Web servers offered to customers

4 December 2008

Strato is now offering dedicated servers in its two professional computer centres

Strato was one of the first Web hosting providers to make the Windows Server 2008 operating system available to its customers.

Customers continually expect more from their Web hosting providers. Web 2.0 and Web services are pushing the boundaries of technology. So for customers with high expectations, Strato is now offering dedicated servers in its two professional computer centres. The Berlin-based IT company has taken into account aspects such as security, performance, and availability as well as energy consumption. Now Strato is among the first Web hosting providers to make the Windows Server 2008 operating system available. Strato offered Windows Server 2008 even before it was released to manufacturing because the company was one of the first to test the new Microsoft operating system—with very positive results. What is more, Windows Server 2008 requires fewer resources than the previous version.

Strato has grown from being Germany’s Internet pioneer into a Europe-wide operator. More than 30,000 servers run in its two computer centres, hosting more than 3.5 million domains and handling around four billion hits per month. The Berlin-based company has 485 employees.

Strato receives regular certification that the data in its computer centres is securely saved. Maximum availability is achieved by an up-to-the-minute hardware configuration and a direct link to the fibre-optic backbone of its parent company, freenet AG. Energy consumption is also a high priority for the company. “Strato is a pioneer in climate protection and energy efficiency in the international IT sector,” says Julien Ardisson, Chief Technology Officer at Strato AG. That is why in 2008 the company started to obtain all its power from the Baden-Württemberg company NaturEnergie, which generates power with TÜV certification exclusively from 100 per cent carbon dioxide-free and environment-friendly water power.

The Strato customer structure is highly varied, ranging from ordinary Web space users to technically adept private users, midsize companies, and major clients. “Around 30 per cent of our customers are business clients,” says Ardisson.
The hosting of dedicated servers using the Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition operating system is a major branch of the company’s business. Ardisson explains the advantages. “The servers are operated professionally in our computer centres, and customers can keep track of their costs. Security, performance, and service are top priorities.”

Strato offers a range of professional e-business services that are used primarily by companies in the B2B and B2C sectors. These services are also beneficial for technology enthusiasts for whom the cost of running their own servers would be prohibitive. With the growing number of sophisticated Web 2.0 products and the conversion of company software to Web services, many hosting customers are also raising their expectations of what a Web server should do for them. But Ardisson is aware that “hardware is only half the battle, and what customers want is added value.”
“We have put together four different packages to meet individual needs from private individuals, right through to the highly exacting requirements of major companies,” says Ardisson. Strato expects the new solution to be particularly interesting to midsize companies because Strato is ISO 9001- and 27001-certified. Such certification is important for outsourced projects.

“The dedicated Windows Server is used in particular by customers who want to work in a familiar environment,” says Julien Ardisson, chief technology officer at Strato. “We have made this even easier and have built up a complete package of applications.” This means that a customer with a program installed on Windows Server can set up services with just a few clicks of the mouse.

This article first appeared in issue seven of Microsoft Connections in Communications magazine.