| [Jul
8, 2003] |
Telstra
Web Hosting Under Fire
By James Pearce, ZDNet Australia
Telstra's latest Web hosting offering has come
under fire from a competitor for its claims
to target small to medium enterprises with "low-cost"
Web hosting.
Michael Farrell, managing director at Hostway,
told ZDNet Australia he was surprised that Telstra
had pitched their latest Web hosting plans as
being low-cost. "It's at the high end of
the market for what they offer," he said.
"I object to the way they're positioning
their place in the market as the champion of
SMEs," said Farrell, adding he didn't think
Telstra understood the needs of the SME market.
"Historically, they don't have a great
track record for customer service and support,"
he said.
"When SMEs move into the [Web hosting]
market for the first time they need a lot of
handholding and support, because they often
lack experience in that area," said Farrell.
Telstra spokesperson Kerrina Lawrence refuted
the allegations, saying that Telstra's position
as the largest ISP in Australia indicated a
good level of customer service and support.
Lawrence said the price of Telstra Web hosting
was competitive given the plans were riding
on the coat tails of the BigPond and Telstra
brands, and the value and security provided
by them.
"In terms of targeting the SME segment∑
the product price point is
competitive with similar offerings," said
Lawrence, adding different companies offered
different products.There are a number of Web
hosting providers who offer very competitive
plans and the customer should look at the provider
not just by their brand, but by what they provide,"
said Farrell, saying price, reliability and
the level of support offered should all be taken
into account based on individual customer needs.
Farrell suspects Telstra is reselling WebCentral,
since the plans are almost identical to those
offered by WebCentral and one of its resellers,
OzEmail. A small example of Web hosting solutions
that provide similar features to Telstra's entry
level plans follow:
| Provider |
Web Space |
Included Data Transfer |
Emails |
Price |
| Telstra |
20
MB |
500
MB |
10 |
AU$38
/ month |
| OzEmail |
20
MB |
500
MB |
10 |
AU$38
/ month |
| WebCentral |
20
MB |
500
MB |
10 |
AU$38
/ month |
| Hostway |
50
MB |
3,000
MB |
10 |
AU$27.95
/ month |
| Ilisys |
20
MB |
1,000
MB |
5 |
AU$20.82
/ month |
| NetRegistry |
35
MB |
1,000
MB |
5 |
AU$33
/ month |
| Conexim |
25
MB |
2,000
MB |
10 |
$22
/ month |
| Host1
|
100
MB |
2,000
MB |
10 |
$31.95
/ month |
| Cheap
Website Hosting |
25
MB |
2,000
MB |
10 |
US$4
/ month |
About Hostway
Hostway Corporation is a provider of award-winning
Web hosting services and tools, supported by
superior customer service. Working primarily
with small- and medium-sized businesses, Hostway
provides the best of hosting technology with
innovative online tools to help customers broaden
their reach and grow their business. Hostway
offers a wide range of shared and dedicated
server plans to partner with their customers
– from the launch of a Web site through
every stage of online growth.
Founded in 1996, the Chicago-based company supports
more than 100,000 Web sites worldwide and facilitates
millions of dollars in e-commerce transactions
each month. Hostway expanded its global reach
in 2000 by opening an office in Korea and again
in 2001 with the opening of a London office.
Hostway is a private company, has posted a profit
every quarter since its inception and does not
rely on outside capital.
For more information on Hostway Corporation
please visit www.hostway.com.au
or
call 1-888-290-5170.
|
