Cloud

Built by a coder with a need for simplified virtualization, Jan Paricka developed the company now called Cloud306 (after his daughter, Adelka’s, June 30th birthday).

By owning the hardware that accesses a user’s private cloud, Cloud306 is the safest and fastest path to virtualization.

After downloading Cloud306 software to a personal computer, that single piece of hardware can then be used to access the Cloud306 dashboard. From there, users can select more than 20+ OS options and over 100+ programs (VMs) – all completely managed by Cloud306.

Citing a need for better cloud security, Jan Paricka states “…there’s no better way to keep the cloud secure than to own the hardware that accesses it.” The whole Cloud306 system is set up with user-friendliness in mind, so that “small businesses and remote offices have the power to operate and innovate on an enterprise level without the big price tag.”

Since it’s cloud-based, Cloud306’s technology also helps companies of any size cut down on IT expenses. The company takes care of server management and all virtual machine patches, so there’s no need for additional IT costs. Plus, it’s cheap.

The first cloud server is free following a fast sign-up. After that, the price per server is $10. Paricka says that the whole process takes “less than ten minutes to complete.” Once the setup is finished, feature-rich VMs can be accessed in a snap. Cloud306 is a “totally managed and secure cloud server option.”

One that makes it possible to carry a private cloud.

For more information, please visit http://cloud306.com for additional details, or email [email protected].

Netrepid President/CEO Sam Coyl has been selected by executives at The Channel Company to participate in a roundtable session titled “Channel Directions: The Six Pillars of Cloud” during XChange Solution Provider 2014 in Los Angeles for his expertise in the cloud service provider business model.

Technology solution providers have always been most successful when they have a laser-like focus on their customer set and a value add for their go-to-market partners. In a cloud-centric world, solution providers must decide where to invest for the best return and highest growth opportunities.

In this session, The Channel Company CEO Robert Faletra will discuss his insight into today’s top channel and cloud trends. In addition to receiving his insights, session attendees will also get a little help from his friends-six executives from six distinct cloud solution provider business models.

In addition to Coyl and Faletra, the five other executives selected for the session include:

Alex Brown, CEO, 10th Magnitude, Inc.
David Geevaratne, President, NEW SIGNATURE
Glen Jodoin, VP of Marketing and Operations, GreenPages Technology Solutions
Jason Lambiris, Chief Executive Officer, Apex Digital Solutions
David Powell, Vice President of Managed and Cloud Services, TekLinks

Session attendees are expected to gain a clear understanding of the primary roles of each cloud service business model, along with the pros and cons of the following:

Cloud Consultants
Cloud Service Builders
Cloud Service Providers
Cloud Agents/Resellers
Cloud Application Providers

The session is scheduled for Tuesday, March 4 from 8:15 am to 9:00 am PST, and will be live streamed and recorded. To watch the session live online, please go to www.xchange-events.com/xsp14 on the day of the event. Those interested in sharing information from the event through social media are encouraged to include the hashtag #xsp14 in their updates, which is the official hashtag of the event.

The recording of the session will be posted on the XChange Network page for the XChange Solution Provider event. Visit xchange-events.com/xsp14 following the session to find the XChange Network page to access the recording.

For information on cloud hosted services from Netrepid – including Exchange email hosting, hosted desktops from Citrix, remote data backup, SharePoint hosting, and more – please visit netrepid.com.

Green House Data, announced a new ranked storage system including advanced solid state hard drive (SSD) technology for top performance.

Driven by market demand and customer requests, the infrastructure-as-a-service provider added new SSD storage arrays ideal for high-performance requirements. SSD storage allows significantly faster access to data. In addition, the technology is more resistant to physical shock, runs silently, and has lower latency.

“The new gBlock™ storage levels were installed with our clients in mind,” said Green House Data CEO Shawn Mills. “Our customers look for custom solutions and we’re excited to have new and faster options available for them.”

The new storage technology is the latest addition to the existing industry standard storage available at Green House Data, including Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Storage Area Network (SAN) options. When designing the four storage levels, Green House Data technicians considered specific industries and implementations. For example, the top ranked level is the gBlock 2000, featuring equipment suitable for the resource-intensive applications of the financial industry. These extra resources are often needed for virtual desktops and other demanding infrastructure projects. The remaining three levels are the gBlock 1000, gBlock 500, and gBlock 250, each tailored to specific database or server requirements.

Green House Data partners with EMC® Corporation for storage and backup solutions including High Input Output Operations Per Second (IOPS) fiber channel arrays.

About Green House Data
Green House Data is a cloud hosting and colocation services provider with highly energy efficient, green data centers located across the country. The company helps its clients reduce the pressure that comes with lower IT budgets and increasingly high demands. Green House Data is a certified VMWare service provider, SSAE 16 Type II and HIPAA compliant, as well as an EPA Green Power Partner. Visit www.greenhousedata.com to learn more, view demos, or request a free cloud trial.

CatN, has launched a next generation service called vCluster, a cloud hosting platform for PHP applications such as WordPress. The service has been designed to scale automatically so that websites can easily cope with spikes in traffic.

The vCluster Platform as a Service (PaaS), built entirely by CatN, is designed to be incredibly simple to use, allowing websites to scale up and down automatically without any need for manual interaction. vCluster has been designed for a host of users, from beginners to PHP developers.

Joe Gardiner, Head of Product at CatN, said: “Our aim with vCluster is to make cloud hosting fast and simple for all; it comes with an intuitive control panel so you only need to load your website or code onto the platform and it just works. No complicated documentation or configuration is required.”

CatN has put in place a very straightforward pricing model and customers will only pay for what they use. “You get powerful cloud hosting that can absorb massive spikes in traffic for just £5 per month,” adds Gardiner. “We think that’s a pretty good deal.”

With the cloud market moving towards PaaS, managed environments make it much easier for developers to get their applications up and running on the cloud without any server configuration requirements.

vCluster has been designed for several users and uses, including:

• PHP Developers – define workflows by using multiple accounts for dev, test and staging. Forget the infrastructure and use powerful command line tools to deploy apps.

• Businesses – build business on a solid platform, collaborating with a unique eco-system of designers, developers, UX experts, software vendors and others.

• E-commerce – launch an e-commerce website easily. PHP apps, such as Magento, absolutely fly and installing a secure certificate is simple with a unique SSL wizard.

• Web agencies – benefit from granular control over billing and access for client accounts. A single, secure administration panel makes running business easier than ever.

• WordPress – run as many WordPress sites as you wish, or a single multi-site if preferred.

• Beginners – Install your favourite website tool with our one-click installer and beneft from cloud, but with a pricing model that is simple.

Mark Sutton, CTO of CatN, commented: “With the launch of vCluster version 2.0 we believe that we have the opportunity to define the PaaS category. The beauty of vCluster and PaaS is that they suit bloggers and large businesses. With open source powering vCluster we are in an excellent position to grow the product without any restrictions and to work closely with our clients to develop the features they need.”

About CatN – www.catn.com

Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), an Amazon.com company (AMZN), announced Amazon WorkSpaces, a fully managed desktop computing service in the cloud. Amazon WorkSpaces allows customers to easily provision cloud-based desktops that allow end-users to access the documents, applications and resources they need with the device of their choice, including laptops, iPad, Kindle Fire,and Android tablets. With a few clicks in the AWS Management Console, customers can provision a high-quality desktop experience for their users at less than half the cost of most traditional virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solutions. To learn more about Amazon WorkSpaces, visit http://aws.amazon.com/workspaces/.

GFI Software™ announced the addition of its Web Protection service to GFI Cloud™, the company’s innovative IT platform for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) designed to enable IT administrators to easily manage and secure servers, workstations and laptops on the move from a Web-based user interface. This new service enables SMB IT managers to reduce exposure from Web-based security risks and productivity loss by managing Internet access and use on company machines – regardless of whether they are in-house or in remote locations. With this addition, GFI is one of the industry’s leading vendors offering antivirus, patch management and Web protection on all the endpoints managed from a single, centralised console in the cloud.

Unsupervised Internet browsing can result in security risks, legal liabilities, productivity loss and bandwidth drain, but resource-strapped IT administrators often don’t have the time or budget to discover and manage a Web monitoring solution. With GFI Cloud’s easy-to-use, Web-based management console, administrators can be up and running within minutes. The click and enable approach enables IT admins to effortlessly gain control of Web browsing on all the machines under management.

Web Protection offers extensive Web security features, enabling administrators to be in complete control of security across their distributed infrastructure by easily protecting machines from websites pushing malware, phishing sites, proxies, spyware, adware, botnets and spam. Web Protection ensures that the majority of malicious code on the Internet is blocked at the point of request, ensuring that it never even makes it to the endpoint, be it servers, client PCs or laptops. Every five minutes computers are protected from the latest web security threats.

With Web Protection’s URL filtering capabilities, administrators can apply Web content filtering policies, such as time-based browsing rules, across more than 80 different categories of websites, keeping users productive and protecting businesses from security risks and legal liabilities. Additionally, Web monitoring functionality helps administrators stay on top of bandwidth usage through real-time graphical reports and automated alerts when defined bandwidth thresholds are reached. With these tools, administrators can easily spot excess bandwidth usage by device, URL or category of website and quickly remediate the problem to avoid unwanted costs and network strain.

“Malware is growing more sophisticated by the day, and cybercriminals are targeting users from all directions – on social media sites, through unpatched software, in search engine results, the list goes on,” said Sergio Galindo, Head of Global Product Management at GFI Software. “The security risks are increasing by the minute, yet SMB IT administrators are faced with the same tight budgets and thin resources. GFI Cloud helps administrators overcome these challenges by providing an affordable, easy-to-use, multi-layered approach to security that can be managed through a single, cloud-based console. The result is comprehensive threat protection at a price point and level of simplicity that resource-strapped administrators demand. Our solution gives SMB IT admins more confidence in their IT security and business strategies.”

Cloud-Based Security Trifecta
GFI’s Web Protection service joins a robust line-up of existing services for GFI Cloud, including antivirus, patch management, workstation and server monitoring, asset tracking and remote support. With the addition of web protection, GFI offers SMB IT administrators a layered approach to security that includes antivirus, patch management and Web protection through a single, cloud-based solution. Whether they need to defend against the latest online threats, automate patching for third-party software or monitor Web usage, IT administrators can now manage all of their network security and performance needs through a single dashboard – freeing up valuable time and resources so they can focus on other business critical tasks.

GFI Cloud Offers Simplicity, Affordability and Effectiveness
The simplicity of GFI Cloud begins with a one-time installation of an agent that links each machine to the management console via the Web. Once connected, IT administrators log into the easy-to-use GFI Cloud console to manage essential GFI Software services on all workstations and servers intuitively from a single, unifying interface. Regardless of location, the lightweight agent connects each machine to GFI Cloud via the Internet. This enables administrators to manage PCs and laptops used by remote employees as easily as those who are within the network.

GFI Cloud services provide SMBs with advanced antivirus and anti-malware protection, patch management, Web protection, network monitoring and service assurance, and asset and inventory management. These services give administrators the ability to monitor the health and stability of their networks and optimise server and workstation configurations to improve performance. Any or all of these services may be deployed in a flexible and scalable manner that best suits the unique business needs of SMBs. It also easily integrates with the remote access system TeamViewer®. When TeamViewer is detected on a computer, GFI Cloud automatically allows one-click access to that computer, allowing the IT administrator to jump on problems early and resolve them.

GFI will continue to expand GFI Cloud’s product portfolio with functionality powered by the company’s award-winning business and security solutions.

Pricing and Availability
Web Protection for GFI Cloud is available now. GFI Cloud services, such as Web Protection, Antivirus and Patch Management, are each priced at £12 per computer, per year. Multi-year and service bundle discounts apply. New subscriptions require a 10-license minimum for the first transaction only, for each service. All subscriptions come with GFI’s globally recognised customer service support, available 24/7, and software maintenance.

To learn more about GFI Cloud, please visit http://www.gficloud.com/ or email [email protected]. To start a free 30-day trial, go to https://signup.gficloud.com.

1&1 Internet Ltd, unveiled a new cloud server package that delivers unrestricted cloud-based efficiencies to both businesses and professionals alike. 1&1 Dynamic Cloud Server, available from a total price of only £0.03 per hour+VAT, features dynamically adjustable resources – Processor Cores (vCore), RAM (GB) and Hard Disk Space (GB) – that are configurable upwards and downwards by the user themselves anytime. The solution offers capacity for a very high performance resource at a very low and accurate hourly price. 1&1 expects the package to be a highly popular option for businesses to take further steps toward Cloud computing, and raise efficiencies in their online projects.

1&1 Dynamic Cloud Server is an enormously flexible and robust virtualised server solution. The server is particularly effective for companies whose resource requirements change frequently or for a new business that can not accurately estimate how much computing power will be needed for online projects. The user only pays for the resources they require and use. Resources can be scaled up and down anytime and anywhere using sliders, are calculated on a pro-rata basis and charged on the following terms: 1 to 8 vCores – £0.01 per vCore per hour, 1 to 32 GB RAM – £0.01 per GB per hour, 1 to 800GB Hard Disk Space – £0.01 per 100GB per hour. An upgrade or downgrade is complete in less than 5 minutes. There is no basic fee, no setup fee, no minimum contract term, transparency of per-hour costs, and cancellation within the hour.

The 1&1 Dynamic Cloud Server range comprises of the FLEX package, with total flexibility and no contract term, from £0.03 per hour+VAT, (£21.60/month+VAT), and the advantageous ADVANTAGE package for £9.99/month+VAT, that offers IT professionals in particular even better economies by being able to pay for a set of minimum resources, as well as a degree of flexibile configuration to be billed hourly – ideal for longer term online projects. With its Dynamic Cloud Server, 1&1 now offers a highly flexible basis from which business and technical users can access very powerful dedicated resources with full root control at a remarkably low cost.

A key feature of the new 1&1 Dynamic Cloud Server is the innovative ‘sleep mode’, which enables FLEX package users to freeze their CPU and RAM resources, whilst their data is fully and safely retained on HDD storage. Currently, this option is offered free of charge for 6 months. This facility can make an enormous difference to controlling IT costs, particularly for seasonal businesses or freelance IT professionals.

Robert Hoffmann, CEO Hosting, 1&1 Internet Ltd, comments, “The latest generation Dynamic Cloud Server offers a number of distinct differentiators that can result in a transformation of efficiencies. The user enjoys the best of both worlds – dedicated highly reliable resources as well as completely dynamic scalability. An innovative ‘sleep mode’ can provide a unique freedom to leverage high performance for specific, shorter periods – a powerful benefit for many user groups at an unbeatable price”.

Servers are offered in Linux (Standard/Business) and Windows (Web/Standard – 2008 & 2012) configurations – installed automatically. All servers include full root access, unlimited traffic, free on-demand Snapshot Backups, Parallels Plesk 11 and up to £30 starting credit. It is also possible to switch between a Linux or Windows server operating system at any point. From 1 August, for convenience and timeliness in managing server resources, 1&1 will provide a new mobile server app to be used with all current iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices as well as mobile phones running the Android operating system.

Technically, 1&1 Dynamic Cloud Server is based on the latest Xen virtualization platform. The modern high-performance data centres of 1&1 provide excellent network connectivity of 300 Gbit/s. 1&1 delivers fail-safe security via multiple-redundant cores and storage. Comprehensive measures are in place to protect against power outages, loss of data, cyber-attacks and external hazards such as water or fire. Such measures guarantee 1&1 users maximum availability, 365 days per year. Users can also feel reassured that their server is powered by renewable energy sources.

1&1 leverages its global scale to deliver a high quality service to its customers. The company currently holds 12 million customer contracts worldwide and manages over 11 million domain names. For more information visit the website at www.1and1.co.uk

Webhosting.net is now offering Storage Made Easy’s universal access services to its hosting customers.

“We chose Storage Made Easy’s technology because it offers features and functionality that no one else on the market has,” said Anton Resnick, CEO of Webhosting.net.

Storage Made Easy provides complete connectivity services, ensuring secure single virtual file access no matter where the data is stored – cloud, locally, NAS/SAN, etc. – and across any device in a BYOD environment– mobile, tablet, desktop, Internet. Storage Made Easy supplements existing cloud and network security measures with the highest levels of regulatory compliance, audit tracking, and information protection.

Webhosting.net provides managed IT services ranging from Microsoft Hosted Exchange, to virtual and cloud hosting, to business continuity through a carrier-class colocation facility for everything from entry-level organizations to enterprises. It has installed the Storage Made Easy appliance into its OpenStack environment, connecting it directly with Webhosting.net’s existing VM infrastructure and storage hardware, allowing for high availability and redundancy.

“Webhosting.net’s thousands of clients are demanding complete connectivity to all information, no matter their physical location,” said Storage Made Easy General Manager, Americas, Doug Rich. “We enable Webhosting.net to provide the service with minimal hassle on their part and no hassle on the part of its customers.”

Storage Made Easy’s support of Active Directory and single sign-on allows Webhosting.net to create a single platform for all the IT requirements of SMBs and SMEs, including email and storage at high levels of security. With Storage Made Easy, administration across all environments is easy; all access changes can be handled in a single step, within a one control panel.

“One of the main reasons for our choosing the product is our push into the BYOD market. Our customers are demanding a single platform for multiple cloud services, and Storage Made Easy allows us to deliver. Using Storage Made Easy enhances our customers’ experience and revenue stream with minimal integration,” said Mr. Jose Uribe, COO at Webhosting.net.

About WebHosting.net
Since 1998 WebHosting.net has provided reliable, scalable and secure web hosting solutions for individuals and businesses of all sizes. WebHosting.net prides itself on solid network reliability and continuous customer service, delivering services through a carrier-class collocation facility that ensures efficient delivery of low-cost hosted services. For more information, visit http://www.webhosting.net.

About Storage Made Easy
Storage Made Easy provides a cloud service data broker platform and related services either as SaaS or a hybrid on-premise solution. Storage Made Easy unites cloud and data services into a single environment, guaranteeing file access no matter the location or device while providing the highest levels of management, security, compliance, audit, and access services. Storage Made Easy is wholly owned by Vehera Ltd., a private London-based limited company.

Further information can be found at http://StorageMadeEasy.com

Canadian Web Host and Cloud Hosting provider Canadian Web Hosting has announced its commitment to support the development of OpenStack®, the open source software for building public, private and hybrid clouds, and is now a corporate sponsor of the OpenStack Foundation.

By becoming a corporate sponsor of OpenStack, Canadian Web Hosting is joining a community of more than 850 unique organizations who are committed to building cloud architecture based on open source software and open standards.

Canadian Web Hosting has been integrating OpenStacks Cloud Operating System into their existing Canadian Cloud Hosting infrastructure including the Compute, Networking and Storage services that are accessible through OpenStacks dashboard giving users an easy web interface to automatically provision cloud-based resources in Canada. Canadian Web Hosting will provide both monthly server and storage services, and hourly usage billing, to give customers the flexibility they need to manage their resources. With the summer release, companies and their development teams looking to benefit from OpenStack’s high-performance cloud environment without the typical vendor lock, will have immediate access to a system that delivers repeatability, usability and massive scalability to its users. With the promise of OpenStack, and its open standards for both public and private clouds, companies in and outside of Canada will benefit from the new open source cloud computing platform that delivers easy to use infrastructure-as-a-service, while benefiting from Canada’s strict regulations to protect their data and privacy.

“OpenStack gives us the ability to continue supporting the open source community that has been a big part of our company since 1998. More importantly, we will be doing something a bit different by not only offering our corporate support behind the platform but also reaching out to our customers and working with them to join our efforts in increasing the footprint of Canadian Web Hosting within the community and supporting several of the interrelated projects within the platform. It’s a unique proposition and we are excited to be working with our customer’s hand-in-hand to bring these cutting edge technologies to Canada,” said Matt McKinney, Director at Canadian Web Hosting.

“We are excited to welcome Canadian Web Hosting to the OpenStack community and look forward to advancing the OpenStack mission with their support,” said Mark Collier, COO of the OpenStack Foundation. “As our community continues to grow globally, we are thrilled to see the innovative solutions Canadian Web Hosting and other members of the community continue to bring to market, helping to deliver new open source solutions to the enterprise and produce the best cloud software in the industry.”

Back in March of 2013, Canadian Web Hosting expanded its Canadian Cloud Hosting services to include multiple cloud server locations across Canada including Vancouver, BC and Toronto, ON. “The purpose behind our cloud services was always to give customers an easy-to-use, highly reliable cloud hosting environment that enables companies to meet their corporate governance requirements,” said Matt McKinney. For customers interested in a cloud built on OpenStack software, they can get more information on the website or by emailing sales(at)canadianwebhosting(dot)com

To learn more about OpenStack, please visit: http://www.openstack.org
Since 1998, Canadian Web Hosting has been providing on-demand hosting solutions that include Shared hosting, Virtual Private Servers (VPS), Cloud Hosting, Dedicated Servers, and IT as a Service for Canadian companies of all sizes. Through the use of innovative technologies and experienced support personnel, they continually focus on helping each customer by offering configurable solutions that are tailored to their exacting business requirements. Canadian Web Hosting maintains a SSAE16 Type II certification and guarantees 100% network availability, and a total money back guarantee. Customers can get help by calling 1-888-821-7888 to get basic support.

Cloud Support, LLC, a business to business IT services company, announced the launch of its cloud-based support and development services intended to leverage cloud and distributed infrastructure to radically reduce IT costs that will be prove a game changer for small businesses.

“Big Data has achieved cost savings of over 90% by transferring server capacity to the data center since 2006 and now these economies of scale are available to small business,” stated Aaron Lester, Managing Director of Cloud Support. In fact, small business customers who have taken advantage of Cloud Support and its partnership with Amazon Web Services have realized a measured 74% decrease of total cost of ownership of hardware and a 58% decrease in reoccurring support costs.

“It’s not all about numbers,” Through the remote support help desk, clients receive immediate support at their computer when support is needed. As servers reside at Amazon Web Services who contractually provide 99.85% reliability, small businesses are no longer dependent on a local vendor to physically be dispatched to their location. In hybrid IT support, server support is available and delivered in real time. “It lets us become more responsive and offer more diverse support to our clients,” said Aaron Lester

Cloud Support maintains close partnerships with Google, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Digium and in doing so is able to offer comprehensive services as a single solution provider. “The most important aspect of working with small business in the cloud revolution is to always move at the client’s pace.” Cloud Support assists clients with hosted servers and virtual private networks to ensure that clients are offered “apples for apples” infrastructure. Business don’t have to change their software or their workflow to achieve significant cost savings.

About Cloud Support
Cloud Support is a comprehensive IT project management and support organization with a specialty in premise to cloud based server migration as well as all server, application, and user level support required by small to medium businesses. Cloud Support is a reseller and partner for Google Business Services, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Cloud Services as well as a Digium Asterisk interoperability partner. Our development team contribute to the open source community with a focus on infrastructure development between the data center and the physical office environment

UK2, is currently running a special offer on shared cloud hosting giving small to medium sized businesses the opportunity to get their businesses on the cloud for as little as £4.95 / month which also means these businesses can save up to £120 on their hosting. The pricing is the same that the company usually charges for its regular shared Business Hosting package, enabling customers to get a free upgrade to cloud hosting.

Shared cloud hosting is a similar product to normal shared hosting except you get all the benefits of the cloud including a choice of location, an uptime service level guarantee, lower contention and hardware redundancy. This makes it perfect for businesses that want a greater level of site security to ensure they are always online.
UK2’s shared hosting plans offer SMEs the complete solution when getting their business websites online. From domain names to web hosting and email through to integrated marketing tools, UK2’s cloud hosting is the complete package for any business looking to have an impact online.

Sara Cunha-Rego, product manager at UK2, has commented: “The move to the cloud can be time consuming and expensive for small and medium sized enterprises. This special promotion enables them to get the latest and best technology for their websites for an affordable monthly price.”
About UK2.NET

UK2.NET has been a major player in the web hosting industry since 1998 and is part of UK2 Group. They provide a variety of services including domain names, email hosting, web hosting, cloud hosting, reseller, ecommerce solutions, VPSs and dedicated servers to individuals and businesses. UK2.NET are also one of the biggest and fastest growing web hosting companies in the UK.

UK2.NET is the founding member of the UK2 Group, a group of interconnected global and UK web hosting companies that operate independently whilst sharing knowledge, expertise and resources. Having this wide range of companies under one group allows them to achieve a greater global reach while providing world-class hosting services to their customers.