(Nov 4) Several vulnerabilities have been discovered in Iceape, an internet suite based on Seamonkey: CVE-2012-3982 [More…]
Comment
(Nov 8) Updated kernel packages that fix multiple security issues and several bugs are now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. The Red Hat Security Response Team has rated this update as having moderate [More…]
(Nov 8) Updated kernel packages that fix one security issue and three bugs are now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.1 Extended Update Support. The Red Hat Security Response Team has rated this update as having [More…]
When a web host begins to gain a reputation for great service, it can feel like a superhuman feat to keep up with the demands of a growing business. Thankfully, hosts can depend on the help they need from the heroic developers of online automation tools and control panels. cPanel & WHM (WebHost Manager) is a control panel for the Linux operating system, allowing hosts, resellers, and end-users to work with their hosting accounts through a web-based browser. WHMCS (WebHost Manager Complete Solution) is a system that turbo-charges the provisioning of new accounts, client management, billing and support.
But while these two heroes of the web hosting world are often used together by millions of users worldwide, their distinct, separate nature previously forced hosts to use both tools separately to manage a single account. This adds to the administrative workload within a web hosting company, increasing expenses and affects the company’s ability to deliver fast and responsive customer service.
Finally, these two giants of the web hosting industry are coming together. With the goal of creating a more integrated solution for web hosting providers, cPanel, Inc., and WHMCS Ltd. have recently announced a new partnership to deliver a more cohesive solution that includes both control panel functionality and billing.
“We have felt for some time now that a much-needed component for cPanel & WHM was an e-commerce solution to automate billing, account creation, and so on,” says Aaron Phillips, Vice President of Operations at cPanel, Inc. “We knew if we built our own product, we would be competing primarily against WHMCS, and the challenge would be to produce something better.”
Under the new agreement, cPanel, Inc., will now have a financial stake in WHMCS Ltd. This strategy gives WHMCS Ltd. access to cPanel, Inc.’s vast business resources, and also allows both companies to benefit from shared expertise under a “brain trust” model. As a result, customers can enjoy tighter integration and an optimized exchange of information between the two individual platforms.
HostingCon 2012 Recap
Nov10
All of the cPanel staff have safely returned from another round of engagements at HostingCon 2012 and we wanted to spend some time providing those that did not attend a quick recap of the show.
A huge and heart warming thank you to everyone that stopped by to share our grief at the loss of David Grega. It’s been tough couple weeks at cPanel and getting together with friends in Boston helped me understand that you can make a difference in the world and that we are more than just a business industry; we are a group of people that truly care about each others lives. iNET Interactive went out of their way to write us each notes and delivered a gift basket with David Grega’s last HostingCon badge. PingZine ran a special memorial in our upcoming issue. Hundreds of colleagues provided hugs, thoughtful praise, and helped us remember David in positive ways.
I didn’t personally attend many of the presentations, but in talking one on one with many attendees, I heard they stepped it up a notch in relation to providing educational-based content for hosting providers. As a member of the Advisory board, this is definitely something a handful of us really wanted to see, and HostingCon made some great directional changes.
We heard traffic was slow and that it was a result of the 1,000 or so HostingCon attendees that took advantage of the little shindig we put together. It is certainly a great compliment to hear our event was a success, that people had fun, and that SoftLayer, Comcure and cPanel could provide some nice entertainment for the event.
Booth traffic and visits were good for cPanel and our goal of talking with integrators, partners, and customers that use our product was a huge success. If you enjoyed talking with us, make sure you check out cPanel Conference ’12 for even more engagement. Our conference boasts similar parties and it is an excellent opportunity to mingle with our staff on multiple levels.
If you missed our training, be assured that it will return in full force at our annual conference. While doing the cPanel University testing at HostingCon, one of our largest partners LiquidWeb had an employee score 100% of cPanel Base Certification::Technical. Our Professors noted that this might be the first perfect score, even after employee testing.
Finally, let’s talk about my most interesting conversation of the show and a conversation you should be having internally.
You might remember the Save Hosting Coalition. It’s been rebranded and is now dubbed the i2coalition.
Christian Dawson still leads the effort and had this to say about it.
Save Hosting Coalition was a loose group of volunteers within our industry who wrote letters, called, tweeted, beat the streets on Capitol Hill and did whatever we could to stop PIPA & SOPA. There wasn’t any real organization behind it, and there certainly wasn’t any money.
The i2C is a full-fledged trade association, designed to identify the threats we will be facing next and organizing in a structured way to address them. Its focuses are narrow but still way broader than Save Hosting – it focuses on doing what it takes to use the power of all the companies who come on board and sign up as members to make sure that we see positive things happen to this industry, and fight to avoid negative ones.
We found we were able to pull together and make a difference on one fight without real money and organization, but we got lucky. Threats against our industry are coming back more mobilized and more organized, so we need to too.
You might be thinking that there is little one can do to help shape legislation, political movements, and new laws that will have an impact on this industry, but don’t fool yourself. Movements like this need support of organizations just like yours. If there is one takeaway from HostingCon, it is to check them out, ask them questions, and join the cause to help make sure companies like ours have a voice.
I am stepping down from the soapbox right now, do the right thing, call and talk with them, tell your CEO it is important and show your support. If they pull off one small change it could help save your organization time, money, and a lot of grief we all want to avoid.