Client Case Studies - Enterprise Managed Hosting

Hostway's Enterprise Managed Hosting platforms are designed to enable companies that depend on web-based applications and services to focus on what's most important to them - their own business, and their own customers.

The following client case studies are taken from a variety of industries and give a better idea of how we work with our customers to achieve success.

Design UK - Adobe ColdFusion - Vmware

Established in 1996, Design UK is a leading integrated digital agency offering website design and build, and a Content Management System and Ecommerce platform called LavaSuite. With prestigious customers such as Selfridges, ntl:Telewest Business, Jaeger, Dolphin and Hobbs, DesignUK is committed to making its clients Brands work harder online.

Design UK was looking for a hosting environment for its LavaSuite platform which would allow it to quickly build dynamic web applications for its customers, and host these on a platform which was optimally suited to the native language of the apps (ColdFusion).

Read the fully Case Study here.

Server virtualisation and serving pints do not seem like the likeliest of combinations, but National Quiz, a new online version of the traditional pub quiz, has brought the two together and is using Hostway to host its website on three virtual web servers. The service, which uses an internet connection to allow pubs to compete in real time against each other across the UK, requires only a PC, a dial-up or broadband internet connection and a screen in the pub, via which players can see all the questions and participate. Answers are selected by pub-goers and inputted by the quiz master via a small downloaded file from the National Quiz website.

To ensure the smooth-running of the operation, National Quiz needed a reliable hosting company which could deal with the ever-increasing downloads and incoming traffic. It also needed a hosting company that could deal with the large influx of traffic on Sundays and Tuesdays, the set quiz nights. After reviewing the competition, and on the basis of their needs, the company chose to work with Hostway.

Read the fully Case Study here.

Conjungo is a specialised online technology search portal which aims to unite technology buyers with suppliers. Conjungo allows users to specify search criteria such as the geographic region of the seller, the size of the company they sell to, and their specialisations.

Conjungo initially met with ten hosting companies and then developed a shortlist of six. Web hosting is crucial to Conjungo’s business, so it was important that the chosen company was able to provide a perfectly tailored solution for Conjungo’s needs. The Conjungo team was also keen for the hosting company to have a good understanding of Conjungo’s long and short-term goals, which would directly affect the hosting arrangements.

“After our tender process, we chose Hostway because of the company’s comprehensive offering, as well as its interest and understanding of our business needs and future plans,” continued Weiner. “We see Hostway as our technology provider, rather than just a supplier.”

Read the fully Case Study here.

To meet its requirements, the BBC chose to have the Castaway website hosted on Hostway’s managed server infrastructure. Although the BBC estimated a large number of viewers would log onto the website at the start of its lifecycle, it did not know how popular or busy the site could ultimately get. Consequently, Hostway decided to place Castaway’s “Remote Control” site on its enterprise level on-demand VMWare platform, allowing extra virtual servers to be added within minutes, and thereby seamlessly expanding server capacity if required.

“Capacity planning for a site that has the ability to impact the content of a TV show is extremely difficult,” said Julian Phillips, Executive Producer, BBC interactive TV. “We chose Hostway because of the flexibility and scalability of the solution that they recommended.”

Read the fully Case Study here.

Digital Field Solutions provides digital pen and paper applications for businesses to simplify field based data capture and processing. The company uses electronic ballpoint pens which write exactly like normal pens but also capture handwriting and drawing from specially prepared paper forms, pre-treated with a microdot pattern. Digital Field Solutions’ clients range from building damage assessors, loss adjusters and surveyors to insurance companies.

Digital Field Solutions’ servers are also used to host their on-line forms management portal , scribbleWeb which allows clients to log on, view their forms and, if required, amend the converted text before importing it into their own systems. With three dedicated servers, 24/7 support, uninterruptible power plus data back-up and replication to a secure International DC in Hannover, the Hostway solution provides peace of mind for Digital Field Solutions and its customers.

Read the fully Case Study here.

Design UK, an independent digital agency based in London, created a content management suite, Lava, aimed at marketing and business personnel, which is intuitive and easy to use. Unlike enterprise level systems, Lava requires very little technical knowledge to use, allowing marketing professionals to focus on marketing rather worrying about the technical details.

“After several bad experiences, we were attracted to Hostway because of their ‘can do’ attitude and ability to offer highly reliable support,” explained Leigh Whitney, operations director, Design UK. “Hostway’s worldwide presence was also a key selling point for us as we have many international customers, and it also enables our clients to store data in different countries to meet various data protection acts.”

Read the fully Case Study here.