still requires a separate hosting account to fully exploit all the functionality, the system has been catching on quite quickly and there are many hosts now supporting accounts that were created to house a WordPress blog.

So why is WordPress catching on so quickly? It’s simple. No really - that’s what I mean, it’s really easy to use. It’s simple.

I was first exposed to the WordPress platform and blogging intoface when I helped out on the HostingCon blog a few years ago. George Roberts (the organizer of HostingCon) had set up a blog that used WordPress. So he gives me *maybe* a two minute tutorial. It wnet something like this:

Derek: “So how does it…”

George (in a REALLY big hurry): “So you put the title here, the text for the body goes there, click here to add links, and add some tags at the bottom. So you’re good, right?”

Derek: “Well, it might take a…”

George: “Awesome! I’ll check in with you later. Gotta go!”

So I had literally NO background or experience with any WordPress site ever. None. Fast forward a few minutes and I had easily created a decent looking blog post. I noticed a minor typo - then I wnet back and figured out (easily) how to edit the mistake - and republished. This all took just a few minutes of learning. The next blog post was even easier, as I had already figured out the basics.

The point is that “ease of use” is a key driver of massively adopted online technologies these days. Another driver is the fact that many new plug-ins, themes (templates to spice up the design of your blog), and search engine friendly scripts are being launched - literally - every day for WordPress blogs.

So how to get started if you want to try this easy system to get a blog up and running?

You can visit the WordPress website.

There are great tips and some paid plugins there.

I would also recommend checking out a newly launched resource for WordPress hosting, from 34sp.com. They have some tools and an auto-installer for WordPress, along with a section for WordPress resources. You can also get your WordPress plugin or theme blog ranked by them in their “best of” section. Of course they also do all the WordPress hosting and customer support as well.

So what do WordPress websites look like? I’ll leave you with a few examples of WordPress sites you can check out.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

http://newteevee.com/

http://parkavenuepeerage.wordpress.com/

Oh yeah, I almost forgot - the PingZine blog is a WordPress blog too!

This content was written by Derek Vaughan, Chief Marketing Officer with TechPad Agency, LLC - a full resource advertising and marketing agency, specializing in products and services for the web hosting industry. Mr. Vaughan’s writing appears courtesy of the dedicated server experts at www.thehostingnews.com.
 

Product Management is not technical. Product Management is a business and professional function of a company in which goods or services are planned, marketed, and distributed.

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Has anyone asked, realistically, why 1&1 is so successful? The knee jerk reaction is that they sell cheap web hosting. Lots of Hosts sell cheap web hosting. Walmart sells cheap, hmm well cheap everything. But that is not enough. For Walmart to sell it needs to pack the store with buyers. How do you pack the store with buyers?

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I have one word about HostingCon 2007 – Wow! It was a blast and well worth the trip. Each day was filled with exciting sessions, receptions, parties, and many introductions. I met with some of the prominent leaders in the industry and learned about several unique and innovative products and services being introduced to the market as we speak. Some of the most unique experiences I had were interviewing Gagan Prakash of groupSPARK and Doug Johnson of SWSoft. These companies, like many other exhibitors at the show, are on the forefront of technology and innovative thinking – exactly the kind of unique aspects I look for when searching for stories to include in Ping! Zine.

Aside from interviews I also attended a session where Frank Zamani, CEO and founder of Caspio, presented 45 minutes of revenue boosting features of Caspio Bridge, an application that allows non-programmers to build web based applications without knowing a programming language. Web hosting companies and software developers can increase their revenues and provide faster deployment of custom software by using Caspio’s technology. I also attended a press meeting for R1Soft where David Wartell, founder and CEO of the company, discussed his unique Continuous Data Protection backup software. Forget desktop backup and retrieval, R1Soft’s market is strictly targeted to server backups and data center deployment.

HostingCon was not just about interviewing and attending press conferences. Meeting people face to face in the industry was one of the most rewarding and enjoyable aspects of the show. For example, I met the team from Ping! Zine – Keith Duncan, Jeremy Smith, and Devin White – wonderful people! I also met several industry leaders including Ben Gabler from HostNine, Dave Koston from cPanel, Chris West from CDG Commerce, Matthew Toback from Ubersmith, Chris Danks from Helm, David Lindahl and Sean Richards from TouchSupport, Chris Machut from SCInterface, and many other great people.

If you did not attend this year’s event, make sure you attend next year’s show. It will be well worth your time regardless of your position in the industry. Whether you are just starting a hosting company or you represent a company that provides services to hosting companies, there is a place for you at HostingCon2008. And if you are curious about those unique aspects of the companies I interviewed or sessions and press conferences I attended, and the people I met face-to-face, pick up the next issue of Ping! Zine Magazine and look for my articles.