What makes us different? Why should you choose us? Well, you've probably seen the web hosting advertisements that offer massive amounts of data storage for only $9.95 per month. Buyer beware: you get what you pay for.

You see, data storage is cheap and easy to supply, however it is much more difficult to provide customers with uninterrupted high-speed access, quality customer care, technical expertise, and 98% guaranteed uptime like we do.

It is important to make sure you know what you need, and what you are getting, before you jump at any bargain. Choose a provider offering prices commensurate with the range and quality of its services.

What should you get for your money?

• Data Storage (Disk Space)
  In order to have your web files served to the world, you need to have a generous amount of disk space on our servers where you can upload your pages, images, sound clips, etc. and store them.
  
  
• Bandwidth (Data Transfer)
  Bandwidth is the amount of data transmitted or received through a unit of time. In web hosting, bandwidth is consumed when visitors make requests for files on your web site and download them to their personal computers. When you add up the total of all files downloaded off of your site in a particular month, your total should be lower than the amount allotted with your hosting plan. If it is not, your file sizes may be too large or you may be generating a lot of hits - in which case you may need to upgrade to a larger hosting plan.
  
  
• Your Own Domain Name
  A true virtual domain name (www.yourcompany.com) gives your site instant credibility. New customers have a good first impression, and returning visitors don't have to remember where your site is hosted in order to reach you. It's like having a direct phone number rather than an extension.
  
  
• POP3 and IMAP Email Accounts
  You can send and receive mail so your email addresses end in your website's unique domain name.
  
  
• Email Aliases, Forwarding and Autoresponders
  Email aliases and forwarding allow you to set up names@yourdomain.com that forward to an email account that you may already have. This allows you to check multiple aliases by downloading mail from one email account. Autoresponders are also a great feature with hosting accounts since you can automatically respond to customer emails sent to a particular address with a standard message, like "Thank you for contacting our Sales team. We will be responding to your e-mail within 24 hours."

As your site grows in size and complexity, it's best to anticipate this and choose a web host that offers multiple packages and backs them up with technical expertise. We offer a wide variety of hosting packages featuring some of the best technology, and we're always looking toward the future. You can be sure that the best technology that becomes available will be available for your web site.

What else do you get from us?

• Redundancy
  No matter how excellent the equipment, no matter how expert the engineers, technology fails occasionally. A web host with multiple routers and switches, secondary servers, and UPS systems with backup generators can provide consistent, high-speed access and guarantee at least 95% uptime.

The best hosting companies use redundant lines to ensure that customers' sites remain responsive even if their primary Internet connections are temporarily unavailable. It's a good idea to determine which providers offer backup connections fast enough to maintain your site's performance in the event of a primary line failure.

• Reliability
  Excellent web hosting providers can offer this guarantee because they've invested in the best automatic monitoring equipment; hired experienced engineers who can anticipate problems and emergencies; and installed redundant backup systems to take over the moment anything goes wrong.
  
  If a web host guarantees only 95% uptime, keep in mind that this translates into 8.4 hours of down time per week: the equivalent of a "closed" sign on the door of your 24-hour business. We can guarantee 98% uptime.

Our equipment uses generators that can operate the servers for days independently; backup storage; redundant servers; and links to multiple network providers - all to make sure that your site will remain available through almost every crisis.

• Speed
  Web hosting companies, unlike Internet Service Providers (ISPs), have high-speed lines connected to more than one Internet "backbone" provider. This is crucial to reliable web site performance, since network service can be compromised by technical glitches and unexpected surges in traffic. A redundant network design allows a web host to direct traffic away from Internet "hotspots" and along the fastest routes - and your site remains available even if one network's service is interrupted.

In addition to offering the fastest network connections, a host should provision its lines and circuits to use less than 50% of available bandwidth. Overburdened network connections will inevitably result in poor site performance - in fact, a lightly used T1 line will transfer data faster than an overused T3 connection. Be sure to ask hosting companies about network capacity and utilization to make sure that your site will benefit from the fast network connections they've advertised.

• Security
  It takes many layers of Internet security, from password protection to firewall barriers, to prevent determined hackers from wreaking havoc with your Web data. Most hosting companies offer some assurance that their network and software are protected from unwanted intrusions such as spamming and hijacking. Make sure the hosting company you choose has enough security measures in place to ensure that your data is completely protected.
  
  
• Servers
  Although it is possible to host a web site on an average personal computer, responsive web sites require high-speed disk drives and RAM and the most powerful microprocessors available. Reliable providers host their sites on equipment built to withstand the constant bombardment of web traffic.