Cloud Hosting

BIRMINGHAM, England, September 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

- Q3 Internet is a reseller of shared web hosting and Linux cloud servers and a GlobalSign SSL provider -

New independent market research by industry analyst, Redshift Research, on behalf of GlobalSign SSL provider and Linux cloud server reseller Q3 Internet Services, has found that 45% of companies running transactional websites don't actually know where their data and website files are stored, raising concerns about the security of sensitive customer information for both web hosting and shared web hosting.

The survey, which samples the views of 164 IT buyers in retail, leisure & hospitality, entertainment, financial services and public sector, also found that 27% of respondents do not know who their web hosting provider is, whilst 53% of companies could not give a reason why they had chosen their current provider. 16% of respondents said that the company's web hosting provider was recommended by their web design agency, whilst 11% took a recommendation from a colleague.

Furthermore, the research highlighted that system downtime and speed of performance are still issues affecting businesses. Indeed, 18% of respondents had experienced a major outage in the last 12 months, whilst 33% had found their website to be too slow.

Only 11% of companies had actually changed their shared web hosting provider in the last two years, yet significantly only 35% of companies said that they are happy with the service from their existing provider. Respondents cited a whole host of reasons as to why they had decided to not change provider in the last two years, such as: provider reduced the cost (4%); fear of downtime whilst migrating (5%); fear of permanent data loss (4%); provider made it too difficult to move (5%); better the devil you know (6%); didn't have time to investigate other providers (6%). When asked what would be the most important factor if they were considering a change of provider, 62% of respondents said security of data, 26% cited cost, whilst 10% said fast, reactive customer service.

Commenting on the research results, Raj Sukkersudha, Managing Director at GlobalSign SSL provider and Linux cloud server reseller, Q3 Internet Services, says, "The research results demonstrate that the average organisation is surprisingly blas about their choice of web hosting provider - until there is a problem. A significant percentage of companies running transactional websites don't even know where their data is hosted. Given the sensitivity of much of that data, this is quite alarming."

Sukkersudha continues, "Often the selection process when choosing a hosting partner, particularly for small businesses, comes down to cost; little thought is given to whether the resulting service is appropriate and geared to the company's specific needs. Alternatively the web hosting service may have been recommended or even brokered by the company's web design agency, lulling the organisation into a sense of security that may not be warranted."

According to Sukkersudha, the risk is that a poorly thought-out web hosting decision can cause all sorts of problems down the line, as a business becomes more reliant on its online presence for new leads, or to provide support to its customers. He explains, "If the website doesn't function well, is plagued with performance issues and/or is difficult to update readily, this will reflect badly on the business and have an impact on the customer experience, harming sales. A company's web presence today is no longer a nice-to-have, it is core to an organisation's brand and as a result companies cannot leave their web hosting choices to chance."

Sukkersudha suggests that companies need to consider which qualities of the service are most important to them, and ensure these are adequately provided for. He explains, "There is a reason that hosting services can range from several pounds to several hundred pounds a month - you get what you pay for. At one end of the spectrum, the service will be pared back to the bare essentials much like a no-frills airline; at the other extreme will be an all-you-can-eat proposition including comprehensive managed ICT services."

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45% of Companies Running Transactional Websites are Unsure Whether Data is Hosted in the UK, According to New Research ...