A new service has been launched on the African market that combines the functions of an ISP (Internet service provider), a Web development house and an e-commerce service provider.
Dubbed Fusion Reactor, the new offering was established to provide an ISP that is focused on delivering an e-business Macromedia ColdFusion platform allowing users to configure ODBC, CF Tag support, e-mail, restore data and register and transfer domains online and in real-time.
"It essentially makes tasks that were traditionally in the realm of the ISP, available to the customer," says Jeremy Matthews, MD of local Macromedia distributor, Dax Data.
The brainchild of Grant Jackson and Craig Lintott, Fusion Reactor differs from other hosting services in that it locates its servers directly on the UUNET SA backbone, which provides the high levels of local bandwidth and fast connections to the international network.
Fusion Reactor can:
. Integrate IT infrastructure and business processes with the Internet;
. Create greater profitability through streamlined business processes, improved efficiencies, cost-saving mechanisms and customer retention;
. Generate greater traffic to a company`s Web site;
. Offer an effective online marketing strategy and compelling online experience to help grow the customer base;
. E-commerce enable the business; and
. Streamline information collection through the development of ColdFusion Client Internet sites.
"Companies are realising that, unlike traditional business, e-commerce needs to be live and available to customers 24x7 if it is to maximise the return on investment. Any time the server falls over or the hosting company`s bandwidth is saturated, customers are lost to a competitor -- who is, after all, just a mouse-click away," says Jackson. Hence the decision to physically locate the Fusion Reactor hosting servers within UUNET`s data centre.
"These facilities offer built-in network redundancy and save money by enabling the costs of air-conditioning, generators, a fire suppression system, 24x7 monitoring systems, security systems -- including biometric scanners and secure access technology - and other maintenance costs to be shared," says Adrian Clark, new business consultant at UUNET.
"The data centres are serviced by the UUNET SA core network, which is built on Telkom SA`s ATM network. International bandwidth is injected into the core network at three discreet places with a total aggregate bandwidth of 120Mbps," he adds.
The Fusion Reactor developer`s environment allows programmers to upload their code and databases to the Internet enabling the developer to test, streamline code and demonstrate functionality to their clients prior to delivery to market. The code can then be seamlessly transferred to the client`s live Internet domain on Fusion Reactor.
"Fusion Reactor seeks to enable IT to be a source of competitive advantage for mid-tier and top-tier companies by offering them the benefit of our own expertise, which include the design of e-business Internet applications, network design and implementation, system configuration and support and the sale of the entire Macromedia product range via our Web site," concludes Jackson.
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