Lexington, Massachusetts - (The Hosting News) - April 4, 2008 - Rackspace Managed Hosting, has joined web application experience management company, Gomez, Inc., in a referral partner agreement, under which Rackspace will use Gomez ExperienceFirst applications.

The Gomez PartnerFirst XF program Referral Partner Agreement will test and measure the performance of its web applications to help ensure they deliver the best possible user experience. Additionally, Rackspace will offer its customers the option to use Gomez services as an extension to the detailed application availability and performance monitoring it provides. These customers will be able to use these services to help improve the quality of the online experience they deliver by capturing and reporting website performance data measured from more than 150 globally-located Internet backbone nodes, and over 40,000 end-user desktops.

Because Gomez website performance testing originates outside the firewall, it enables customers to more realistically experience what their users are experiencing when visiting their websites. Scott White, Director of channel sales, Rackspace remarked, ''Gomez helps us and our customers measure performance so we can continuously improve and deliver better customer experiences.''
Tom Meusel, Vice President, worldwide channel sales for Gomez noted, ''Working with this industry- leading platform supports our ongoing commitment to Fanatical Support. We believe that this service can provide our customers with a distinct advantage in web experience management. Rackspace recognizes the importance of optimal web experiences down to each downloaded object and transaction. Delivering on this level of service requires a class of performance management information provided by Gomez. We look forward to a rewarding relationship with Rackspace for years to come.''

Gomez partners are leveraging the ExperienceFirst platform to validate and enhance their own product and services offerings, and to broaden their offerings through resale and referral arrangements. More information can be found at www.gomez.com/partners/partner-home.php.

Gomez, Inc. is an on-demand infrastructure provider for web application experience management solutions, helping business ensure quality web experiences for their customers. More than 1,000 companies use Gomez ExperienceFirst services worldwide, including 14 of the top 20 most visited websites. Gomez provides a comprehensive solution for managing the web application experience from development through deployment and the entire application life cycle, featuring visual, functional and load testing, actual end-user and active website monitoring, competitive benchmarking, and more than 40,000 data sources worldwide.

Rackspace delivers a diverse suite of enterprise-class hosted IT services to businesses of all sizes. Customers choose Rackspace for its hosting specialization and expertise, backed by the company's award-winning Fanatical Support. By integrating the industry's best technologies and delivering them as services, Rackspace serves as an extension of its customers' IT departments. Because Rackspace removes the burden of infrastructure maintenance and management, customers can focus on their core business. Rackspace's portfolio of companies also includes the Mosso (www.mosso.com) cloud computing platform and Mailtrust (www.mailtrust.com) a provider of business-class hosted email solutions.

To learn more about Gomez, please visit: www.gomez.com.

For more information about Rackspace Managed Hosting, please visit: www.rackspace.com.


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Chicago, Illinois - (The Hosting News) - April 4, 2008 - Data center and dedicated server hosting provider, Steadfast Networks, has entered into a new partnership with LiteSpeed Technologies, so that shared, reseller, and dedicated hosting customers will experience faster load times and increased speed in web applications.

Karl Zimmerman, CEO of Steadfast Networks noted, ''LiteSpeed's web server technology provides a great incentive for our hosting customers by improving website load times and allowing them to do more with less hardware. Few data centers and dedicated hosting companies are willing to keep up with the latest technology to help their customers get the most out of their hosting services.''

Steadfast added the new web server technology at no additional cost to shared hosting customers. Dedicated server and colocation customers will be charged a fee, but at reduced pricing. The technology will increase web server speed to nearly nine times faster than traditional hosting services running Apache. Customers using PHP based websites will experience faster page load times by as much as fifty percent compared to using Apache.

Mr. Zimmerman noted, ''By using LiteSpeed's web server, Steadfast customers will immediately see an increase in performance across all their website applications from standard websites to the most resource intensive web applications. Other added benefits of using LiteSpeed Web Server include zero down time graceful restart, support for thousands of concurrent connections, and improved security measures.''

The LiteSpeed Web Server technology recovers from service failure instantly, providing longer server and website uptime. Customers still receive the same features as the Apache web server including .htaccess support. In addition, Steadfast Networks is the only H-Sphere shared hosting company to utilize LiteSpeed technology.

George Wang, President of LiteSpeed Technologies noted, ''We are very pleased to have Steadfast Networks on board as our partner. Steadfast's technical expertise, knowledge of the web hosting market, and their existing customer base, make Steadfast a great fit for our partner program.''

Established in 1998, Chicago based hosting company Steadfast Networks, delivers servers through reliable dedicated server hosting, colocation server hosting, virtual private servers, shared web hosting, and dedicated game server hosting. Steadfast's award-winning services and dedicated support staff help customers from all over the world 24/7/365. Customers can choose basic hosting or a customized, fully managed dedicated server hosting solution.

To learn more about Steadfast Networks, visit: http://www.steadfast.net.


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Basking Ridge, New Jersey - (The Hosting News) - April 4, 2008 - Web host and Internet solutions firm, Verizon Business, is offering large-business and government customers with remote locations or smaller networks, with a new managed services option.

With the immediate availability of the Juniper Networks J-series services routers, Verizon Business becomes the first U.S.-based service provider to deliver a managed serviceto enterprise customers for this class of routers. By offering management of the Juniper Networks J-series services routers, Verizon Business is helping enterprise customers take full advantage of the Juniper platform by reducing the day-to-day management burden so that the customer's technical staff can focus on critical business initiatives.

The Juniper Networks platform provides the foundation for real-time delivery of critical networking applications and is particularly well-suited to extended enterprises - dispersed organizations with branch and regional offices requiring secure and direct connections with suppliers, partners and customers.

Nancy Gofus, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Verizon Business noted, ''Every customer has specific networking requirements, especially when it comes to connecting their extended network to corporate resources. Adding the Juniper Networks J-series services routers to our broad suite of managed options underscores our commitment to delivering choice and flexibility to large-business and government customers.''

Verizon Business plans to subsequently build on today's announcement by offering a powerful branch office services delivery platform based on the Juniper Networks J-series services routers and that integrates managed routing, security and other services, including Internet protocol (IP) telephony.

The Juniper Networks J-series services routers join Verizon Business' already extensive managed services portfolio, end-to-end network management resources and advanced monitoring systems. Leveraging Juniper Networks' modular JUNOS(TM) software, which provides a single-source operating system, the J-series services routers deliver advanced features and services, consistent implementation, and universal configuration and management tools. The managed Juniper Networks J-series services routers offer predictable high performance and flexibility, providing enterprises fast and secure delivery of business-critical applications across corporate networks, while helping ensure that information-technology initiatives deliver cost-effective and measurable business value.

The new managed service offering is available immediately to U.S.-based medium- and large-sized business and government customers. It has been certified with a variety of Verizon Business networking services, including company's flagship Private IP, a multi-protocol labeling, system-based virtual private network service, as well as the company's private line and frame relay services. Verizon Business offers three levels of service to support customers deploying the managed Juniper Networks J-series services router.

The company's multi-tiered approach to network management enables it to help enterprises reduce the complexity associated with an IP environment. Verizon Business' IMPACT management platform supports its industry-leading service level commitments and enables the company to offer customer with the fully managed service option an actual time-to-repair commitment as low as 3.5 hours in the U.S.; the majority of Verizon Business' competitors still offer a mean time-to-repair commitment.

Verizon Business manages 260,000-plus devices on more than 4,200 customer networks in 142 countries and territories, overseeing non-Verizon connections from more than 60 network providers around the world. Verizon Business' industry-leading service-level commitments and award-winning IMPACT management platform underscore its legacy of service and innovation. Verizon Business also offers a suite of professional network and security services to help customers successfully deploy and manage their IP networks.

Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), is a provider of advanced communications and information technology (IT) hosting solutions to large-business and government customers worldwide. Combining global network reach with advanced communications, security and professional service capabilities, Verizon Business delivers seamless business solutions to customers around the world.

Verizon Business also serves virtually every federal agency. Verizon Business is one of the largest global providers of advanced data, Internet and voice communications services. Verizon Business offers local-to-global-to-local network capabilities coupled with a broad range of telecommunications products and services, including managed network services and systems integration, to all levels of government. With this broad portfolio of services, Verizon Business will make an effort to provide federal agencies with one-stop shopping for their communications or connectivity needs.

For more information about Verizon Business, please visit: www.verizonbusiness.com.


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London, United Kingdom - (The Hosting News) - April 4, 2008 - Vendor independent virtualization event, Virtualization Congress, has officially opened its Call for Startups competition, inviting not yet launched or stealth mode companies focused on virtualization technologies, to participate.

Startups can now apply and get their chance to win a free keynote slot during the main days of the event: 15th - 16th October, 2008. To be eligible, the startups must agree to remain in stealth mode until Virtualization Congress, without announcing products, exposing websites or exhibiting at other tradeshows.

Additionally, these companies must be ready to show a working product on stage during their keynote. The two selected winners will have an unrivalled opportunity to launch their company's to a wide audience of potential customers, including influential journalists and analysts, potential technology and sales partners, and successful venture capitalists and angel investors.

Mark Fernandes, Managing Director of Sierra Ventures, one of the leading Silicon Valley venture capital firms noted, ''Sierra Ventures is excited to work with Virtualization Congress to create a platform to launch the most promising new startups in the virtualization space. This is a great opportunity for young companies to get the immediate attention of customers, partners and investors.''

Leading virtualization players that are supporting Virtualization Congress as Platinum sponsors include: Citrix, HP, ManageIQ, Microsoft, Phoenix Technologies, Quest and VMware. Virtualization Congress sponsors also include Marathon Technologies, Vizioncore, Veeam, VMLogix and Transitive. About Virtualization Congress Virtualization Congress, launched in 2007 by virtualization.info, is the first and only independent conference dedicated to virtualization technologies. It brings together the entire sector under one roof, giving customers and potential virtualization users the opportunity to hear about all of the latest products and technologies on the market without prejudice. The event prides itself on showcasing genuinely new technology, not just from the biggest vendors, but from the brand new entrants to the market. The event takes place between 14-16 October, 2008 at London's ExCel conference centre in Docklands.

Contest rules and application form are available at: www.virtualizationcongress.com/startups.htm Submissions are accepted until August 31, 2008.

Established in 2003, virtualization.info is recognized as the leading news and analysis site for the virtualization industry, with more than 6,000 subscribers, recording over 160,000 page views per month and referenced by more than 36,000 other sites, blogs and forums. It provides unique tools, like the Virtualization Industry Radar, to allow new customers to follow and ultimately make purchasing decisions within virtualization.

To learn more about, please visit: www.virtualization.info.


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Pasadena, California - (The Hosting News) - April 3, 2008 - ASP.net hosting and SQL hosting provider, DiscountASP.NET, has entered into a partnership with vendor of advanced ASP.NET user interface components and .NET reporting solutions, Telerik.

Takeshi Eto, Vice President of Marketing at DiscountASP.NET noted, ''We specialize in ASP.NET hosting and are always interested in partnering with the vendors that provide our customers with the most useful tools that make their life easier and their sites stand out. Telerik is a well known leader in UI components for rich user experiences.''

Under this partnership, DiscountASP.NET customers can receive a $50 discount on Telerik RadControls and Reporting solutions. Telerik users can get 6 months free hosting for the first year of DiscountASP.NET's base ASP.NET hosting annual plan.

Nadia Terzieva, VP Business Development at Telerik remarked, ''The DiscountASP.NET and Telerik partnership is a natural fit. DiscountASP.NET is focused on offering advanced ASP.NET hosting for developers and we provide the tools that take their web applications to the next level.''

Last month, DiscountASP.NET debuted the integration of Microsoft Windows 2008 Hosting, on its enterprise-class shared hosting infrastructure.
The new Windows 2008 hosting platform includes many new enhancements, including:

1. Windows Server 2008 Standard edition
2. Internet Information Services 7.0 (IIS7)
3. FTP 7 (including FTP over SSL)
4. PHP5
5. Trust Level Control
6. Microsoft IIS Manager access

DiscountASP.NET introduces two new Control Panel tools for IIS7 hosting management. Customers can use the Application Pool Pipeline Mode chooser tool to switch between Classic and Integrated mode. In addition, a new Microsoft IIS Manager Permission tool is introduced allowing customers to manage the users that can have IIS 7 Manager access privileges.

Telerik is a leading vendor of developer tools and components for .NET. Building on our expertise in interface development and Microsoft technologies, Telerik helps customers build applications with unparalleled richness, responsiveness and interactivity. Created with passion, Telerik products help thousands of developers every day to be more productive and deliver reliable applications under budget and on time.

DiscountASP.NET is a Microsoft Windows-based shared hosting provider, focused on providing the best value in ASP.NET and SQL database hosting. A Microsoft Gold Certified partner, DiscountASP.NET was one of the first hosts to launch Windows 2008 hosting, and .NET 3.5 hosting supporting LINQ and ASP.NET AJAX hosting.

For more information on Telerik, please visit: www.telerik.com.

For more information about DiscountASP.NET, please visit: www.discountasp.net.


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Dallas, Texas - (The Hosting News) - April 3, 2008 - On-demand hosting services for the small to medium enterprise (SME), SoftLayer, has initiated an SAS 70 review, including the assessment of all processes and systems necessary to complete an accompanying Type II report.

An SAS 70 review is an in-depth survey of a service organization's control objectives and control activities to determine the organizations' effectiveness in meeting those control objectives. It is an important step for any service organization supporting outsourced, mission-critical, and information technology services. SAS 70 data centers have to maintain prescribed levels of data security and redundancy, as well as personnel controls. These requirements include a full assessment of the following elements:

• Firewall configuration and access
• Database access
• Data transmissions
• Data backup and recovery
• Application security
• Product development

In addition, data center staff cannot access servers or data without a specific procedure. All systems access and activity must be logged, and all physical access is highly controlled.

SoftLayer's review will be conducted by an independent auditing agency and include extensive testing performed over a six-month period. It will involve all existing and planned SoftLayer data center facilities in Dallas, Seattle, and Washington, DC. The company anticipates that the Type II report will be delivered by year-end.

A completed SAS 70 report will allow SoftLayer to provide its customers with concrete assurance - as well as standardized auditing reports - that its controls are efficient and reliable based upon industry-recognized standards, alleviating the need for additional assessments.

Headquartered in Plano, Texas, SoftLayer provides next-generation web hosting and on-demand datacenter services on a global basis from facilities located in Dallas, TX and Seattle, WA. Utilizing proprietary management tools coupled with the industry's first network-within-a-network topology, the company delivers unprecedented power and control to securely manage IT environments while providing unparalleled scalability.

To learn more about SoftLayer, please visit: www.softlayer.com.


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Newport Beach, California - (The Hosting News) - April 3, 2008 - Enterprise and component software, hosting and business process outsourcing services firm, The TriZetto Group Inc., has been selected by the Triple-S Management Corporation.

According to the software licensing and professional services agreement, TriZetto's QNXTTM core administrative enterprise system and associated implementation, training and other professional services, will support the San Juan based managed care health plan, serving approximately 1 million members.

The three-year, $35 million system replacement and modernization project will give Triple-S the flexibility and scale in its technology to expand into additional plan designs and markets and more efficiently serve its members, providers and employer customers. As an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Triple-S is among more than 60 percent of Blues plans nationwide using TriZetto software.

Socorro Rivas, President of Triple-S noted, ''We selected TriZetto as our IT solutions partner because its systems utilize the most flexible and advanced technologies in the marketplace. With more than 45 years of experience in providing healthcare to the people of Puerto Rico, we have always looked for the most innovative ways to develop the highest-quality healthcare coverage at the most reasonable cost, and TriZetto has proven to be the best solution.''

Tim Hascall, Executive Vice President of professional services at TriZetto remarked, ''hroughout the competitive bidding process, we emphasized not just the superior flexibility and Web services architecture of our applications. We emphasized, and Triple-S appreciated, our commitment to follow through with system implementation, staff training and business process improvements to deliver an on-time, on-strategy solution integrated with their operational model.''

TriZetto's QNXT system supports greater efficiency in payers' claims processing, claims re-pricing, premium billing, membership administration, customer service and other core administrative operations. The company's professional services team performs strategic planning, business process reengineering and implementation services to help improve payer organizations using TriZetto and third-party applications.

Triple-S Management Corporation is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. It is the largest managed care company in Puerto Rico, serving approximately 1 million members across all regions. Triple-S offers a broad portfolio of managed care and related products in the commercial, Medicare and Reform (similar to Medicaid) markets. In addition to its managed care business, Triple-S provides life and property and casualty insurance in Puerto Rico.

TriZetto's payer-focused information technology offerings include enterprise and component software, hosting and business process outsourcing services, and consulting. Headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif., TriZetto can be reached at 949-719-2200. The company's systems are powering Integrated Healthcare Management, by facilitating health benefit administration, care management and constituent engagement. The company provides premier information technology solutions that enable payers and other constituents in the healthcare supply chain to improve the coordination of benefits and care for healthcare consumers. Healthcare payers include national and regional health insurance plans, and benefits administrators that provide transaction services to self-insured employer groups.

To learn more, please visit: www.trizetto.com.


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Inverness, California - (The Hosting News) - April 3, 2008 - Private-labeled end to end web service providers, ResellerClub, has amended its regular pricing structure, in connection with the celebration of its anniversary.

The Big Birthday Bash is providing heavy discounts and steep price slashes on all TLDs, Web Hosting, Digital Certificates, Website Builder services and all other products they offer. This product-wide extravaganza which commenced a few weeks ago has been inimitable and extremely beneficial for all the resellers and is expected to continue further due to popular demand.

Bhavin Turakhia, CEO, ResellerClub noted, ''The Big Birthday Bash has managed to increase profit margins for resellers through never before offers, heavy discounts and exciting price slashes. Also the launch of our India Hosting Services and the .asia domain landrush at exceptionally low pricing has certainly expanded our resellers' customer base and help them market a more attractive product bouquet.''

ResellerClub is committed to offering the most comprehensive product portfolio at the most economical prices making it the ideal service provider for Resellers. In a bid to offer its Resellers with the highest profit margins, ResellerClub also has many new products and promotions lined up which will definitely add value to a reseller's existing portfolio of world class Products.

Mr. Bhavin added, ''Resellers can take utmost advantage of all our Products along with the extremely low prices during the Big Birthday Bash to increase their profit margins and also expand their customer base. Since we only sell to resellers, we have their best interests in mind and this reflects on our unique pricing structure as well as our promo offers and packages.''

ResellerClub boasts of the most comprehensive product portfolio including Domain Registration, Advanced Web and Email hosting, Live Chat services, ecommerce modules, website builder etc available at the most economical pricing existing today. They also provide complete business process automation and a powerful promo engine that allows Resellers to introduce and pass on promotions, discounts, special packages etc to their sub-resellers and customers.

ResellerClub, a DirectI Group business, is one of the largest private label web solutions providers in the world, providing end-to-end automation to domain resellers, web hosts, web designers, and other web service companies. ResellerClub offers products and services and powers the backend infrastructure and software of thousands of web hosts worldwide.

To learn more about ResellerClub, please visit: www.resellerclub.com.


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Houston, Texas - (The Hosting News) - April 2, 2008 - Privately held dedicated web hosting company, The Planet, has debuted the launch of Windows Server 2008, to its operating system portfolio of dedicated server operating systems offerings.

The company is now offering four editions of the operating system, available immediately on all servers in The Planet's broad fleet. The offering includes Windows Server 2008 Web Edition, which is free on single-processor servers.

Windows Server 2008 features enhanced capabilities and powerful tools that build on the strengths of its predecessors. The new operating system delivers enhanced web tools, virtualization technologies and security features that, backed by The Planet's network and six world-class data centers, provide a secure and scalable hosted IT environment.

Urvish Vashi, Director of Product Management for The Planet noted, ''As more companies move their complex IT infrastructures to hosted environments, they're looking for the broadest portfolio of offerings to support their strategic business requirements. Windows Server-based solutions are one of the fastest-growing operating system segments in our business, and we expect this growth to accelerate by offering the added security, scalability and unique features that Windows Server 2008 and IIS 7.0 provide.''

John Zanni, Director of Worldwide Hosting at Microsoft Corp. remarked, ''With the addition of Windows Server 2008, we are excited to help The Planet offer its customers an easy-to-manage and reliable platform for the development and hosting of web applications and services. The new capabilities available in Windows Server 2008, the core of the Microsoft hosting platform for service providers, will allow The Planet's customers to experience significant new features that enhance their IT infrastructure.''

The most robust Windows Server operating system to date, Microsoft's latest release delivers new functionality and improvements to the base operating system. Designed to meet the most exacting business requirements, Windows Server 2008:

• Provides a solid foundation for business workloads with technologies that simplify server management such as Server Manager, Windows PowerShell and Windows Deployment Services
• Protects servers from failure and unauthorized connections with security features such as Network Access Protection, enhanced Active Directory services, read-only domain controller and BitLocker drive encryption
• Hosts Web applications with Internet Information Services 7.0 (IIS 7.0), a security-enhanced platform that offers greater flexibility and control through a componentized architecture
• Consolidates multiple server roles and runs several operating systems on a single physical machine with built-in virtualization technology.

The Planet will offer Windows Server 2008 in four editions:

• Windows Web Server 2008 enables businesses to rapidly deploy Web pages, sites, applications and services with IIS 7.0, ASP.NET and Microsoft .NET Framework
• Windows Server 2008 Standard features built-in Web and virtualization capabilities and enhanced security features
• Windows Server 2008 Enterprise delivers an enterprise-class platform with consolidated identity management features plus clustering and hot-add processor capabilities
• Windows Server 2008 Unauthenticated Version offers all the Web server power of the Enterprise edition without the ability to run Active Directory and related services.

Ultimately, The Planet endeavors to provide:

• High levels of network capacity and speed to deliver peak performance
• Instant scalability to handle even the largest spikes in network traffic
• Parallel, redundant, multi-tiered network routing and switching architecture to assure reliability and stability
• Multiple layer network security that prevents Delayed Denial of Service (DDOS) attacks from harming businesses
• Knowledgeable experts with a passion for excellence and a commitment to operate the best networks in the business

The Planet is a leading provider of On Demand IT Infrastructure solutions, hosting over 22,000 small and medium size businesses and 6.7 million web sites worldwide, using the best choice of servers, software tools and support, backed by enhanced facilities and network connectivity.

For more information about The Planet, please visit: www.theplanet.com.


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Renton, Washington - (The Hosting News) - April 2, 2008 - Server virtualization firm, Parallels, has selected IT products distributor, Tech Data Corporation, as its exclusive U.S. distributor for Parallels Virtuozzo Containers.

Following Parallels' channel program offering value-added resellers (VARs) access to container-based server virtualization software, distribution of Parallels Virtuozzo Containers will be managed by Tech Data's Advanced Infrastructure Solutions (AIS) Division, which provides VARs with specialized sales and technical support for virtualization solutions.

Bill Portin, Vice President of North American sales and operations, Parallels noted, ''Parallels Virtuozzo Containers takes a different approach to server virtualization than many of the other solutions available in the channel, and by doing, so offers enterprises large and small a unique set of advantages, such as better per-server density and superior performance. This makes Parallels Virtuozzo Containers an ideal solution for VARs deploying data center-scale virtualization or for those deploying virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solutions. Working with Tech Data's AIS Division, Parallels will ensure our VAR partners have access to the support, expertise and information they need to profitably deploy Parallels Virtuozzo Containers.''

Parallels Virtuozzo Containers is the world's leading operating system (OS) virtualization solution. On a single physical server and single OS installation, it enables users to run workloads in multiple, simultaneously running execution environments called 'containers'. Compared to other virtualization technologies, Parallels Virtuozzo Containers offers the highest levels of density, performance and manageability.

Amy Belcher, Director of product marketing, Advanced Infrastructure Solutions at Tech Data remarked, ''Tech Data's AIS Division has built one of the channel's most robust data center solution offerings that includes the broadest virtualization practice of any distributor. The addition of Parallels Virtuozzo Containers provides our VAR customers with more options as they develop and deploy server virtualization solutions for a wide range of end-user environments and business-enhancing applications. Parallels has a strong commitment to the channel, and we'll work closely with them to help our VAR partners build profitable and successful virtualization practices.''

VARs can leverage Parallels Virtuozzo Containers to enhance and deploy a wide range of IT solutions, including:

• Server and Operating System Consolidation - Parallels Virtuozzo Containers superior density enables customers to consolidate multiple physical servers to fewer servers that run multiple instances of the same operating system.
  
  
• Business Continuity - New features such as real-time backup and live migration enable cost-effective disaster recovery and high-availability configurations that ensure continuous business operations.
  
• Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) - Industry-leading density and performance make Parallels Virtuozzo Containers the best solution for deploying VDI enterprise-wide.
• Workload Management - The unique ability of Parallels Virtuozzo Containers to manage applications and allocate resources in real-time - in response to changing user needs - delivers maximum efficiency, productivity and uptime.
• Application Hosting for SaaS (Software as a Service) Deployments - Because each container is lightweight and can be deployed in seconds, Parallels Virtuozzo Containers is an ideal solution for businesses looking to capitalize on SaaS both internally and externally. Parallels has a robust ISV and partner community working on SaaS solutions and is spearheading the Application Packaging Standard, which drives rapid SaaS deployment of applications.

Founded in 1974, Tech Data Corporation (NASDAQ GS: TECD) is a leading distributor of IT products, with more than 90,000 customers in over 100 countries. The company's business model enables technology solution providers, manufacturers and publishers to cost-effectively sell to and support end users ranging from small-to-midsize businesses (SMB) to large enterprises. Ranked 109th on the FORTUNE 500 Tech Data generated $23.4 billion in sales for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2008.

Parallels (formerly SWsoft) is a worldwide leader in virtualization and automation software that optimizes computing for consumers, businesses, and service providers across all major hardware, operating systems, and virtualization platforms. Founded in 1999, Parallels is a fast-growing company with 900 employees in North America, Europe, and Asia.

To learn more about becoming a Parallels Virtuozzo Container reseller, please visit: www.techdata.com.

For more information about Parallels, please visit: www.parallels.com.


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San Jose, California - (The Hosting News) - April 2, 2008 - Web host and national provider of integrated voice and data communications firm, Covad Communications Group, Inc., has obtained all of the required regulatory approvals for the proposed acquisition of Covad by an affiliate of Platinum Equity.

The approvals were provided by the Federal Communications Commission and a number of state public utility commissions. At a Special Meeting of Stockholders, held February 29, 2008, holders of a majority of the company's outstanding shares approved the agreement and plan of merger pursuant to which an affiliate of Platinum Equity will acquire all outstanding shares of Covad for $1.02 per share in cash. The parties expect to close the transaction on April 15, 2008.

Late last year, Covad extended its Line Sharing Agreement with AT and T. The Agreement will continue to May 2009, and also includes extentions of the commercial terms as to former BellSouth territory, and guarantees access to AT and T copper and remote-terminal facilities for new Covad line share customers. The agreement also provides for commercial access to AT and T copper facilities in the former Bellsouth territory, also through May 2009. Covad and ATT also resolved a number of disputes.

Platinum Equity is a global M and O firm specialized in the merger, acquisition and operation of companies that provide services and solutions to customers in a broad range of business markets, including information technology, software, telecommunications, logistics, manufacturing, metals services and distribution. Since its founding in 1995 by entrepreneur Tom Gores, Platinum Equity has completed more than 75 acquisitions with more than $23 billion in aggregate annual revenue at time of acquisition.

Covad is a nationwide provider of integrated voice and data communications, offering DSL, Voice Over IP, T1, broadband wireless, web hosting, managed security, IP and dial-up, and bundled voice and data services directly through its network and Internet Service Providers, value-added resellers, telecommunications carriers and affinity groups to small and medium-sized businesses and home users. Covad broadband services are currently available across the nation in 44 states and 235 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and can be purchased by more than 57 million homes and businesses, which represent over 50 percent of all US homes and businesses. Corporate headquarters is located at 110 Rio Robles San Jose, CA 95134. Telephone: 1-888-GO-COVAD.

To learn more about Platinum Equity, please visit: www.platinumequity.com.

For more information about Covad, please visit: www.covad.com.


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Amsterdam, Netherlands - (The Hosting News) - April 2, 2008 - Carrier-neutral data center that operates CO2-neutral, EvoSwitch, has entered into an agreement with network manager, Continuon, to increase the power capacity for its data centre from 10 MVA to 20 MVA (20 million Watts).

New cabling will be laid up to the building to transport the large quantities of power (green electricity: Zeeuws Groen) to the data center. EvoSwitch has been working with a power capacity of 10 MVA (Megavolt Ampere) since the data center's opening in April 2007. This is ample for the data center's current requirements. At present, 2000 out of the available 9000 m2 are ready to accommodate customer equipment. The second phase will be completed in the second quarter of 2008, resulting in a total available surface of 4000 m2 . Once all phases are complete, a total surface of 9000 m2 will be filled with customer equipment. Work to expand the power capacity is expected to be complete by 2009.

Laurens Rosenthal, Innovation Director for EvoSwitch noted, ''The expansion of our data centre requires a total power capacity that can accommodate the growth of our customer base. EvoSwitch users must also be certain that they will be able to buy the power they need for their equipment in the future as well. With 20 MVA, we can give our customers that guarantee.''

The capacity doubling means that the power supply for EvoSwitch customers is safeguarded in the future. This is especially true in view of the continually rising power consumption of many machines.

Mr. Rosenthal added, ''Fortunately we see more and more equipment on the market with reduced energy consumption. This makes us happy, because it reinforces our own power saving of 20 percent in the total EvoSwitch infrastructure. Of course, there are also market developments that increase power consumption per rack in a data center. Blade servers, for example. We need to be able to accommodate this development, now and in the future. On the other hand, virtualization will increase CPU computing power compared to power consumption proportionately.''

Increasing the power capacity requires an additional investment on EvoSwitch's part. Among other things, EvoSwitch will buy four additional transformers with a capacity of 2.5 MVA each. Continuon will ensure that the network is able to handle EvoSwitch's increased power capacity. To this end new cables will be laid from the power station to the data center via different routes. The power station itself will also be enlarged.

Mr. Rosenthal explained, ''Our investment illustrates our faith in the market for data center services. In view of the warm interest customers have shown in our green data center and the speed at which we have filled cabinet space in recent months, we are confident that we will actually use the doubled power capacity.''

20 MVA means that EvoSwitch has an amply calculated power supply even once the data center reaches its full customer capacity. This means that the cabinets will have higher power and cooling capacity than is the rule for many data centers. On average the cabinets will have 5 KW available, even when the data center is filled to capacity.

Mr. Rosenthal concluded, ''This is double the regular capacity in the market; therefore the use of blade servers, for example, is easily possible.''

EvoSwitch is a carrier-neutral, ''green'' (CO2-neutral) data center. The site in the Amsterdam area has a surface of more than 9000 square meters , allowing companies to put their IT infrastructure in a safe location. The data center started out with a capacity of 10 MVA and has now grown to a total capacity of 20 MVA. With this power capacity, EvoSwitch can guarantee its customers that it will have ample power available at all times. EvoSwitch has 30 employees, which include engineers who manage customer equipment both actively and proactively. EvoSwitch is fully climate-neutral. Together with the Climate Neutral Group, we invest in global projects to restore the CO2 balance in the atmosphere (www.climateneutralgroup.com). Companies that put their equipment at EvoSwitch are allowed to show, on their websites, that they use a climate-neutral data centre via the logos in the partner program The Green Fan (www.thegreenfan.com).

To learn more, please visit: www.evoswitch.com.


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Tokyo, Japan - (The Hosting News) - April 1, 2008 - NTT Communications Corporation, (NTT Com), has debuted the launch of its Global Unified Threat Managed (Global UTM) service, designed to provide Arcstar Global IP-VPN customers with integrated services for planning, constructing, managing and implementing effective protection against network security threats.

Global UTM utilizes a range of security technologies to provide IP-VPNs with comprehensive protection against threats. A service package typically includes modules for integrated firewall, IPSec VPN, iIntrusion Protection System(IPS) antivirus content and spam filtering. The service enables customers to utilize outsourced security management with 24/7 support to monitor their network traffic and protect themselves against threats that could potentially impact their businesses.

Security incidents are managed expertly by NTT Com's Security Operation Center (SOC), which specializes in root-cause analysis, incident remediation and other security-management measures. The service offers numerous competitive features, including: - Comprehensive security management for global enterprise networks. - Integrated suite of services covering a variety of security measures. - World-class security developed in collaboration with leading third-party research centers. - Real-time identification of threats and rapid recovery for minimized impact. - Total-cost optimization of global security management. Multinational companies are demanding security-management services on a single platform to help them prevent or minimize increasingly sophisticated threats to their network security.

In particular, multinationals need to be able to manage server, PC and firewall security locally and contain security incidents before they spread throughout their global networks. With the service, hardware and software is installed locally on the client's premises by dedicated engineers of NTT Com and its overseas affiliates or partners, with support from device vendors.

A key option is the Real Time Event Notification Service, which provides immediate notification of any security threat exceeding a client-specified level. Professional security engineers are available on a 24/7 basis to analyze security events and devise rapid countermeasures. NTT Com will launch the Global Unified Threat Managed Service in Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, U.K., U.S. and Vietnam beginning April 1. Three levels of service will be available depending on client needs.

NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com) provides information and communications technology (ICT) solutions worldwide with dedicated professionals stationed in 21 countries. Renowned as an IPv6 technology pioneer and managed service expert, NTT Com offers diverse high-quality IP, web-based, and managed network solutions combining network management, security, ubiquitous, web portals/engines, and global services. Its Tier 1 Internet backbone and secure closed networks with over 98,000 MPLS ports, combined with the networks of partner companies around the world, connect more than 200 countries. The company earned non-consolidated revenues exceeding one trillion yen (about 10 billion USD) in fiscal 2006 ended March 31, 2007. NTT Com started as a long-distance phone company in 1999 after the reorganization of the NTT Group, and is the wholly-owned subsidiary of NTT, one of the world's largest telecommunications companies. NTT is listed in Japan, London and New York stock exchanges.

To learn more about NTT Com, please visit: www.ntt.com.


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Tampa, Florida - (The Hosting News) - April 1, 2008 - Dedicated hosting provider, Hivelocity.net, is offering dedicated KVM-over-IP units to all of its dedicated server accounts, whereby any server can be outfitted with a Lantronix SecureLinx Spider KVM.

Pricing for the new service is $29 per month. Hivelocity is currently promoting this new feature by allowing a dedicated KMV to be installed with $0 setup fee until April 15th. Once the promotion ends a standard $75 setup fee will apply.

KVM-over-IP (keyboard, video, mouse) enables a customer to have 24/7 virtual hands-on console access to their server. KVM is great for anyone that wishes to maintain control of nearly every aspect of their server without having to involve anyone but themselves.

Steve Eschweiler, General Manager at Hivelocity noted, ''Some people rely on our support team for everything, some people like the idea of relying only on themselves. Allowing any server to have permanent KVM-over-IP access will satisfy those customers who crave 100% control of their server.''

Each KVM unit is connected directly to the server and allows non-blocked access from any web browser, anywhere, at any time. Without the need of any additional software, KVM-over-IP enables BIOS-level control of servers and allows up to 8 simultaneous users.

Recently, Hivelocity garnered placement on Inc. Magazine's annual list of fastest growing companies in America. With a three year growth rate of nearly 200% Hivelocity came in at #1834, which ranks as the 6th fastest growing IT Company in Florida. Hivelocity attributes its growth and success to its ability to provide the latest in server technology at a fraction of what the competition charges while consistently remaining atop their 99.9% network uptime guarantee. Hivelocity's most recent server line includes Intel's latest generation of Quad-Core Xeon Harpertown processors. According to WebHostingStuff's objective network uptime tracker, Hivelocity has been very reliable with a 99.98% uptime record over several years. With its new line of energy efficient and cooler running servers Hivelocity's operating costs are sure to decrease which should result in even lower server pricing down the road.

Since 2001, Hivelocity has offered 99.9 percent network uptime, specializing in dedicated web hosting and co-location, providing services to thousands of customers from all over the world.

To learn more about Hivelocity, please visit: www.hivelocity.net.


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Chicago, Illinois - (The Hosting News) - April 1, 2008 - The International Engineering Consortium's (IEC) SOFNET 08, will present an extensive roster of industry experts, at the upcoming event this 28 April through 1 May at the Olympia National Hall in London.

Included in the keynote lineup, will be Matt Bross, CTO of BT Group; BT Wholesale CEO Sally Davis; Senior VP and GM of Oracle Communications Business Unit, Oracle, Bhaskar Gorti; Helmut Leopold, managing director of platform and technology management at Telekom Austria AG; and Andreas Mueller-Schubert, GM global solutions for Microsoft Mediaroom, Microsoft Corporation.

John Janowiak, President of IEC noted, ''This stellar lineup of keynote speakers is truly original and illustrates the balance of software and network programming designed especially for SOFNET 08.''

SOFNET 08 will discuss how next-generation services will be developed, delivered and monetized as well as provide invaluable software and hardware solutions that will result in innovation to increase speed to market of new services.

Opening Keynoter Bross commented, ''There is a shifting power equation in our industry and to unleash the capability of our global platforms we must innovate at the speed of our customers' lives rather than the speed of changing infrastructure. The debate that will take place at SOFNET is essential for the industry because broadband is becoming as important to world economies as energy has been in the past.''

The five keynote addresses are among nearly 50 world-class sessions that will address service oriented architecture; service delivery platforms; Web 2.0 service provider impacts; collaboration; service provider transformation; convergence; and more at SOFNET 08.

Mr. Gorti, commented Monday's Keynoter added, ''SOFNET attendees will learn that as the communications industry transitions to next-generation all-IP networks, productized business software built on open standards is paramount to helping service providers quickly launch new services to improve their competitiveness and deliver a superior customer experience.''

Mr. Leopold, Tuesday Keynoter noted, ''The fundamental Transformation-programme of Telekom Austria the next generation factory programme ''net@fact'' is pioneering the whole telco-industry and is based on a profit-oriented development of base products for wholesale as well as retail markets implemented on efficient product platforms. The programme's key objectives include the lowest production costs and the shortest time to market, as well as the highest flexibility for product marketing and innovation and the highest automatisation for product delivery concepts.''

The keynoters will lead more than 170 ICT and software speakers at SOFNET 08.

Mr. Davis added, ''Our industry is growing demand for software-driven, feature rich multimedia and multi-play services. SOFTNET provides a crucial platform for our industry to come together to debate how we can respond to these changing needs.''

Mr. Mueller-Schubert, Wednesday keynoter remarked, ''The transition from broadcast to connected TV is transforming the way we experience television. This presents a fantastic opportunity to the telecommunications provider community and I expect will be a key focus at SOFTNET. In many ways, Microsoft is leading the charge. The Microsoft Mediaroom multimedia and IPTV platform is gaining momentum with service providers and their customers. Today, over 20 of the world's leading telecommunications providers are delivering advanced TV services with Mediaroom. Thirteen of these service providers have launched commercial services, most in the last year. We believe 2008 will become a landmark year for connected TV so exciting times ahead for the industry.''

A nonprofit organization, the IEC is dedicated to catalyzing technology and business progress worldwide in a range of high-technology industries and their university communities. Since 1944, the IEC has provided high-quality educational opportunities for industry professionals, academics, and students.

In conjunction with industry-leading companies, the IEC has developed an extensive, free, on-line educational program. The IEC conducts industry-university programs that have a substantial impact on curricula. It also conducts research and develops publications, conferences, and technological exhibits that address major opportunities and challenges of the information age.

More than 70 leading universities are IEC affiliates, and the IEC handles the affairs of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association and Eta Kappa Nu, the honor society for electrical and computer engineers.

To learn more, please visit: www.iec.org/events/2008/sofnet.