Website Hosting » sharepoint

January 2012 Webhosting Deals Review

suhailajmal — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:12:34 +0000

A screenshot of Blacknight's promo announcement on its blog

The New Year started off with a bang as web hosts from across the globe offered spectacular deals on their services and domains. As clients kept on watching in amazement, hosting companies such as iPage and Action Web Group wowed them by offering deals that had to be seen to be believed.

Action Web Group, the renowned hosting company, made headlines this month as it offered a 10% discount on all its hosting and website building deals. Customers can buy the three packages and the four sitebuilder ones, via the coupon code jan2012.

Similarly, Blacknight, the domain registrar and hosting organization, is currently offering .com, .net, .org and .biz registrations at a mere $7.60. Besides this, the company is also offering 40% off on Medius/Maximus shared Windows along with 33% off on all its Microsoft SharePoint, Hosted Exchange Lite, and Blackberry Enterprise Server hosting offers.

Likewise, hosting company Web Host 1&1 also offered a spectacular six month deal to its Professional and Advanced eShop clients. Apart from this, customers can also avail the 1&1 site builder (MyWebsite) free of charge for the initial 30 days of purchase. They can also choose to benefit from the 12 month contract on offer.

Original: January 2012 Webhosting Deals Review

AIS Network Launches iPad 2 Giveaway Campaign

DN — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 14:20:08 +0000

(From Website Hosting)

To increase its channel developing abilities, well known SharePoint hosting provider, came up with a free iPad 2 distribution campaign, which awards every user, an Apple iPad 2, who brings AISN a new hosting customer. AISN’s iPad 2 advertising agrees with SPTechCon, the greatest SharePoint conference held for IT professionals, business managers, developers and analysts from across the globe.

The SAS 70 Type II certified SharedPoint hosting is already in the midst of a successful dealership foundation in Microsoft SharePoint practicing and developing society and became the first hosting organization to provide hosted SharePoint 2010 in the cloud.

“The Apple iPad 2 contains the world’s most advanced mobile operating system. It combines speed, stability, security, responsiveness and versatility —qualities that embody the feeling of AISN’s brand,” said CEO Jay Atkinson, who noted that AISN clients can conveniently use an iPad to monitor remotely their hosting service status.

“The iPad 2 provides everything in one convenient spot — making surfing the Web, checking email, watching movies and reading books so natural that you easily might forget there’s amazing technology under your fingers. Not only is an iPad 2 one of the hottest gadgets, but, just like AISN’s SharePoint hosting services, it gives you everything you need in one convenient package.”

For information on AISN promotion visit http://www.aisn .net /promotions.

Functioning from centers in Chicago and Washington DC, AISN has 18 years worth of experience in managed hosting.

About AIS Network, LLC.

AIS Network fuels SharePoint cloud. The customers of AISN do not have SharePoint servers in the organizations since those servers are reserved 24/7/365 in world class, disaster proof buildings which confirm their ability to enhance with the growth of the customer organizations. AISN has a great deal of experience in complete managed hosting which it has been providing through managed, cloud and applications hosting from 1993 onwards. AISN is different from many hosting companies in a way that it is a SAS 70 Type II certified organization which specialized in customer service, assuring clients that they are entrusting their personal information in the right place.

Original: AIS Network Launches iPad 2 Giveaway Campaign

Enterprise Collaboration Mixed With Social Networking

DN — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 20:46:48 +0000

(From Website Hosting)

Social networks are becoming more popular on a daily basis with new users joining every second. However, many of these networks are a means of collaborating business. Software devices like Microsoft SharePoint, Yammer and Confluence keep their users in a collaborative space. The original sites that pioneer these ideas are still very much alive. These include, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Facebook and LinkedIn have a strong presence with regards to enterprise collaboration. LinkedIn has an expansive reputation of connecting business professionals with one another. In graduate business schools across the country, faculty emphasizes the importance of using LinkedIn to improve networking. There are currently rumors of LinkedIn going public with the release of a social news service.

Started in 2002, LinkedIn has over 90 million members in 200 countries. It holds the title for the world’s largest professional network. The program allows users to build a profile highlighting their education and work experience while maintaining relationships with similar industry professionals. There are multiple account levels including:

Basic – free
Business – $24.95 per month
Business Plus – $49.95 per month
Executive – $99.95 per month
Pro – $499.95 per month

The basic version is free of charge and offers the lowest functionality for users. The business version offers all functions of the free plan in addition to direct emailing, improved search, extended profiles and additional statistics. The business plus monthly plan permits additional direct messages and search results. The executive plan features enhanced messaging and search with full name visibility.

Finally, the most expensive and extensive plan is pro which provides users with full messaging services, premium search services (with more profiles) and the maximum number of introductory requests.

Facebook is the social networking site that started it all. Similar to LinkedIn, Facebook allows users to create a profile and interact with others. However, Facebook users tend to be younger with casual connections and content that is less business focused. However, Facebook is used as a business tool with regards to advertising and e-commerce.

Therefore, which social networking site is better for enterprise collaboration? Currently, LinkedIn seems to be the leader of business social networking. However, with the continually growing user base Facebook has the potential to be more of a business networking tool in the future. Individuals from all walks of life have a Facebook profile. Therefore, in the next five years Facebook could become number one.

Original: Enterprise Collaboration Mixed With Social Networking

Writing Custom Code for Microsoft SharePoint

DN — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 20:28:55 +0000

(From Website Hosting)

There are many arguments as to why you should not write custom code for Microsoft SharePoint. However, there are plenty of valid arguments for writing custom code. Microsoft SharePoint 2010 is the most recent version of the content management software which is being increasingly used by major corporations to share important files in a web environment throughout the company. The integration of SharePoint and Web 2.0 functionality makes this software an attractive option.

There are three primary reasons to write custom code for Microsoft SharePoint including:

Interfacing with Line of Business systems
Corporate branding
Limitations presented by SharePoint

SharePoint is considered the glue between many different systems. Therefore, the software is capable of being interfaced with numerous applications. The most basic use is through Microsoft Excel and Access which are considered business connectivity services. However, there are instances when custom code must be written to better communicate with these various systems. For example, when more complicated requirements arise like old systems talking to new systems.

Another idea that warrants proprietary code in SharePoint is corporate branding. All organizations want to brand their intranet as well as corporate SharePoint site. A reasonable level of branding can greatly enhance any intranet site or internal portal. This will improve the user satisfaction from the instant they log in. Also, custom code can offer a uniform interface across all systems which give users familiarity and thus helps streamline productivity.

To be successful when creating intranet and portal projects, you must provide outstanding functionality with the code you are writing. Since most users need to be able to find information quickly, they do not need areas that are difficult to navigate and do not work correctly.

An additional idea is that custom code can bypass many of the advanced limitations set forth by SharePoint. It is always advised to solve most SharePoint problems through Microsoft channels. However, sometimes the demand for specific functions is so high, the only option is to create and implement the requirement yourself.

SharePoint has helped systems communicate at many major corporations across the globe. With the almost endless functionality of the software, most instances do not require the creation of custom code. However, the three aforementioned situations do occasionally occur and warrant further code development. The greatest point to remember is once the code is complete; it must flow in SharePoint and work as advertised.

Original: Writing Custom Code for Microsoft SharePoint

Microsoft Cloud Services for SaaS Delivery Model

DN — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 15:19:30 +0000

(From Website Hosting)

Microsoft Cloud Hosting Service, Azure offers web hosting providers cloud deployment alongwith number of IT outsourcing services. Microsoft Cloud Services are designed to provide users MSP mode and addressing rising frequent revenues.

Many businesses have deployed Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Sharepoint applications, so there is nothing extraordinary with these hosted versions. However, cloud-based services are exceptional to add value in the already installed apps.

Microsoft is focusing on providing rapid business solutions to its customers and for this reason they are arranging ‘Application Platforms’. For instance, ‘xRM’ development toolset is a fundamental tool for distributed cloud environments where service providers can replicate databases among data-centers.

Another great aspect of collaboration productivity is its focus on legal compliance capabilities. With the increasing demand of security, traditional IT methods are no longer stable to address security issues. The Cloud environment offers the solution in the form of plug-ins which can be implemented on Exchange and SharePoint to make them more practical and productive.

SharePoint is the main product from Microsoft which increases staff productivity and assist organizations to achieve its goals. The Relational Productivity Application white paper (19-page PDF), published by Microsoft explains about Application Framework approach and Innovation Process Management Solution.

Aberdeen report on ‘Securing Unstructured Data’ tells us another story. According to the report, while bringing these tools together, there are more security risks. Word, Excel, multimedia and other types of raw files all come under unstructured data and these files propagate very fast across the network. Though, organizations can save SharePoint if they put a firewall on the hosting server and restrict VPN access, but still all the above mentioned files are unsafe when they are downloaded over the internet.

Organizations can use HP-Trim software to save the records but this works fine only when data is saved on a single SharePoint server and when security restrictions are implemented fully. The more authentic approach is to save user profiles and unstructured data behind the corporate firewall. Another report from EMC predicts that there are still number of chances for this data being lost.

Cloud storage is the solution of all these issues as explained by author in Aberdeen report which provides us technology bundle to address such problems. The software in the Cloud platform encrypts and replicates data across many channels and offers the highest security through intelligent automation. Moreover, time-stamping cloud service can be used for authentication and legal compliance which works perfect in the event of disaster.

Original: Microsoft Cloud Services for SaaS Delivery Model

Hosting Controller: Unpopular But Powerful Software

DN — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 03:04:55 +0000

(From Website Hosting)

While you might not have heard about Hosting Controller, it is still a very powerful control panel software that is steadily building a healthy fan base. The hosting Controller software is designed to benefit both the end-user and the web host by providing simplification of daily administrative tasks. This control panel is also very suitable for those using clustered hosting. Because it’s centralized interface makes managing several servers at once very easy. Hosting Controller also carries support for Sharepoint and MS Exchange, while most of it’s competitors in the control panel market do not. Aside from its compatibility with the aforementioned softwares, Hosting Controller also offers the following key features.

Performance

Most of the problems associated with web hosting stem from high traffic and memory consuming applications. Eventually these problems slow down servers and cause downtime for websites. Hosting Controller provides a software based load balancer that guarantees optimal performance for your website and server. This load balancer has the ability to optimize the use of your server space and capabilities.

Simple Installations

Even though most web hosting services offer support for many third-party applications, the installation process involved with these applications can be difficult at times. With the integrated installation utility, Hosting Controller makes the process of installing new applications quick and simple. Some of the more notable softwares that are automatically included with Hosting Controller are: phpBB, WordPress, osCommerce, Gallery, Post Nuke, Web Calender, Joomla and Mambo.

Cluster Management

Maintaining multiple servers can be a complex process that is very time consuming. Improper server management due to an incapable control panel can result in server downtime that can directly affect your online business. Hosting controller let’s you manage multiple servers from a single effective administrative interface. Therefore you no longer have to log into each servers administration module separately, which in itself can take up a lot of precious time. In fact, Hosting Controller was specifically designed for clustered hosting.

Compatibility

Unlike most control panels, Hosting Controller is compatible with both the Windows and Linux operating systems. Although it is compatible with both of these operating systems, it is important to note that the master server must run on the Windows operating system. Hosting controller also has the capability to work seamlessly with both IIS and Apache servers simultaneously within a singular interface.

Even the above features do not begin to describe the efficacy of Hosting Controller. In fact, this software is one of the few notable administrative alternatives to Plesk and cPanel.

Original: Hosting Controller: Unpopular But Powerful Software

White-Label Reselling the Focus of EMEA Roadshow

DN — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:34:56 +0000

(From Website Hosting)

Just announced, web hosting automation and server virtualization software vendor Parallels, will play a host to a traveling show that targets its partners, hosting firms, cloud service providers and ISVs.

The EMEA Partner Roadshow will share insight regarding the best practices for deploying web applications and services in the hosted environment. The event will also give comprehensive examples of how hosting providers can leverage white-label reseller solutions to generate a profitable indirect sales channel with a broader range of applications, all while maintaining customer loyalty and brand independence. White-label reselling allows providers to resell and distribute a number of popular SaasS applications such as Microsoft Exchange Server, Office Communications Server and Sharepoint in a hosted environment. The key selling point of the SaaS model is that customers merely subscribe to applications rather than buying them outright, generally on a monthly basis. With this pay-per-usage model, small to medium sized businesses get the benefit of an easy to use, affordable service.

Dan Germain, CTO of managed IT solutions provider Cobweb Solutions Limited, explained how that by leveraging Parallels, the company was able to significantly increase its average per user revenue while reducing operating costs and deploying new solutions faster than ever before. Germain remarked that it was imperative for them to find a provider capable of properly supporting a white-label service on both a modular and infrastructure level. This in turn, enabled its partners to transparently resell Cobweb hosting solutions under their own brand. Thanks to Parallels, Cobweb and its resellers can now provide a multitude of solutions, flexible billing and administration options across its wide array of services.

White-label reselling allows hosting providers to adequately delegate service offerings to clients, thus providing them with a way to offer and resell a broader spectrum of applications without all the cost and complexities of maintaining an infrastructure to distribute the applications themselves. It also opens up an additional sales channel while allowing resellers to maintain their unique brand identity and loyalty within the customer. This type of solution makes it possible for almost anyone to operate their own web hosting business. All they have to do is lease the server space, bandwidth and necessary services from an established hosting firm for a low price that spares them the cost of expensive web servers, network connectivity, IT staff, software licenses and infrastructure.

The 2009 Parallels Partner Roadshow is scheduled to take place on September 1 in Stockholm, Sweden and run through September 7, with the final show wrapping up in London, England. You find more information or register for the events at the Parallels website.

About Parallels

Founded in 1999, Parallels is a global leading provider of web hosting automation and virtualization software. Its products are designed to optimize the computing experience for cloud service providers, businesses and consumers across virtually every major operating system, hardware and virtualization platform. Parallels is currently one of the fastest growing companies in the industry with more than 650 employees throughout the continents of Asia, Europe and North America.

Crucial Web Host

Original: White-Label Reselling the Focus of EMEA Roadshow