Gawkwire: Web Hosting and Internet News Resource

Cloud Messaging Provider, Linxter, Releases SDK for Java and Android

2010-09-07T09:03:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) - Linxter, Inc., provider of the Linxter cloud messaging platform, today announces the beta release of its Software Development Kit (SDK) for the Java programming language and its SDK for Google’s mobile operating system, Android. Already supported on Microsoft’s .NET platform, Linxter is a cloud middleware platform that enables developers to quickly and affordably connect distributed applications and integrate distributed systems. The Linxter SDKs, along with sample code and video tutorials, are available at http://linxter.com.

Using Linxter, developers can implement secure, reliable data exchange over the Internet for a variety of needs, such as: the bridging of on-premise software with cloud assets, remote monitoring and control of servers and devices, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, smart grid implementations, and multi-player gaming. Linxter takes care of all the communication plumbing – including the infrastructure and coding complexities – so that developers can focus on the core value proposition of linking distributed apps and systems instead of the requirements needed to connect them.

"Mobile app development is inherently more complex than the server-side, especially when you have a requirement for reliable distributed communication,” said Jared Stehler, CTO of Boston-based Fiesta Cabin. “The powerful Linxter API provides us with such a platform, including essential features for mobile, like offline message queuing and reliable delivery, right out of the box. And since everything is hosted in the cloud, you get the scalability you need when your app goes viral. Linxter enables us to deliver engaging user experiences without concentrating on the communication plumbing in the back-end."

“We are seeing tremendous growth in the cloud messaging space, and with the release of our Java and Android SDKs we expect that growth to further accelerate,” said Jason Milgram, CEO of Linxter. He also added, “As more and more apps become mobile or are moved to the cloud, companies are demanding the enterprise class security and reliability of traditional message-oriented middleware systems for them. Linxter provides such a platform at a fraction of the cost, and can be implemented in a fraction of the time.”

http://www.gawkwire.com/technology/cloud_messaging_provider_linxter_releases_sdk_for_java_and_andro.html

Blue Soda Promo Launches New E-Commerce Website

2010-09-07T09:02:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) - Blue Soda Promo announces the launch of their new interactive e-commerce website. Blue Soda Promo, a leading organization in the promotional product industry, aimed to create a cutting edge website that is user-friendly, engaging, and aesthetically pleasing, without congesting each page with product and information overload.

The website was designed with the consumer in mind; from the navigational structure, virtual logo tool and instant live chat software, to the simple checkout process. “We wanted a website that showed our fun yet professional and experienced side” said Heather Sanderson, CEO of Blue Soda Promo. “Unlike many of our competitors, we don’t just shove the cheapest products in front of our customers. We listen to what they want and help them find the best promotional products to meet their needs and budget.”

Blue Soda Promo also included a blog as well as created Twitter and Facebook accounts to provide marketing professionals and businesses with constant advice and readily available tips on choosing the right promotional items to help boost their revenue.

Blue Soda Promo offers over 750k different products that can be customized with a company logo and other pertinent information. Blue Soda Promo offers items such as promotional stress balls, customized caps and custom printed shopping totes. Blue Soda Promo prides itself in its passion to help companies generate more revenue using promotional marketing. Their slogan, “We make your brand POP!”
highlights their emphasis in not just selling customized products, but providing each client with a consultation on which promotional products to use for their respective event.

http://www.gawkwire.com/seo_sem/blue_soda_promo_launches_new_e-commerce_website.html

HostNine Affiliate Program Rakned 1st by Commission Junction

2010-08-31T16:30:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) – HostNine, a leader in Shared Hosting, Reseller Hosting, Dedicated Servers, and Virtual Private Servers, announced today its soaring affiliate program was ranked #1 among all Web hosting affiliate programs by Commission Junction, the worldwide leader in affiliate program management.

In the past three months, HostNine has an overall ranking from Commission Junction of #2 of 63 total affiliate programs. In all affiliate programs (3,226) run by Commission Junction, HostNine ranks #40. Commission Junction ranks affiliate programs based on their payouts and success rates—both of which are key priorities for HostNine. Affiliate payouts from HostNine are in excess of $150 per referred sale for high-volume affiliates.

“We have always viewed affiliate marketing as a vital way to broaden our customer base and maintain widespread brand recognition in the industry. By rewarding our partners generously and tangibly supporting their efforts to generate sales, we have built years of trust and countless loyal affiliates. Commission Junction’s top ranking for HostNine backs up what we’ve been saying for a long time, and it means a lot to our team,” said Taylor Hawes, affiliate program manager, HostNine.

Affiliates can leverage dozens of constantly updated banners and Web marketing assets provided by HostNine. The company also has invested heavily in upgrades to its website, which has reduced the order form dropout rate by a whopping 30%. The substantial enhancements are largely due HostNine’s unique two-step order form, further shortening the sign-up process. Affiliates have already praised the changes.

In May, HostNine introduced sweeping upgrades to its line of hosting plans, adding unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth, and other features for its worldwide shared Web hosting. Users can also choose from server locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Asia. In August, HostNine removed all annual payment requirements, extending savings to customers who pay monthly. HostNine now offers unlimited shared hosting for just $3.95 a month on a month to month basis. Other companies require anywhere from two to three years up front payment to receive affordable pricing.

“Honesty and integrity have always been our guiding principles, and we decided that advertising a $3.95 per month hosting plan, which really requires an up front payment of nearly $142.50, isn’t in line with the image we want to portray. We’re now one of the only hosting companies that actually offers a $3.95 per month hosting plan for a monthly payment of $3.95. We’re not worried about locking in our customers—they’ll stay with us for years because they love our service, not because we force them to,” said Ben Gabler, operations manager, HostNine.

Reseller Hosting from HostNine is available in five levels, starting at just $24.95 per month, which includes 50GB of disk space, 500GB of bandwidth, and a wide-variety of value-added features, such as the award-winning Reseller Central platform (available on all Reseller Hosting plans). Reseller Central is available exclusively to HostNine customers and provides resellers with unprecedented control of the reseller environment through a single, easy-to-use interface.

Dedicated Hosting and VPS Hosting also offer a wide variety of options and generous allotments of hosting resources.

To learn more about HostNine, please visit http://www.hostnine.com.

To learn more about earning money through HostNine’s affiliate program, please visit http://www.hostnine.com/affiliate-program.

About HostNine

HostNine, LLC is an industry leader in web hosting, reseller hosting, virtual private servers, and dedicated servers. Running all Dell PowerEdge servers located throughout ten different data centers around the world, HostNine provides a 99.9 percent network uptime guarantee to its customers. http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/hostnine_affiliate_program_rakned_1st_by_commission_junction.html

Is Video the Future of SEO?

2010-08-30T08:36:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) - Google integrated video results into its universal search back in 2007 and companies are slowly starting to explore the benefits of optimising their media content to make their videos appear at the top of specific search queries. It is estimated that forty per cent of people currently searching on Google will see videos amalgamated into their search results.

Statistics also show that sixty-eight per cent of the top fifty online retailers in 2009 utilised video content – a jump of eighteen per cent from the previous year. Searchengineoptimisation.com predict that this trend will only increase, and that brands can incorporate videos across all areas of their site to complement their content, products and services. Searchengineoptimisation.com believe that appropriately optimised video content can be a real boon for any website’s users as well as helping with search rankings.

“As search engine technology improves and videos appear more under listings whenever a search term is entered, more and more websites are recognising the positive effects having a video or multiple videos on their website can bring. It’ll be sooner rather than later that online videos become a bigger part of search engine optimisation,” commented a spokesperson for Searchengineoptimisation.com. “Though more videos are appearing in search results all of the time, businesses still need to properly optimise their videos to see any kind of serious traffic increase because various factors determine how videos are ranked by search engines. By properly optimising your videos, incorporating video sitemaps, video mark-ups, syndication, appropriate tagging and more, the company in question will have a greater chance of their videos appearing towards the top of search results, and an even better chance of it going viral.”

To find out more about Searchengineoptimisation.com and their SEO services, visit their website at http://www.searchengineoptimisation.com/.

http://www.gawkwire.com/seo_sem/is_video_the_future_of_seo.html

Triad Web Design Named on INC500 List

2010-08-30T08:34:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) - Triad Web Design, a professional services organization that provides web design, web marketing & search engine optimization consulting services to professionals and companies nationwide, has been honored by INC Magazine in its prestigious INC500 List. Triad was ranked #196 on the List of fastest growing privately held companies in the US. Triad Web Design was also ranked top 15 IT Services and #1 Fastest Growing Web Design Company. The announcement was made on August 24, 2010 although the official awards ceremony will be held at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center at National Harbor, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. on, October 2, 2010.

This award is an annual ranking of the country’s top 500 fastest-growing, private companies. The Inc. 500 digs deeper to offer the most comprehensive look ever at the entrepreneurial engine driving the U.S. economy in the 500 fastest growing companies in America. The Inc.500 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth over a four year period. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by the first week of the starting calendar year. Additionally, they had to be U.S.-based, privately held, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies.

"We are excited to be recognized by Inc Magazine 500 List, being among the fastest growing companies in US is a great achievement. It is further recognition of our sustained growth in recent years, and a continued confirmation of our strategy and strong market position. I am extremely grateful to all my employees and thousands of our clients nationwide" said Rupesh Narvekar, the firm's founder and Managing Director. “We work hard to provide our customers the highest level of professional service, and enjoy contributing and giving back to the nation and business community."

General Manager, John Hammond credits the company’s dedication and determination for its 1485% percent revenue growth from 2006-2009. “Throughout our company’s history we continually encountered challenges, both economically and technologically. Despite these obstacles, we always believed in the potential our services presented to small businesses and continued to push forward. We wouldn’t be where we are today without our uncompromising customer focus and positive approach. We are extremely proud of our growth and current position as a market leader.”

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_design/triad_web_design_named_on_inc500_list.html

PlaySpan Names New Vice President of Sales

2010-08-30T08:34:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) - PlaySpan, the global leader in monetization solutions for digital goods, social networks, online games, and videos, today announces the appointment of Stevie Case as VP of Sales and Business Development. In her new position, Case will be responsible for generating new business leads as well as supporting the overall sales team on existing business initiatives and partnerships.

"Stevie is a widely respected figure in the gaming industry and she has a combination of passion, professionalism, and knowledge that is unmatched,” said Karl Mehta, CEO of PlaySpan. "We are very exciting to add her talents and business acumen to our work force, where we will be able to leverage her experience and contacts to expand our presence globally.”

"It’s great to be a part of PlaySpan’s seasoned executive team and I am looking forward to contributing to the company’s overall success," said Case. “PlaySpan has an impressive track record and boasts relationships with some of the biggest brands in the business. I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with the clear industry leader and help prepare our customers and partners for the next phase of industry growth.”

Ms. Case is a well-recognized figure in the game industry and considered a pioneer as one of the first professional female gamers in the world. Case most recently served as the Senior Director of Business Development at LiveGamer and prior to that served as Director of Business Development and Sales at Tira Wireless.

Stevie first gained industry acclaim when she defeated John Romero in a Quake deathmatch. Shortly thereafter, she joined Ion Storm, then went on to co-found Monkeystone Games with Romero and id Software veteran Tom Hall, where she served as CEO.

Stevie has been named by Working Woman Magazine as “20 Women to Watch in Business Under 30,” and has been acknowledged by PC Gamer as one of the “Next Game Gods.”

http://www.gawkwire.com/business/playspan_names_new_vice_president_of_sales.html

WiredTree Announces New Client Portal for More Flexible Online Monitoring

2010-08-25T05:37:00-05:00

Chicago, IL (PRESS RELEASE) August 25, 2010 – WiredTree, a leading managed dedicated server hosting company, announced today an updated version of its proprietary client portal, Grove. Grove gives WiredTree customers complete control over their managed server accounts. The updated version of Grove supplies more detailed performance metrics and greater site content monitoring for managed dedicated servers.

“WiredTree takes customer feedback seriously. Based on what clients have told us during a beta via Twitter, we redesigned a large part of Grove based on customer usage and feedback including making the stats immediately useful and easy to interpret,” says Zac Cogswell, President of WiredTree. “Monitoring from many different angles helps you fine-tune the path to reaching your website's goals so the new Grove portal for dedicated hosting is designed specifically to make the process more complete.”

Monitoring website performance with WiredTree's updated version of Grove covers a wide variety of data customers can use to fine-tune their websites. The new WiredTree client portal collects more types of data and provides descriptions to improve usability. The optimized data in Grove is presented without any extraneous information, making WiredTree managed dedicated hosting even more powerful for helping customers achieve their online goals.

“The new monitoring capabilities for WiredTree managed dedicated hosting plans help our customers determine what is working best on their websites and they also give WiredTree the ability to improve our level of service,” says Cogswell. “Our staff now has more insight into customer issues and developers can act on potential performance bottlenecks before they occur.”

WiredTree’s Grove system of metrics available with dedicated server hosting allows users to access many layers of information, such as drilling down to date ranges for specific data. WiredTree customers with managed dedicated servers, managed VPS, and managed hybrid servers may plan for capacity, determine issues that may affect server performance, and inspect a variety of performance metrics including system load, CPU usage, memory usage, and disk input/output.

“Through regular improvements to hardware, applications and network design, WiredTree is committed to providing a superior managed hosting environment,” says Cogswell. “WiredTree's internal communications network means we respond to every question and concern immediately and the improvements to the Grove arose out of that established customer service network.”

In addition to improved data collection, monitoring and display details, WiredTree’s Grove provides network control and protection. Website security includes protection against spam reaching the dedicated servers and preventing outgoing email from being labeled as SPAM. WiredTree managed dedicated server hosting customers receive a custom client portal for the management, control, and performance of their online presence.

About WiredTree

Formed in June 2006 to set a new standard for managed hosting, WiredTree provides a superior managed hosting environment through customer service, innovative network design, a unique suite of services, and the latest technological advances in server hardware. WiredTree’s network leverages two logically separated networks – a public Internet network and a private internal network. This modern “network-within-a-network” design allows WiredTree to securely provide a wide range of value-added services for businesses of all sizes.

For more information about WiredTree, visit http://www.wiredtree.com.

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/wiredtree_announces_new_client_portal_for_more_flexible_online_m.html

Future Hosting Adds Virtual Private Servers in Los Angeles

2010-08-24T09:25:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) – Future Hosting, an Internet solutions provider serving SMBs and enterprises internationally and developer of Future Engineer™, today launched Virtual Private Servers in Los Angeles, the company’s sixth international data center location and latest milestone in its global expansion plan.

The new location, which has been in development for the past several months, is significant as Future Hosting aims to serve more customers in Asia and on the West Coast of the United States. Customers are now able to purchase Future Hosting’s entire line of Virtual Private Servers in the Los Angeles facility. Additional services will be added in the coming months.

“For several years, we have made clear our commitment to globalizing our line of services. In the era of high-availability hosting and cloud infrastructure deployments, our customers need to be able to leverage our truly global reach to remain competitive. Our global, geographically diversified footprint will continue to grow,” said Vik Patel, Future Hosting president & CEO.

Virtual Private Servers from Future Hosting are available in a wide variety of configurations, including on both managed and unmanaged plans. Clients are also able to locate their server in any of Future Hosting’s six international data centers, in Chicago, Dallas, London, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and now Los Angeles.

Future Hosting is the developer of Future Engineer™, a technical support automation system designed to automate time consuming server configuration and repair tasks on Virtual Private Servers (VPS), Future Engineer™ allows clients to receive a greater level of technical support than is available when technicians spend their time performing routine or basic maintenance tasks. With Future Engineer™, technicians are free to spend their time offering a level of technical support that is unrivaled and otherwise unaffordable.

For more information about Future Hosting, please visit http://www.futurehosting.com.

About Future Hosting, LLC

Founded in 2001, Future Hosting is a privately held leading Internet solutions provider specializing in managed hosting, including Dedicated Servers, Virtual Private Servers, and Hybrid Virtual Private Servers. The company has built a strong reputation for its high-quality service, innovative pricing models, and 3-hour Service Level Agreement. Future Hosting is based in Novi, Mich. http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/future_hosting_adds_virtual_private_servers_in_los_angeles.html

Carat Networks Adds New Backup Options to Virtual Private Servers

2010-08-24T00:38:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com)—Carat Networks, a leading global IT hosting service provider, announced today it has made available Capture and Store Backup services on all Virtual Private Servers, starting at just $10 per month.

The new backup service enables customers with a Virtual Private Server to instantly create and store snapshots of their entire hosting environment, which are securely housed and available when needed. Backup services can be added on either Windows or Linux Virtual Private Servers.

“One of the ways we create value for our customers is offering a full menu of options and integrated features. By providing these services on an optional basis, we can keep prices low and maximize flexibility. It allows customers to purchase what they need, when they need it,” said Chris Niedojadlo, CEO of Carat Networks.

Virtual Private Servers from Carat Networks are available in both Windows and Linux configurations. The Basic Plan on each platform includes 50GB of disk space, 500GB of storage space, and an array of included features, such as full administrator/root access, Dual Quad Core nodes, OpenVZ/XEN virtualization, and RAID-protected storage.

Earlier this month, Carat Networks announced its partnership with Ubiquity Server Solutions, a leader in hosting infrastructure deployment, with more than 160,000 IPv4 addresses and nearly 80 million IPv6 addresses assigned to it by ARIN. The partnership will enable Carat Networks to continue its robust growth.

Carat Networks in June launched VPS.US, a wholly-owned subsidiary offering United States-based Virtual Private Servers powered by Cloud Hosting technology. All Virtual Private Servers hosted by the subsidiary will be physically located within the United States. Carat Networks also offers a wide variety of Linux and Windows Dedicated Servers.

To learn more about Carat Networks, please visit http://www.caratnetworks.com.

About Carat Networks

Truly “one Gem of a Canadian IT hosting company,” Carat Networks is a world leader in high-performance hosting services. Founded in 2008, the company today serves thousands of small to medium sized businesses, located on six continents and scattered across dozens of industries. Carat Networks is based in Markham, Ontario and has additional sales offices in Hamilton, Ontario.

http://www.gawkwire.com/web_hosting/carat_networks_adds_new_backup_options_to_virtual_private_server.html

GoGrid and F5 Networks Team Up for Cloud Load Balancing Webinar

2010-08-23T08:57:00-05:00

(Gawkwire.com) - GoGrid, a leading Cloud Infrastructure and Hybrid Hosting Provider, and F5 Networks, Inc will host a webinar titled "Load Balancing in the GoGrid Cloud – Utilizing F5 BIG IP to Manage Traffic Spikes and Uptime" on Wednesday, August 25, 2010. GoGrid currently offers customers free F5 load balancing services as part of every account, providing users access to enterprise grade hardware and infrastructure, as well as GoGrid and F5 cloud implementation expertise.

"Although load-balancing is just one of the many benefits F5 solutions provide, it is a key function in any high-availability, on-demand application delivery architecture," said Kirby Wadsworth, VP of Marketing at F5. "We are pleased to work with GoGrid to offer improved availability and scalability of customer applications, helping GoGrid to truly distinguish itself as a provider of enterprise-quality cloud services."

GoGrid's free load balancing services from F5 have been a premier and popular feature since the launch of the GoGrid public infrastructure cloud in March 2008.
In this informative webinar, users will learn:

- How to prevent application downtime
- The process for effectively scaling infrastructure
- The 1-2-3 process for deploying F5 load balancing services for free within the - Other advanced configurations available to GoGrid users

Registration: go.gogrid.com/webinars/20100825

Webinar details:
Date: Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Time: 10:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time
Speakers: Doug Lohf (Senior Systems Engineer – F5), David Michael (Sales Engineer – GoGrid), Rob Larson (Product Manager – GoGrid)

Bonus: All webinar attendees will receive a $50 GoGrid Service Credit
Register Now by visiting: go.gogrid.com/webinars/20100825
GoGrid includes fully integrated and redundant F5 application delivery controllers which can be provisioned using the customer portal or API. The f5 load balancing services are part of the standard GoGrid offering and setup takes just a few minutes.

"GoGrid pioneered making load balancing part of the cloud experience when we first introduced services from F5 over three years ago," said Jeffrey Samuels, CMO for GoGrid. "Today, our customers increasingly rely on GoGrid to make their complex infrastructure easy to manage by providing multifaceted load balancer services as an important part of our offering. We are proud of our partnership with F5 and look forward to continued collaboration."

http://www.gawkwire.com/events_html/gogrid_and_f5_networks_team_up_for_cloud_load_balancing_webinar.html