Tell us about Easy CGI’s background. Dan: The best place to start is 1994. We were running an Internet service provider that provided dial-up modem access to the Internet, and we were offering a small amount of Web hosting to those accounts. In 1999, we decided to focus more on Web hosting. We sold off the ISP portion of the business and started Easy CGI.
Why did you choose Windows as your hosting platform? Dan: Microsoft always provided a way to accomplish what we were trying to do, so we stuck with them. Sometimes we had to wait for something to appear, but it was always on the road map and in the works. We were able to compete directly with Linux-only providers and their feature set, offering everything they were offering and more. When .NET came out, that was a big plus for us, and it has continued to be.
What elements of the Windows platform gave you an advantage over other pure Linux Web hosters? Dan: The .NET Framework, which is available only on the Windows platform, definitely gave us an edge over pure Linux providers. We have even seen some of the older pure Linux providers start to offer Windows so their customers can host .NET sites.
We were among the first to offer the .NET Framework 3.5. To stay competitive in this industry, not only with Linux providers but also with other Windows hosting providers, we carefully watch every Microsoft announcement, and we adopt new technology quickly. What has made you successful in reaching out to Web developers overall? Dan: We do cater to a large number of leading edge developers. There are other Web hosts that are not as focused on servicing the needs of a highly technical developer audience. They are just offering simpler hosting solutions. Easy CGI’s niche involves offering as much current technology as possible to Web developers. We try to get new technologies out right away.
How much demand have you seen from developers who want to run the .NET Framework 3.5? Dan: Demand varies with each release, because it depends on what is included in each one. Nevertheless, every time Microsoft releases a new framework, we see a demand for it. The .NET Framework 3.5 isn’t the same tremendous jump that the .NET Framework 2.0 was, but people are asking for it.
Why do you think the .NET Framework is driving some pure Linux hosts to offer Windows-based hosting as well?
Dan: Microsoft has offered a unique product in the .NET Framework that does not have a rival in the Linux world. The closest thing is probably PHP, and PHP, in a lot of ways, is behind the times. Granted, they are different products, but a lot of people are really hooked on .NET. That is why people are offering it. Developers are calling these hosting providers and asking whether they have .NET. When the provider says it doesn’t, it has PHP, the potential customers say they don’t want PHP, they want .NET. At that point, these hosting providers figure they’d better offer .NET. And the only way to offer .NET is to offer Windows hosting.
You also support PHP on Windows. Why do you include that in your offerings? Ted: We knew we could support people who wanted PHP on Windows because it runs well on Windows, we are comfortable with Windows, and Windows is an easier platform to manage and maintain. We are developers, programmers, and IT people, and we knew what we could accomplish in combination with the Windows platform and technologies like PHP. We knew we could support customers who had those needs by offering them a high uptime percentage. We knew we could be effective in troubleshooting problems that would arise, without having to also support Linux as a whole new operating system. We felt that Windows was the best platform on which to offer PHP, and along the way we could take some market share from the pure Linux providers.
Some Linux users believe that Windows is not a reliable platform. How would you respond to that? Dan: Any concerns about reliability are simply not valid. Anyone who says that simply does not know how to manage the platform properly. Windows did have some problems back in the NT4 days, but with Windows Server 2003 and 2008 the platform is very reliable.
You feel that strongly that Windows is comparable to Linux in reliability? Dan: We can offer the same or higher uptime on Windows than competitors can with Linux. We understand Windows very well. We have spent years understanding Windows, so we understand all the ins and outs. We are extremely proactive in troubleshooting simple things, such as ensuring that a disk is defragmented. We see excessive CPU, memory, or disk usage before it becomes a problem; we take care of those things before they surface.
We have been able to equal or exceed any uptime guarantees from a competing Linux provider. In addition, for anyone who maintains that Linux is more stable than Windows, I can tell them that I know people who were on Linux who had all kinds of problems with it.
What is your impression of the security on the Windows platform? Ted: I feel very good about it. Things are very different now than they were even three years ago. We have not had any notable security concerns with Windows. We have not had a vulnerability that led to an exploit on the Windows platform for years. It’s time that tells. It’s time that has given us the confidence that Microsoft has tackled security with Windows. There have not been any problems, so now I feel very confident in Windows security.
Are there areas where Microsoft offers some unique advantages to Web hosters that we haven’t addressed? Dan: I feel that Microsoft has exceeded what the competition has to offer, at least at the level of a bundled package for hosters. For example, if someone wants to offer collaborative messaging, why would you go with Linux? Microsoft has Exchange. If you want to implement a hosted messaging solution, Exchange on Windows is probably your best bet there, too. I would definitely go that way; they have a great package, and it is very popular.
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