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Web Hosting Still Growing

September 4, 2011, 9:00 pm

If there was any doubt at all that web hosting is still a huge growth business, those doubts were erased with the resounding success of HostingCon 2011 in San Diego recently. The general tenure of the 1,800 web hosting business people on hand was overwhelmingly positive as observed anecdotally during the networking events and educational sessions. Exhibit hall space was sold out – despite the addition of booths from last year’s HostingCon. particularly, the emergence of Cloud vendors on the show floor was quite evident.

Below are the observations of longtime attendees and web hosting industry veterans in the fields of web hosting M&A, Linux web hosting, and ASP.NET web hosting. Each of the three perspectives are distinct and influenced by their industry focus – nonetheless all confirm the growth and positive momentum of the web hosting industry in 2011.

Cheval Capital is a company in a great position to understand the ebbs and flows of the web hosting industry. Principals Frank and Hillary Stiff of Cheval have completed 189 web hosting, ISP and related Internet services transactions including 26 deals closed in 2007, 33 in 2008, 16 in 2009, 22 in 2010 and 11 web hosting-related sales so far in 2011. here are Hillary Stiff’s thoughts on this year’s HostingCon event:

”Overall, HostingCon continues to improve each year and 2011 was no exception. There was a great vibrancy to the event and there seemed to be a wider variety of companies attending. (iNet also seems to do a good job minimizing the number of talks that are pure sales pitches.) In terms of activities, the three events we enjoyed the most were the two networking session cocktail parties and the DreamHost party. all were set up in a way that let folks mingle and talk. we met a number of new companies at each of these events. as for sessions, Simon Wardley’s keynote was great and if you missed it, there some video of him online that’s worth looking at.

Being financial types, there is a lot going on on the exhibit floor we don’t understand. having said that, it was clear there were more exhibitors and a wider variety companies. it has also been great to see the continued emergence of companies like OnApp from idea to major industry participant. Overall, despite the changes, the industry is still quite vibrant and we’re seeing a lot of interest among folks looking to buy hosting companies and related businesses.”

Stuart Melling is co-founder of WordPress hosting company 34SP.com. mr. Melling has been operating his hosting Linux company for over a decade. here are his thoughts on HostingCon in San Diego:

”Talk of the cloud was more prevalent than ever. from the sessions through to the exhibit hall, everyone seemed focused on what the cloud means to the industry and how that ultimately works its way down to clients. while for some, the cloud might simply feel like a new spin on the buzz of SaaS from years ago, its obvious that highly scalable, redundant and reliable computing is something everyone needs to increasingly consider. Industry consolidation seems to be a growing area too, with ever more content aimed at M&A. Frank Stiff of Cheval Capital led a great presentation on the subject, which was as always, a fascinating insight into what is happening right now. I also find HostingCon to be a great networking opportunity. Whether it is to meet up with existing vendors or just to pick the brains of others in the industry. I can’t recall a year I haven’t returned from HostingCon full of excitement for the industry.”

Takeshi Eto is Vice President of Marketing and Business Development with California-based DiscountASP.NET. mr. Eto drove straight down the California coast to participate in HostingCon 2011. here are mr. Eto’s observations:

”The event was bigger – more people and more booths. I’ve noticed a drop in attendance at many of the other conferences that I’ve been to. The fact that HostingCon is growing in this tough economy is a good sign for the entire hosting enterprise. I enjoyed Simon Wardley’s day one keynote. I liked the insight into historical patterns in technology development and how it relates to what is happening today with ‘the cloud.’ I also saw more cloud enablement vendors on the exhibit hall floor this year whose business model attacked the cloud from different angles – from pure management software solutions, to capex hardware/software solutions, to opex hardware/software subscription solutions. as all hosts think about their own cloud strategy, it’s great to have more choice but that also makes strategy decision making processes more complex too. all hosts will need to make their own cloud bets and a part of this will be around betting on partnerships.”

To learn more about HostingCon you can visit the event website at: http://www.hostingcon.com.

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Hosting a Fabulous Summer BBQ

August 27, 2011, 3:00 pm

If you have never entertained in your home before, you may be wondering how you can wow your friends with a party they will never forget. when the weather is nice the answer to that question is a classy backyard barbeque. you may have cooked out with your family before and be asking yourself how you can turn a barbeque into a world class dinner party. The right food and a few fabulous touches will turn your soiree into the talk of the town. Barbeques are becoming so much more than a cheap evening in the backyard. you can find high end recipes for the grill on the internet. many famous chefs are sharing their favorite recipes and tricks.

The first thing to take into consideration is bug control. even if you are serving the best food in town, your guests will be very unhappy if they are constantly being bitten by mosquitoes. you will need mosquito repellent candles and possible mosquito repellent torches. make sure you calculate the amount of space that your guests will occupy and buy enough protection. Instructions will be on the packaging of the products you buy. IF you are hosting a big event or you want to step up the atmosphere, consider renting tents. If you can, serve food inside and then allow your guests to go outside and eat. a mud room or sun porch can easily be turned into a make shift serving station. this will ensure that no ants crash your party.

What drinks to serve should be next on your list. it is your decision whether or not to serve any alcohol at your barbeque. If you do try having a limited selection of beer, wine and you can whip up a quick mixed drink or two. try finding a recipe for a mango margarita or a strawberry daiquiri; both are guaranteed to be popular with your guests. Pinot Gringo and Merlot are two good wines to choose and you should offer two domestics and one imported beer for your guests to choose from. Ice tea and lemonade are good non-alcoholic choices. Guests will really appreciate a cooler stocked with regular and diet sodas.

Food should be kept simple and tasty. on the grill you can have hamburgers, hot dogs and grilled chicken. If you really want to impress, you can try your hand at some surf and turf by offering steak and grilled lobster tail. you can also serve shrimp on skewers or kabobs. make kabobs by alternating chicken or beef with vegetables on a skewer. you can also add a little Greek flair to your barbeque by using lamb meat on the kabobs. Serve snacks throughout your barbeque in cute plastic bowls. these snacks can include potato chips, pretzels, and vegetable trays. you do not need to buy expensive pre-made trays at the store. Go to your local party store and pick up a couple of inexpensive plastic trays and make your own. you just put a small bowl of dip in the center and then arrange the cut vegetables around the dip; this is easy to do with fruit, meats and cheeses too. try broccoli, carrots, pea pods, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes and green pepper strips. Cole slaw and baked beans are easy to prepare and are usually crowd pleasers. most people will also enjoy pasta, potato and macaroni salad. The ingredients you can include in these are diverse and you can really come up with some creative and inspired dishes. Do not worry about the mayonnaise spoiling; it is a little know fact that the mayonnaise actually makes these salads last longer.

It is the little things that will really impress your guests. make sure that you have enough plastic silverware, paper plates, napkins and drink cups. nothing ruins a party faster than not being able to find a cup or napkin. If your party has a theme you can find everything you need at the local party store. Place trash cans in convenient places and keep them emptied throughout your event. you may have to bus the tables a little bit but it is better than everything getting messy. Do not save all of the clean up for the end of the night. Simple flower arrangements will add the perfect finishing touch. Place them on serving and guest tables for a touch of color.

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Two hundred nationalities, one culture

July 11, 2011, 11:00 am

The iconic Melbourne skyline. Photo: Craig Sillitoe

Melbourne, oh Melbourne, oh let me be true; my little life is a love song to you.

MY MELBOURNE started way back in 1961 as I sat in the last row of ”the gods”, as the really cheap seats were known at the old Tivoli Theatre in Bourke Street.

I’d used up half of my week’s pay as a junior in an advertising agency to buy the cheapest seat I could get for my first live theatre performance. Way off in the distance, on the stage of the old Tiv, was a tiny June Bronhill.

If I close my eyes now, I can still see her as if it were yesterday. She was singing Vilia in a performance of Lehar’s Merry Widow. What wonderful Lorenz Hart words: ”Vilia, oh Vilia, oh let me be true; My little life is a love song to you.”

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It started a magical journey of love for so many things in this great city. Two years earlier at the age of 17, I had arrived in Melbourne at the then Spencer Street Station early in the morning from the Adelaide train known as the ”Overland”, which had stopped in Stawell to change drivers, and to take on one passenger – me.

My life in advertising in Melbourne started at the bottom in 1959 and through the wonders of this city went all the way finally to the top of the world – and without leaving home.

Many Australians left Melbourne, as Michael Ball did to run Ogilvy & Mather from New York. I was able to make this city the hero and get the people to come here. I introduced world visitors to the delights of the city, its history, infrastructure and institutions.

In the arts, which we are so good at, I remember hosting the great Valery Gergiev, and his world-famous Kirov Orchestra and Opera company from St Petersburg as they performed the rarely seen Die Frau ohne Schatten at the Arts Centre. Gergiev, like all great conductors, loved the late nights and early mornings and he wanted me to find him a classic Chinese meal at 3am. Where else other than Celestial Avenue that runs off Little Bourke Street, at the Supper Inn?

That little adventure 11 years ago took me to a special private dinner at St James’s Palace with Gergiev and Prince Charles in may this year. Gergiev will conduct Die Frau ohne Schatten again with his Kirov at the Edinburgh International Festival in August. The festival is directed by our own Jonathan Mills and a number of Melburnians are supporting the performances at the festival.

On the world stage, it started in Melbourne.

Melbourne saw Xanana Gusmao who had opened the Melbourne festival in 2001 reading a self-penned poem of peace. I still remember sitting at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl listening to that strong guttural Portuguese accent of the man many say is the modern-day Nelson Mandela in his fight for freedom in East Timor.

The scope for the arts is legendary as governments on both sides combined to build our theatres and support our culture at every level. But the arts sits beside education, medicine and so many other endeavours, including sport, which stand out just as much. yes, I saw the century Test and David Hookes hit Tony Greig for five fours in a row. I know that more than 300,000 people have since claimed they were at the 100,000-capacity MCG but, cross my heart, I was one of them. The MCG is one of the great stadiums of the world.

Last grand final eve, I had an international visitor whom I drove back to his hotel past the MCG when they were testing the full lighting. I heard from London a month later that it was thought I had such power in the city, I even had the lights at the MCG turned on for his benefit.

Happy to have top international people made a fuss of, I never bothered to correct the story.

And finally, one has to eat in Melbourne. The cafes, the restaurants, the laneways, the shopping and the coffee. Try eating in the kitchen at Pellegrini’s at the top of Bourke Street with Sisto and Nino. The Flower Drum, for the best Chinese meals in the world, the cakes in Acland Street, the famous dim sims at the South Melbourne market, and the late-night food in the mysterious Waiters Club, upstairs in the laneway at the back of the Windsor.

What a city! Two hundred different nationalities, one culture – the world is missing out.

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