One look at ISPRIME's (www.isprime.com) modish, techno-flavored Website and it's easy to get excited about what the Web hosting company has in store for prospective clients. Launched in 1998 under the banner IWH.net, the Web hosting outfit incorporated in 2000 as ISPRIME Inc. and has been doing business as ISPRIME Corporation ever since.
"ISPRIME was started with a goal to give the Webmaster the best possible service at the lowest possible price," says Alexander Nabotovshy, ISPRIME president. "We even adapted a 'Price Match Guarantee' to make sure our clients always get the best possible pricing." He adds, "We wrote our own free hosting software that took over 15 months to develop; that, too, we offered to our clients, absolutely free."
At the heart of ISPRIME's development was a team concept of what the Internet would eventually become, plus an understanding of the needs of a new economic market. "Being involved in adult businesses since 1996, and having expertise in hosting our own sites, we had a perfect vision of what we want to make our company," says Nabotovshy. "We set the standards for other hosting companies with our dedicated commitment to serve the adult Webmaster community, and it doesn't stop there. We understand that every hosting solution needs to be tailored to unique requirements."
By offering comprehensive end-to-end service, consultancy, architecture design, solution migration, implementation, and support services, Nabotovshy said that whatever hosting requirements a Webmaster desires, "ISPRIME has the coverage, infrastructure and expertise to meet their needs."
Nabotovshy describes ISPRIME's business model as a Web hosting platform that provides "robust, high-quality, and expandable service platforms to meet customers' Internet needs."
He continues, "ISPRIME intends to further enhance the value of these platforms by developing, both internally and through strategic vendor relationships, enhanced-value product and service offerings to continue to address ever-changing client demands."
Though a number of top-tier hosting companies dot the Web, Nabotovshy believes that every enterprise solution should consist of more than just the products and managed services that frame online activities. "With ISPRIME managed hosting solutions," says Nabotovshy, "we provide the management, support, facilities, network, hardware, and software infrastructure. Your solution will be scalable, flexible, and in a high-availability environment."
Always fascinated with the burgeoning Internet and computer technology, Nabotovshy was hired by CIBC World Markets as a Network Administrator while he was a college student. "It was there I obtained hands-on experience with network infrastructures and Web hosting operations, and decided to start our own Web hosting business," he says.
With newfound experience ready to be applied, Nabotovshy and his partner developed ISPRIME simply because, as Nabotovshy recalls, "We got tired of dealing with hosting companies that had poor customer service and no tech support."
The first incarnation of ISPRIME began with one Dell server and one Cisco router, but within the first year, the operation escalated to almost 200 servers and, as Nabotovshy happily notes, "thousands of satisfied customers." He adds, "We believe it was due to our super support, knowledgeable team of administrators, and honesty - because honesty is our best policy."
Just as managed hosting has found success, so have free hosting services, which Nabotovshy views as presenting pros and cons, like any other business. "From the Webmaster's point of view, free hosting gives you an ability to make your TGP galleries and host them absolutely free; however, at the same time, you are sharing your profits with a free host owner because of advertisements that are usually placed on the top and bottom of your pages," said Nabotovshy. "Free hosting also hurts the adult industry because it gives the surfer something that s/he would normally have to pay for absolutely free."
Nabotovshy believes free hosts serve their purpose, but he would rather "go with a paid host and maximize my profits."
Located in the heart of Manhattan's financial district (replete with their own Generation 5 data center), ISPRIME currently employs 19, though Nabotovshy noted that the company is rapidly growing.
As the landscape of Web hosting continues to evolve, Nabotovshy believes the leading trend behind the progression of the business is market bandwidth price.
Says Nabotovshy, "With the financial collapse of today's largest backbones - like WorldCom, Global Crossing and Williams - due to corporate fraud, the hosting industry has suffered some drawbacks. However, I believe the hosting industry has a very bright future for all of us."
He adds, "If you look at bandwidth price structure today and compare it with what it was just 12 months ago, you will discover that the price for a full Gigabit (1000Mbs) has dropped by more then 50 percent. The future for the hosting industry, as I see it, will consist of a few major players and a lot of resellers."
In a sincere testimony of optimism meeting reality, Nabotovshy says that those who play their cards right today will be in the "game" for years to come, while the rest will "go down just as fast as they went up."
Amid the dark clouds of the economic market, it's a sunny forecast for ISPRIME. Nabotovshy said the company is planning on building out a worldwide network and becoming a tier 1 provider. "ISPRIME has a bright future," says Nabotovshy, and "we will be exploring franchising opportunities as well as 'Start Your Own ISP' options."
Launched in August at Internext, TeamSupreme.net is being hyped by Nabotovshy as helping to "revolutionize adult Web hosting," just as ISPRIME continues to deal with major adult industry players in their ongoing effort to bring out tools and programs to - as Nabotovshy declares - "help maximize the profits for the adult Webmaster of today and tomorrow."
