UUNET SA, a WorldCom company, has launched its shared hosting offering, UUhost Shared, in conjunction with Syncrony, a software development organisation that provides user-driven content management systems for the Internet. The solution enables UUNET SA to provide advanced Internet features at a lower cost to its customers by hosting pages for multiple Web sites from a single Web server, thereby sharing the resources of the server.
"In today`s marketplace the importance of all businesses having an online presence speaks for itself," says Paul Janisch, UUhost product manager at UUNET SA. "With e-commerce becoming a greater reality, we felt that this functionality should not be limited to only those companies that have five- and six-figure budgets to develop these sites. This is what attracted us to Syncrony. Their software allows all UUNET customers to have a fully e-commerce-enabled Web presence at a reasonable cost."
Through the partnership with Syncrony, UUNET SA will manage users in the shared hosting environment, while Syncrony will take full ownership of the support and software provision. The shared hosting solution is Microsoft based with all content is stored as objects in a SQL database. This makes it virtually impossible for to "hack" a company`s site. Additionally, the shared hosting option from UUNET SA offers a cost-effective means to Web entry, as users only have to pay a monthly rental fee of R450 per month.
The shared hosting solution will give users access to further functionality through the Syncrony software tools, for example, CRM, e-commerce and transactions capabilities. In addition, all proprietary software is available from the UUNET Web site free of charge for all shared hosting users. "The aim of the shared hosting solution is to treat an organisation`s Web site as a business tool by bringing control of the site into the business. No longer will the Web site be a static entity, but rather an extension of business functionality," says Dr Howard Rybko, CEO of Syncrony.
Shared hosting is a less expensive way for businesses to create a Web presence, as it does not involve any costly hardware investments. Other advantages include lower labour maintenance from the company, and a better connection to the Internet as the ISP has the bandwidth to ensure an open connection.
"An organisation`s Web site is a reflection of the company, and finding an ISP that meets your needs and offers a superior hosting environment is critical. A business that is dependent on the Web to market its services requires an ISP capable of delivering an intelligent infrastructure, and not just the usual infrastructure or avenues for e-commerce application enablement," says Janisch.
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UUNET SA, a WorldCom company, is Southern Africa`s only pan-African provider of Internet-based network services and the largest global carrier of Internet traffic in Africa. The company provides Internet connectivity and corporate network services to major corporations as well as access services to Internet service providers.
All UUNET SA products and services are delivered within the required regulatory conditions.
UUNET Technologies, UUNET SA`s parent company, is the global leader in Internet communication solutions offering a comprehensive range of Internet services to business customers worldwide.
For more information, please visit the UUNET SA Web site on www.uunet.co.za
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