Dell targets hosting service at SMEs

Dell has announced a web hosting service for small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK.

The DellHost service is based on a US initiative, which the company claims has already attracted 10,000 customers since its launch in February.

The service offers hosting on dedicated or shared servers, which Dell runs through server centres connected to the internet. All the centres will use Dell's PowerEdge servers, PowerApp server appliances and PowerVault storage systems.

"DellHost offers a turnkey solution for SMEs looking to get on the web easily, quickly and cost-effectively," said Gordon Stuart, general manager of DellHost Europe. "Our aim is to provide our customers with a one-stop shop and single point of accountability for all of their web hosting needs."

A basic package costs £19.95 a month for a website with up to 50Mb storage and 10 email accounts. There is a set up fee of around a month's charge added to the first bill.

The site can be managed over the internet, and Dell offers a range of tools for web development, including common gateway interface scripts and FrontPage extensions. Users can also view statistics on the number of site visits and details of what people are looking at.

Dell also offers dedicated hosting, which includes added extras and a dedicated web server. This service starts at £325 a month, plus a set up fee, for up to 9Gb of storage and 80Gb of data transfer a month. Additional services include domain name registration, at £25 for a .co.uk name and £32 for a .com, for two years.

The service includes Trellix entry-level web design software and NetObjects Fusion 5.0, a more complex web design package, free of charge. For a fee, Dell offers design and promotional schemes.

DellHost offers a 99.9 per cent uptime guarantee, and 24 x 7 onsite network monitoring and technical support to ensure that a website is "always available".

A hosting wizard at the Dell website aims to help SMEs choose the best hosting plan for their needs.