IncTechnology.com > Internet Access Providers

Tech Talk: Vehicle ID Firm Upgrades Internet

Elizabeth Wasserman — 2009-10-21T16:46:17-05:00

DLG Group, headquartered in Bedminster, N.J., started out in the 1960s inspecting vehicle and cargo at sea ports and handwriting reports for manufacturers and insurance companies. The Internet era allowed the company to issue those inspection reports on the same day from the field and use the data to help customers improve quality control. Upgrading to fiber-optic based Internet service today has let the business expand and offer online services for customers, CEO and President Andrew Vazquez Jr. tells IncTechnology.com.

Elizabeth Wasserman: What's your company's story?

Andrew Vazquez: The DLG Group started out as Automotive Visual Inspections (AVI) as a family business that began in the mid-1960s. My father started the business and I started working for it full time in 1980. It's an automotive inspection business that verifies vehicles for damage for insurance purposes for imported and exported vehicles shipped overseas.

Wasserman: How has your business evolved?

Vazquez: One of the shipping lines came to me in the early 1980s and wanted to automate statistical information on damage for claims settlement and to improve quality control. They came to me and asked if I would assist them in developing an electronic system to do that. They would give me the programmers and I would help them design a system. Later we needed our own electronic systems and started developing our own proprietary electronic system tracking inspections, warehouse management and vehicle tracking. Taking that technology around 2004 we branched out into the vehicle logistics side of the business and launched Vehicle Logistics Solutions, which is a logistics company that works with various vehicle manufacturers in the Midwest, starting in Michigan and Ohio. But we positioned ourselves to be flexible if a customer needed a facility for short-term or long-term use to keep vehicles until they were sold.

Wasserman: How did the Internet change your business?

Vazquez: We started inspecting in the 1960s and 70s with a typewriter and carbon paper. If our customers in Europe received a report to settle a marine claim two months later, they were happy. In the 1980s, we were one of the first companies to use hand-held computers in the field. It helped us basically save a lot of steps. It used to be our inspectors would go out in the field and record information on paper, transpose to type back in the office, and then the report would hit the mail. Now we are able to take that electronic data and upload it immediately to our databases and send our files electronically. It saved us a lot of time and gave our customers a lot of power. The customer did not just receive data to settle claims but could actually use data for quality control of service. The quicker they could act on either a problem on their hands or the factory where the vehicle was manufactured the better.

Wasserman: How did that impact your needs for Internet service?

Vazquez: Back then the files weren't as large and the bandwidth wasn't as big. Most of the handhelds we used were more like electronic notepads. Now that the bandwidth is here and the technology is state of the art and has much better coverage, we've upgraded our systems and now data with photos can be transmitted in real time. Our workers can upload data and photos out in the field which means they don't have to return to the office to file their report. Now our customers can have their report immediately. We can communicate with any employee by putting a cell phone in their hand computer equipped with a wireless card. You probably would have needed two or three times more people to do the same job we're doing today.

Right now, I have offices in seven different states and also do other projects that have to be in various states across the country. We've had projects in the past where we've had to be in 32 cities around the country each quarter. Having Verizon as our communications provider really helped. We've upgraded to Verizon FIOS Internet for Business, which enabled us to become an application service provider for our customers, as well. We started another business called Vehicle Inspection Network which allows our customers to use our electronic inspection and reporting systems. We give them a log on and password. We have a lot of traffic now in and out of our central office here so it's very important that we have very good, reliable service. You can't sell a service if your Internet is slow or weak.

Wasserman: What have the results been?

Vazquez: It gave me the confidence to launch the application service provider portion of the business. If I was having a problem with companies accessing our system, I wouldn't have been able to do it. We've also started another new company called Hybrid Intermodal Transportation. This business is a freight distribution company. What makes it unique is that we've developed these specialized containers that can be loaded with freight. Today, in the automotive industry, whether they are transported by truck, rail, or vessel, vehicles are being carried in one direction and being dropped off. Many vehicle carriers or assets go back empty. It's a waste of fuel. We've developed containers that we can load with freight onto these car carrier assets, creating the opportunity to fill the empty miles of the industry. We track these containers electronically with our systems.

Multiple Locations? MPLS Is a Networking Key

Mary O. Foley — 2008-06-24T14:57:24-05:00

Let’s say you’re a mid-sized business with a number of locations. Do you juggle multiple networks and multiple phone numbers? Are you afraid you’ll lose quality of service if you make a change?

Maybe multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) is for you.

Different from frame relay or ATM systems, MPLS is an Internet protocol-based service over a virtual private network (VPN) that has the ability to tag and prioritize whether voice, video, or Internet traffic is moving over the system, and assign it the correct class of service. The result? Phone calls, even voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), have optimal sound, because they are correctly assigned the best class of service. Video service is less jumpy. Internet service, phones, and video can run across the system at the same time without a total meltdown.

“Voice and video traffic needs a class of service that is low jitter and low latency,” notes Lisa Pierce, a vice president with Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Research. “MPLS can provide this.”

Disaster recovery an advantage

MPLS also offers built-in advantages with regard to disaster recovery. “You can store critical business data at different locations around the country, and if something happens at one location, you can go over to the other database,” says Sal Cinquegrani, spokesman for Vancouver, Wash.-based New Edge Networks, a full-service WAN provider and Earthlink subsidiary.

There are also cost advantages. MPLS can be a good choice for a growing business with multiple locations that isn’t ready to pay higher prices for a T1 line. “In this slumping economy, businesses might not want to invest in T1” which costs roughly $500 a month, he says. New Edge offers MPLS over a DSL connection for about $240 a month, he says.

However, Dan Hoffman, CEO of New York, N.Y.-based M5 Networks, says the process can be complex. “Mid-sized companies should really hire a consultant for this,” he says. But he admits that there can be real savings involved. “The real dollar value in MPLS is saving five receptionist salaries and avoiding having five phone systems.” M5 is a leading VoIP and hosted networks provider that also offers MPLS services.

MPLS not for everyone

If you have only a couple locations, however, MPLS is probably more technology and expense than you need, cautions Forrester’s Pierce. “For an [small or mid-sized business] with two or three locations, it’s probably too expensive…. It’s probably better just to use good old long distance, along with a VPN without the class of service,” she says. An exception, she noted, would be a smaller company that relies heavily on voice and video conferencing or data applications such as PeopleSoft that demand better latency.

For most smaller businesses, hosted network services continue to represent the best value, adds Pierce. “They can be managed by a third party, there’s no commitment to equipment, and they can provide the applications a business needs without overkill,” she says, for about $10-$80/month per unit price.

So, is MPLS for your business? If you’re growing, and need to make long-distance links, it just may be.

Don’t Split Hairs over Shared Internet

Minda Zetlin — 2008-04-25T12:29:03-05:00

At TechColumbus, an incubator in Columbus, Ohio, tenants are startup companies, and the facility provides everything they need -- Internet connections included. “Our model is that we’re a one-stop shop,” explains Steven Clark, vice president of incubation services. “We want to take the service provider complexity out of starting a business.”

Whether incubator or not, a growing number of facilities or outsourced IT firms are offering their own version of one-stop shopping that includes Internet access -- in effect, sharing one supply of bandwidth among several tenants or customers. Such an arrangement can indeed reduce the complexity of running a business, and might provide greater flexibility as well. But it doesn’t mean you can just plug in to the Internet and let someone else worry about security and dependability -- you’re still responsible for keeping your own network safe.

Here’s how to make sure things keep running smoothly:

Ask questions about network performance. “Ask for performance statistics for the facility’s network,” Clark advises. “Find out what kind of quality assurance they have, and what redundancies are in place.” For instance, some facilities aggregate bandwidth from more than one provider so that in case one experiences a problem, tenants won’t completely lose their connections.
Provide your own security. You should have your own router and firewall to protect your network from any viruses or intrusions that may try to come in through the Internet connection. The best setup, experts agree, is a virtual local area network (VLAN) which in effect creates a network completely separated from those of the facility and other tenants. Not only does this prevent outsiders from seeing confidential information, it also protects your network if another tenant, or the facility itself, is infected with a virus.
Make sure others can’t hog bandwidth. Even with a VLAN, there’s one scenario where you’re still vulnerable if one of your neighbors gets attacked: If the malicious software starts using lots of bandwidth, for instance to send out spam, it can create an overload that will affect your connection. “A common problem is where there’s an SMTP [simple mail transfer protocol] server handling a company’s e-mail, and a virus program sets it up to serve spam. That can slow things down to where other companies are feeling the pain,” says Todd Barrett, director of sales, Security & Networking Division, CPU Sales & Service, Inc. There may also be cases where another tenant is simply using large amounts of bandwidth, even without a virus attack. To make sure this isn’t a problem, check that the facility is using a firewall that controls and monitors each tenant’s usage. “We started out with a shared pool of bandwidth,” Clark says. “Then we had one tenant using 60 to 70 percent of it. They were downloading DVDs or something. Now we can isolate utilization so that doesn’t happen.”
Ask if you can have more when you need it. On the other hand, if you legitimately need the occasional “burst” of extra bandwidth, the facility may be able to provide it. “Let’s say you’re a catalog company,” Clark says. “Ninety-five percent of the time you only need a meg of bandwidth, but every now and then you send out a promotional mailing or got mentioned in a magazine, and suddenly there’s a spike of traffic to your site.” Find out if the facility can accommodate such short-term increases, and what the costs will be.
Consider adding a backup. The facility should have redundancies to make sure the Internet is always available. But if your company, like most, would be crippled by an outage, consider adding some redundancy of your own. “You can bring in an inexpensive DSL line for $120 a month or less,” Barrett says. “That way, if the T1 line the facility is using goes out, you can switch to the less expensive one.” It may not offer the same connection quality, but at least you’ll still be online.

Choosing a Web-Hosting Service

Damon Brown — 2006-12-13T16:44:34-05:00

A few years ago, entrepreneur Blake Snow found a cheap Web-hosting platform for his new consulting business, based in Orem, Utah. The real cost didn’t come until later. “I [prepaid] 12 months service for a cheap host that I could only use for two months before having to make the switch to a better provider,” says Snow, who runs Web consultant Griffio Consulting. “I had to eat the cost.”

There are more Internet service providers (ISPs) than ever, and while not all are out to fleece their customers, finding the right provider for to host your business website and provide Internet access for your staff requires asking the right questions. Finding the right provider can help make or break your business if e-commerce is part of your sales channel or e-mail is a means of communicating with customers.

Here are some questions to ask when searching:

What do I need in the package?

Small business packages vary, but many ISPs usually offer the following:

Disk space for your webpages and relevant multimedia content
Multiple e-mail addresses
Domain/Web address registration, such as www.[yourbusiness].com
Basic “shopping cart” software for online purchases

Continuing to use a previously established e-mail address is fine, since ISPs can forward mail from your new ISP e-mail to your old one. That said, experts say that if you do get a Web address through the ISP, make sure you are listed as the owner/registrant of the domain, not the ISP company. Whoever owns the domain can do whatever they want with the website.

What's my budget?

“Fifty to 100 dollars per month should get the job done for almost any small business looking for reliable service,” Snow says. However, if highly sensitive information is being passed, you may want to get a server: a computer dedicated only to your website. As a small business, you mayl want to rent a server -- not buy one -- and this can bump costs up to at least $400 a month. You’ll likely need someone to handle upgrades and maintenance on the server, so be prepared to spend extra for that..

How fancy is my website going to be?

A handful of pages with text and a picture or two are like peanut butter and jelly: not too complex. However, integrated movies, animation, and picture-based websites may need additional consideration. “If you’re creating a ‘dynamic’ site, one that involves a database or a coding language like PHP, ASP or ColdFusion, you’ll need to make sure the host has the proper software installed,” says Web developer Andrew Kamm, who works for the Demi & Cooper advertising agency in Elgin, Illinois. “In any event, check with the developer you’re working with and they should be able to provide you with a list of what they need or refer you to a host that can accommodate.”

Will they be there when I have a problem?

Unfortunately, the size of an ISP company isn’t necessarily reflective of its response time. In fact, larger service companies may be just unavailable. Professionals recommend calling the potential ISP provider, talking about your business needs and feeling them out. ISPs that serve your area can be located at C/Net or by typing “[your city] hosting” into your favorite search engine.

If you do decide to go forward, make sure any promises are spelled out in writing. “If there were verbal negotiations between you and the Web-hosting company, be sure they are included in the contract,” advises the Better Business Bureau. “For instance, if the Web hosting company says it will respond to complaints or glitches with your account within 12 hours, rather than their usual 24 hours, be sure that promise is included in your contract.”

And unless some extraordinary need occurs, you shouldn’t be charged for customer service on top of your business' monthly service fee.

What Is Wi-MAX?

Peter Suciu — 2006-09-13T19:59:50-05:00

High-speed Internet access for small businesses in especially remote areas, such as rural towns or mountain communities or blighted urban communities, has been hard to come by. The nation's largest providers of broadband Internet service -- telephone carriers offering DSL and cable companies offering cable-modem broadband access -- haven't typically extended their services outside of well-to-do cities and suburbs because such a build-out is expensive.

Being off-the-Internet is not an option for any business these days. Not only is high-speed Internet access essential to gather information and communicate and exchange information with partners, clients and potential customers, but your company needs to maintain a presence on the Web to exist in today's global marketplace.

The solution might just be Wi-MAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access).

WHAT IS WI-MAX?

Wi-MAX is a radio technology that utilizes fixed antennas to provide two-way broadband connections to users at up to 30-mile distances, although in practice the better range tends to be three to five miles. But this range is still great enough to be attractive as a broadband option to businesses that otherwise might be off the grid. The Wi-MAX Forum, which was formed in April of 2001, has described the technology as "enabling the delivery of the last mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL." Today the forum has more than 400 members, including such companies as Sprint and Intel.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Wi-MAX refers to the standard interoperable implementations of IEEE 802.16, an air interface standard. It isn't designed to replace Wi-Fi (which is the implementation of the IEEE 802.11) just yet, and in fact it can't be accessed directly by a laptop PC on the go. Some cable and telephone companies see a potential for Wi-MAX in use to connect remote communities, where the cost to update underground lines or wires would be prohibitively expensive. Wi-MAX can be used to deliver direct Internet access to a wireless LAN for businesses in these communities. In addition, the technology is seen as having the potential to add more wireless hotspots in urban areas for true city-wide broadband almost anywhere.

"Wi-MAX can deliver broadband all the time, almost anywhere for voice, video and data," says Carlton O'Neal, vice president of marketing for Alvarion, a telecom solution provider. He compares the technology to mobile phones, and how landlines where everywhere, adding, "Today the cellular phone is the personal communicator. That is what Wi-MAX can do for computer users."

HOW CAN YOU USE IT FOR BUSINESS?

Small businesses in rural or remote areas might be able to access broadband Internet service where it has never been available before. The cost of Wi-MAX is higher than traditional DSL or cable, but is actually far less than standard T-1 lines and any customer within a radius of the central tower can pick up the system. The infrastructure to create this mobile broadband is only starting to come together, with the first Wi-MAX networks, but some supporters of the technology believe it could provide high-speed access and deliver that "office quality broadband everywhere."

As it is essentially a radio technology, Wi-MAX users will have to use a transmitter/receiver for service, but rather than another dish or large antenna it merely needs a base station placed by the window. Currently, the antennas are 12-inch square boxes, and some of the developers of the technology, including Alvarion have plans in place to provide even smaller plug-and-play receivers. More importantly because the technology is different from that of Wi-Fi, users won't face the same problems such as finding that sweet spot in the hotspot to get a strong signal.

"It won't replace DSL as a broadband technology, and in cities and urban areas users are use to getting broadband easily," adds O'Neal. But he says that the Wi-MAX shouldn't be seen as merely filling the holes that DSL can't cover. "In smaller towns, the suburbs and especially in developing countries there just isn't the infrastructure available to always deliver DSL, and for those users (including businesses) Wi-MAX can supply the broadband."

This year Wi-MAX networks went live in several locations across the world, and as with cellular telephone adoption, which allowed many developing nations to suddenly be "un-wired" practically overnight this could be the next technology to get more people connected. In places in South America, a region that has limited landlines, and thus almost no broadband, the technology has made high-speed Internet access available overnight. . Likewise, Pakistan is already working on plans to become the world's largest Wi-MAX Network. And in the United States it could mean that whole cities would suddenly be blanked with Internet hotspots.

American cities like Philadelphia have already had plans to make broadband available anywhere in the downtown, with up to 300 hotspots covering the area. Some providers already believe that Wi-MAX will get country completely unwired; "It may not impact your life tomorrow," says O'Neal. "But Wi-MAX will be more engrained in your life in five years. It is coming to a device near you."

Managing Your E-Mail: An Entrepreneur's Checklist

Bradley Feld — 2006-09-08T13:31:54-05:00

I'm an entrepreneur who runs several companies, and I'm invested in a number of others. I travel constantly, communicate regularly with hundreds of associates, partners, and investment managers and advisers, and, other than my house in the mountains, I have no physical headquarters for my businesses. Naturally, e-mail is my preferred method of communication, and I get loads of e-mail -- more than 300 messages a day. Five years ago, I thought it was macho to get so much e-mail. Three years ago, I thought it was annoying. Finally, I realized I needed to deal with it.

While e-mail overload is a growing problem for everyone, it is particularly unnerving for entrepreneurs. E-mail increases an entrepreneur's ability to communicate with his or her organization, customers, vendors, partners, and, of course, mother. But such easy communication tends to snowball: Once people realize that the entrepreneur is accessible via e-mail, the volume increases. When accessibility combines with travel, meetings, and the normal stress of running a business, the problem can turn into a nightmare.

As a result, I've spent some time thinking about and implementing ways to handle large volumes of e-mail. In this article, I'll share some hints for managing those ever-increasing loads of mail. My suggestions involve getting a handle on both the mechanics of your e-mail delivery system and your procedures for sending and receiving messages.

First, the mechanics...

Get a reliable e-mail service provider. Once e-mail becomes a critical part of your work life, nothing is more annoying than having to struggle to download your e-mail. If you connect to the Internet with a modem, make sure your Internet service provider (ISP) has adequate modem connections. If you travel, make sure your ISP has local dial-up access phone numbers in the cities to which you travel. Determine whether your provider has ever had problems sending e-mail, or is on any "spam-blocked" lists that may prevent your e-mail from getting through. Finally, pick a simple e-mail address! Addresses such as harry-jones@ne.sales.bigfirm.com are a lot harder to deal with than you@yourcompany.com.

Standardize on one e-mail account. At one time, I had five e-mail accounts, and I checked each one every day. I eventually standardized on one account. Now my accounts "point" to one, and although people send me e-mail at a number of different places, it all ends up in the same in-box.

Standardize on one e-mail program, and learn to use it. With the choices available today, there isn't any excuse for not having an excellent e-mail program. My favorites include Microsoft Outlook 98, which I use, Microsoft Outlook Express, which is built into Microsoft Internet Explorer, Qualcomm Eudora Pro, and Pegasus E-mail. Each of those programs is excellent. Each includes such common e-mail features as multiple mailboxes, folders, address books, message filtering, and HTML e-mail. Learn to use your e-mail program, especially the keyboard shortcuts. You'll save tons of time.

Now for your messages...

Develop an e-mail rhythm. People with whom you communicate regularly will get used to your patterns of response. For example, I try to clear out my in-box each morning before I get involved in my day. While my busy travel schedule makes this difficult to do, people know that whenever they e-mail me, they can expect a response within 24 hours. When I'm home, I'm always connected, and unless I don't want to be interrupted, I respond immediately to any incoming messages. Figure out your rhythm -- what works for you -- and stick to it.

Never touch an e-mail more than twice. I know many people who avoid addressing their e-mails quickly. This is a mistake: If you let your messages sit, they get moldy and weigh on your mind. I try to respond or delete e-mails once I've read them. If I'm behind, or if I'm feeling pressed for time, I scan my e-mails and answer those that require an immediate response, and I handle the balance -- in sequential date-and-time order -- the next time I have a free moment.

Be careful how you use filters and folders. Filters are complex rules for sorting e-mail automatically into folders. While they have many uses, filters can actually make you less organized if you haven't done a good job of setting them up. For a while, I did use filters, but I stopped. Folders are also dangerous: E-mail that ends up in folders is easily forgotten. Because of that, I use folders only to store information I know I'll need to refer to, but I never store away a message related to matters I need to act on. In short, avoid the trap of filing information away and losing it forever.

Send information, not stories. Rarely does an e-mail from me contain more than one screenful of information. I want people to be able to read my e-mails quickly, understand what I want, and respond. Keep your own responses short, and train your friends to send you e-mails that you can process quickly.

Respond only when appropriate. If you are copied on an e-mail, and there isn't an obvious reason for you to respond, don't! Don't feel compelled to keep an e-mail communication going unless you see a reason to do so. This is especially important when you have a number of people being copied. You want to avoid having everyone responding endlessly to something long after anybody cares about it. Use your judgment: Like voice conversations, e-mail exchanges have natural ending points, too.

When e-mail gets out of hand, pick up the telephone. If you sense that your e-mail isn't communicating effectively, isn't resolving your problem, or is creating an escalating argument, pick up the telephone. E-mail lacks so many conversational nuances. Recognize when e-mail is no longer effective for what you are trying to communicate -- and change your method of exchange.

. . . . .

My hints all suggest a golden rule: use e-mail as a tool -- rather than as a replacement -- for communication. Even though I prefer e-mail, I often say that deals don't get done and customers don't get on board unless you get face-to-face.

Test Potential On-Site Search Engines

Russell Shaw — 2006-09-08T13:31:48-05:00

After you've identified several search engines that may meet your needs, you'll need to put them to the test. Take the time to download, install, and test several. (But remember to do this internally rather than on your actual Web site.) Your tests should ensure that the search engine is easy to use from a user's perspective.

Evaluate the ease of installation and maintenance of each potential package.
Find out how well they index your site and whether you run into any incompatibilities or problems.
Search using keywords that represent your typical customer inquiries, and see what results the search engine produces. Does the search produce relevant information?
Search for key products or product features and find out what pages are served. Ask various people to help you test the search engine, since different people will search in different ways. Note whether the most relevant items come up with the keywords you use. Determine whether problems reveal shortcomings of the search engine or whether they reflect oversights in how you categorize the content on your site.

Prescription for Encryption

Susan Greco — 2006-09-08T13:31:47-05:00

In 1999, Barry and Madge Rosenberg, owners of the Manhattan bakery Soutine, watched with glee as their gingerbread sales more than doubled. The reason: their new Web site, Soutine.com. The catch: sales could have been much, much better. That's because the Rosenbergs hadn't yet found a safe and affordable way to take credit-card orders online.

Help may be on the way for growing businesses like Soutine, which last year grossed close to $500,000. A friendlier E-commerce system is starting to emerge among the gaggle of Internet service providers and Web-hosting services competing for small-business customers. For a monthly fee, ranging from around $25 to several hundred dollars, a business can "rent" space on a secure server that includes the requisite shopping basket, encrypted order form, and real-time or off-line credit-card-authorization processing. Some national ISPs, such as Verio, will even do the grunt work of lining up a merchant account for you (for a price, of course).

Mark Walker, CEO of Maternityshoppe.com, in Longmont, Colo., has taken credit-card orders online from the moment he opened his virtual doors, on Mother's Day, 1998. He pays a monthly fee of $60 to Hiway Technologies, a Web-hosting company owned by Verio; for that he gets hosting, a shopping cart, industry-standard SSL encryption, and a sales-analysis tool. "There may be cheaper roads to go, but this was easy and affordable for us," says Walker. He adds, "Any decent Web host should offer encryption as part of your hosting fee."

Don Sussis, an E-commerce consultant based in New York City, concurs. "If you're a small business, it's smart to partner with a larger hosting site. Make sure you have enough time to run your business."

That would be the frosting on the cake for baker Barry Rosenberg, whose goal is to make sales online that "won't have to end in a phone conversation."

How can I find a reliable ISP in a country with poor infrastructure?

Bradley D. Brown — 2006-09-08T13:31:45-05:00

Information Technology mentor Brad Brown responds to the following question from an inc.com user:
I plan to start a small business. I want to have my e-mail address as follows: MyName@MyCompany.com. I also plan to have the domain name of my company registered. Where can I get the e-mail address as indicated?

I will be doing business in a country with poor ISP services and infrastructure. Can you suggest a reliable international service I can subscribe to? I should be able to move to another ISP with my company name if need be. I tried Mail.com, but it has a minimum requirement of 20 mailboxes.

Brad Brown's response:
In my opinion, you'll find everything you're lookingfor if you select a "large" Internet service provider (ISP). These ISPs can provide all the servicesyou've requested. They can set up your company's domain name(i.e., www.mycompany.com), host your Web site, and provide you with e-mailaddresses. These ISPs will often provide the e-mail service without any minimumnumber of e-mail addresses. I suggest that you look at several to compare their costs and services. Examples of large ISPs include AOL, MindSpring, and MCI/WorldCom.

I use MindSpring. MindSpring has a Global Roaming Service that allows you to connect to an ISP almost anywhere in the world by dialing a local phone number. I use this service not only when I'm traveling throughout the United States but also around the globe.

4 Web Host Warning Signs

Angela Hammontree — 2006-09-08T13:31:41-05:00

Given the large number of Web hosts and the fierce competition among them, Web hosting can be a tricky business.

Countless small Web hosts have gone out of business and even large communications companies like Exodus have cut staff to reduce costs.

If your Web host goes under, you have problems. Your site might be down for an extended period -- at least as long as ittakes to sort out the mess, research and select a new host, and transfer all your files to the new host's server.

In addition to a major hassle, you could lose sales.

To avoid losing profits, be on the lookout for warning signs your Web host is in trouble. That way, you can put a back-upplan in place that will help smooth the switch to a new Web host without a lot of downtime or lost profits.

What to Watch For

Here are some of the most common indications a Web host is in danger of folding:

Lack of Support. One of the surest and most easily observed signs of difficulty is a lack of customer support. If your Webhost fails to respond to your calls, if you e-mail your host for support and get no response for several days, or if you'redeluged with autoresponses, you have reason to be suspicious.
The company might have laid off crucial support staff, which could indicate financial difficulties. This does not bode wellfor the Web host's future -- or for the future of your Web site, for that matter.
Try e-mailing your Web host's customer support department at routine intervals.
Try telephoning technical or billing support to see how hard it is to reach a human operator, which is often your best meansof problem resolution. One school of thought says the better the support, the more stable the Web host.
Profitability. Sam Martin of OfficeOnWeb says Web hosting companies in trouble are ones that provide free services orcharge so little they cannot make a profit. "The pay-money-till-you-get-all-the-market-share model was bad business from thestart and has been proven bad business by the sheer number of bankruptcies going on in the dot-com market," Martin said. Ifyour Web host is a public company, find out if it's turning a profit. If not, be prepared to change Web hosts.
In the case of private hosting companies, it can be harder to determine whether the company is profitable. Generally, if yourWeb host offers hosting for what seems to be an exceedingly low price -- lower than around $20 (U.S.) per month -- youmight want to ask yourself how the company can turn a profit with such low rates. Decide if you feel comfortable with theprospective performance of such a company in the long term.
Media attention. "Hosts are relatively low-profile," said Kevin Martin, CEO of pair Networks Inc. "If yours is beingcovered by MSNBC or "60 Minutes," it had better be positive press, or I would be nervous."
Reading business publications that might mention your Web host is always a good idea. If your Web host is mentioned in apositive way, great. If an article reports layoffs, changes in management, or a company buyout, be aware such changes often-- though certainly not always -- result in decreased support for the client.
If your Web host changes hands, this does not necessarily mean you will want to find a new Web host, but be sure toinvestigate what policy changes might accompany the change in ownership.
Decreased services. Withdrawal of certain services your host formerly provided might indicate its attempt to reduce recentfinancial losses. Also research any price increases the company institutes.
Naturally, businesses must increase prices from time to time, and this is not always cause for alarm. However, if priceincreases or service decreases are implemented in a way that is less than upfront, the company might be trying to avoidopenly disclosing changes that are attempts to salvage an ailing business.

Checking Up

One of the best ways to check up on your Web host is to take advantage of various discussion groups or forums. Two resources are WebHostingTalk and Web Host Directory.

You can use these sites to ask about your Web host and to see what experiences other people have had with the company. Orcheck the archives. Previous posts might give you all the information you're looking for.

"In all aspects, consider sharing your experiences with other customers in any discussion forum the host might offer or on apublic site," Kevin Martin said. "Broader trends are more likely to be found by sharing information."

If you find a lot of negative comments about your Web host, devise a backup plan. Particularly, if many posts complaining ofpoor support or other problems are clustered within a recent period of time, this could indicate the Web host is reallystruggling to stay afloat.

Do Diligence

Other users of Web host forums can often direct you to more sources of information.

Finally, perhaps your best resource is the Web host itself. Visit the company's Web site frequently to make sure it still offersservice to new clients.

If for any reason you are concerned about the company's performance or stability, contact someone in the company. This canbe an eye-opening experience in itself.

If you try to contact management and are unable to reach anyone, or if the company is not responsive to your questions andconcerns, it's time to consider a new Web host.