| In 1998 I started a small (miserably so) online | | | | long way to giving the buying public the kind of hard |
| business and had my first experience with selecting a | | | | and fast security that has been lacking up to now, |
| hosting company. Back then it was really no big deal | | | | but because my hosting company was either unable |
| because mine was way too small a business to have | | | | or unwilling to provide a PCI compliant environment I |
| many hosting needs and in those early times there | | | | was forced to find a new host. I imagine there are |
| was less competition amongst hosting companies. | | | | thousands of businesses scrambling to find hosting |
| About all I was concerned about was having | | | | companies that will meet this need, which is one of |
| adequate storage space. Traffic wasn't even an | | | | the reasons I decided to write this article. |
| issue. Still, I ran into unexpected difficulties and soon | | | | I found as a result of being referred to them by |
| learned that even very small businesses have to be | | | | McAfee Secure, a well known company that provides |
| concerned with more than just disk space. Support | | | | online businesses with security scanning and |
| was the detail I hadn't considered. | | | | certification. They told me was one of the very few |
| That first experience soured me somewhat because | | | | hosting companies they felt comfortable |
| I learned that it can be like pulling teeth to get | | | | recommending. When I looked at the available |
| support from a company that doesn't take this | | | | packages this hosting firm offers, I have to say I |
| aspect of business seriously. The company I first | | | | was not blown away. The packages are fairly small, |
| hosted with turned out to be located in someone's | | | | but the pricing is also very affordable. The BIG plus |
| home -- a fact that was never divulged in the | | | | was that they obviously put themselves forward as |
| advertising. The man was nice enough, and he tried | | | | the leader in striving to be, and stay, PCI compliant |
| very hard to accommodate me as long as my | | | | for the sake of all their eCommerce customers. I |
| support questions came about on weekdays | | | | decided to give them a try. My expectations were |
| between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., his time. Even then, he did | | | | low until I called the phone number on the home |
| not impress me with his level of expertise. | | | | page . . . and got the owner! |
| I have since been through no less than six moves, | | | | Not only did Jim Walker answer my questions, he did |
| and until this last one, not one of them were easy to | | | | so with candor, amicability and enthusiasm. He did not |
| tolerate. If I remember correctly, the second hosting | | | | over sell. In fact he went out of his way to make |
| company I tried had a penchant for going offline way | | | | sure I knew exactly what the company could do and |
| too many times, and attempts to get support were | | | | what not to expect. There was precious little of the |
| frustrating. An eCommerce site cannot afford to be | | | | latter. I didn't keep him on the phone, he kept me on. |
| available to customers only on occasion. By this time | | | | For over twenty minutes he spoke with me and |
| my business had grown somewhat and I had | | | | would not hang up until he knew every one of my |
| become very sensitive to this aspect. It was a sour | | | | questions and concerns had been answered. Result |
| experience and I remained with the company for less | | | | was that I signed up an hour later, via the online |
| than a year. | | | | process. Still . . . I knew not to expect an easy |
| Next came a well publicized hosting company that | | | | transition. There was a shopping cart that had to |
| had received some good reviews -- though I'm still a | | | | work, a Linkpoint gateway that had to work, and |
| little suspicious of so-called reviews one finds online -- | | | | several other site functions, including installation of my |
| and while the initial move went well, I had ongoing | | | | privately owned SSL cert, that had to go well. I |
| problems with connectivity and, again, a horrible time | | | | crossed my fingers and waited, while Jim and his |
| getting support. For one thing, there was no phone | | | | support team handed everything. I didn't have to |
| support at all. Everything had to submitted via a | | | | upload a single file. My entire site was moved from |
| support ticket. This is fairly common, I've found, and | | | | the current host to TVC and every script and |
| there is nothing inherently wrong with support | | | | application was handled with care and concern. |
| tickets, unless they are slow to be addressed and | | | | Yes, there were problems. My payment gateway to |
| there is no alternative route to Support. Also, there | | | | Linkpoint refused to install properly and I fully |
| was a most obvious language barrier which led me to | | | | expected this to take days to fix. But Jim, himself, |
| believe "Support" was located off-shore. I am | | | | stayed at it on into the weekend without interruption |
| certainly not racist, but I believe it is mandatory that | | | | until it was done and working flawlessly. We |
| both parties are able to understand each other for | | | | exchanged dozens of emails (less expensive than |
| anything constructive to happen. It was ugly. | | | | phone time and email affords a record of the |
| The next experience was awful, more so than any | | | | process that can be saved), and all I had to do was |
| other, because after a few months of reasonably | | | | provide him with access information to various |
| adequate hosting the company I had moved to | | | | sources where he knew he could find the information |
| simply went out of business, with absolutely no prior | | | | he needed. |
| warning. This was so bad word spread throughout | | | | Jim does not know I'm writing this article. I am doing |
| the Internet and it became a well known debacle. | | | | this because, quite simply, I am blown away by the |
| Skip to my most recent forced move. The host | | | | seriously impressive support -- no, let's make that |
| company I have been with for the last three years, I | | | | Support with a capitol 'S' -- that provided to me. |
| will say, has been a good host. It shall go un-named | | | | Others need to know about this company. Hopefully, |
| because I have no malice toward it. I had to move | | | | this article will make the road less bumpy for others |
| because, as an eCommerce site, I am compelled to | | | | who are compelled to find PCI compliant hosting, and |
| show that I am PCI compliant in order to continue | | | | for anyone with any sort of web site who would like |
| accepting credit cards via the Internet. This fairly | | | | to be hosted by an intelligent, helpful and friendly |
| new security measure is one I applaud, as it goes a | | | | company. |