What does Webolution do?
We do a lot of PHP work, back-end Web development, database and software architecture. We build things like discussion boards, membership systems, and shopping carts, as opposed to doing things like graphic design. We're actually part of a couple of different business that overlap somewhat, but overall we've probably got about eight or ten people making up the company.
What is your role at the company?
I'm the lead programmer and owner.
How did you first come in contact with Cyberverse?
It was in 1999 or so, and we were hosted with a different provider. And the people there weren't very knowledgable about fixing problems. That wasn't so much an issue for our servers, since we have an independent system administrator we work with to take care of them, but there would be times when we couldn't reach him, or we'd have an urgent problem of some kind, and our old ISP wasn't much help in those situations. They also had a lot of problems on their end; bandwidth issues, their network would go down, that sort of thing.
And so this outside administrator we were working with knew about Cyberverse, and suggested we give them a try.
How has Cyberverse worked out for you?
They've been extremely reliable as far as uptime, and they're very helpful and knowledgable. If we can't reach our administrator for some reason, we can call them in to help us with something, and they're always willing and able. They're very flexible, and really just a pleasure to deal with.
What services of theirs are you using these days?
We use them for colocation. We have four or five boxes with them currently; half a cabinet.
Would you say that you are a satisfied customer? What is it about Cyberverse, in your view, that makes them a good value?
Well, as I said, they're reliable. The person who brought us to Cyberverse, I know of a case with another one of his clients where he suggested they switch to Cyberverse, and they decided not to, and went with someone cheaper instead. And then ended up unable to send email because the ISP's entire block of IP addresses got blacklisted.
With really cheap providers, they're just not going to be as reliable.
What about providers with comparable pricing to Cyberverse's? How would you say Cyberverse compares with them?
Well, let's say we had chosen to go with some big provider, like AT&T. They'd probably be fine in terms of reliability, but things can still go wrong, and when I'd call them up I'd have to sit on hold forever. With Cyberverse I can call up and speak immediately to someone who knows what they're doing, and can deal with the problem.
I've done some looking around at times, evaluating other providers, and while I feel I could probably get cheaper rates, I just don't feel like it would be worth it. I wouldn't know who those people were, and they wouldn't know me. I could be one minute late on a payment and they'd probably cut me off.
With Cyberverse it all comes down to flexibility, availability, and reliability.
Is there anything else about Cyberverse that you think people should know?
They've always been fair with me. I was talking to Jay this morning because we had a situation where one of our sites got mentioned in a few articles, and all of a sudden we went through the roof in terms of our bandwidth usage. And with a less-understanding provider, I could have had a real problem. But they were fine about it, and are giving me a break on the bandwidth cost.
I basically consider them friends. They're always looking to help us out. It's not just "business at any cost" with them.
I think their business model is similar to our own, in some ways. We do hosting and web development, and we're not the cheapest option out there. But you get what you pay for in this business. I can't afford to not be able to reach them in an emergency. I can't afford to have someone who doesn't know what he's doing on the other end of the phone. Whatever extra that might cost compared to a low-end provider, you get that back in terms of customer satisfaction.
Please describe Public Communications Worldwide, Inc. What kind of business is it? How many employees do you have?
We're mainly a public relations firm. We also do advertising, website development, and creative work. The majority of our clients are technology companies, either business-to-business or consumer electronics companies. We have five employees, currently.
When and how did you first hear about Cyberverse?
When we worked with them originally, it was as part of my father's business. Then we left, and ended up trying another Internet provider for a time. But in April of 2002 we ended up coming back to Cyberverse, and we've been with them ever since.
What services of Cyberverse's do you use?
We use them for hosting our website, and we have some clients' websites that are hosted there, too. We use them for both Unix and Windows hosting.
What is it that you like about Cyberverse? What makes them a good value?
Customer service. Responsibility. Professionalism. Security. Uptime.
How does Cyberverse compare with other Internet providers, in your experience?
With a lot of the Internet service providers out there, the knowledge level of the people running them isn't that great. Their customer service is impersonal. They have problems with security issues. They have problems keeping their websites up. Cyberverse is much better in all those areas. I think it's just a reflection of their overall corporate culture.
They've grown organically, without exceeding their abilities. They're professional and reliable. They understand the technology, and they're willing to work with you.
Is there anything else about Cyberverse that you think people should know?
We have a pretty large number of sites hosted with them, either our own or client sites, and some of those are very large sites. And Cyberverse has always bent over backwards to make sure they run properly.
