Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Does anyone know anything about data centers and how they operate? I would like to know if I have a website that offers a service and want them to host and manage it, is that possible? I will be glad to elaborate more on the type of service I am hoping to offer.

Thanks! George

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George Sanchez
Boomerang Max
boomerangmax@gmail.com
Houston, Tx

What exactly are you asking?  Are you looking for someone with experience managing data centers or are you looking for a data center?  There are many companies that provide a range of hosting services--basically they take care of your computers for you, back them up, redundant power suppliers, backup power, multiple internet connections, cooling, on-site administration, etc.  Some offer you space on a computer, others offer you whole computers.  The range of options is amazing.  Some do it very well and others... well... not so well.

Hello tgagne and thanks for posting. I have been doing some research myself and have found that there are a lot of data centers. Some of them provide a range of services some only povide the minimum.

To answer your question, what I am looking for is a data center that can host my website, manage it, and provide storage for my customers. I want my service to provide my customers a web based or desktop based online backup solutions. I would start with the pivate sector and then grow into the business market. For that I would also like to provide FTP file sharing capabilities. Now I am not a novice with computers, but I don`t know the processes and inner workings of how the technology would work. I have never done this before so this is all new to me. I do have a software in mind that will provide a client for the customer to use if they choose to use the desktop option. Although I don`t know how the process goes as to getting this software onto my server and having it work when someone downloads it once I have a server up and running.

I hope this sheds more light on the situation. Thanks again!

George

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George Sanchez
Boomerang Max
boomerangmax@gmail.com
Houston, Tx

I want my service to provide my customers a web based or desktop based online backup solutions.
So your service would allow me to backup my laptop across the `net to your equipment?  Have you thought of a way around the fact hard drive capacities outpace network througput?  I`m interested in discussin the idea with you, not because I have ideas of my own in this area but because it doesn`t seem practical unless you`ve come up with an unusually effective approach.

Yes. My service will allow you to backup, but not to my computer, to a data center. I personally don`t have the financial backing and IT infrastructure to do this. That is why I`m searching for a data center that can provide me a server, host my site and provide me storage for my business purposes that myu customers can use for their personal use. They have the infrastructure, they have the bandwidth, but of course there is a price for it. I`m a aware of that, but I am willing to invest in it.

I would have no access to their information whatso ever if there is a concern for theft or any other concern for that matter. There a quite a number of companies already offering this service, such as xDrive, IBackup,Intronis, Spare Backup to name a few.

So you have ideas about this too? Would you be willing to exchange ideas in hopes of helping each other out?

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George Sanchez
Boomerang Max
boomerangmax@gmail.com
Houston, Tx

I would be willing to exchange ideas, but they`d start out by probing for weaknesses, which isn`t the most encouraging experience even when done nicely.  Before entertaining that idea, I`ll have to look around at xDrive, IBackup, Intronis, and Spare Backup to see what they do, how they do it, to understand how you`re differentiating yourself.

Apparently you started early with market research to find potential competitors.  Good job.

George, here`s an article I found in Computerworld that may interest you.  It`s about open source online storage solutions.  Some of them relate to `net backups.  It may be an option for you instead of having to develop your own IP.  Use what already exists, capitalize on its success in the marketplace, and provide the service.

Our company, InStream Financial does this with another company, SourceHosting.net.  They provide a storage and website service using the popular open-source tools CVS and Bugzilla.  We pay them a monthly fee to take care of it and back it up.

I forgot the link!  Read it at Free open-source storage software attracts users.

George.
Check out http://www.datadepositbox.com/
I have used them for the past 16 months and find it a low cost, great service.

They also have a series of partner programs that might fit your requirements...

Good luck

Charles Georg
www.termsheetexpress.com

Tgagne, thanks for those links. I have been reading up on that article and yes there is some very good information in there, but I don`t know hardly anything about programming so I don`t think that would be a good thing for me. I don`t know that I want to develop an IP for my venture either. That would be too costly, which is why I`m searching for other alternatives. I recently found a software that I can buy per license. It is called Storgrid from Vembu Technologies. You may want to check it out.

So let me make sure I understood correctly, this SourceHosting.net site provide the backup service to you company with open source software. Is that correct?

I will definately keep reading on about open source. I may learn a little more about it.

Thanks!

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George Sanchez
Boomerang Max
boomerangmax@gmail.com
Houston, Tx