In our continuing efforts toward being the best hosting provider on Earth we are proud to announce new Cloud Hosting pricing! We've cut memory pricing in half, dropped CPU pricing by 20%, and bandwidth pricing by 25%! Gone is the monthly minimum and in its place the most flexible, affordable Cloud Hosting pricing around. It's pay-as-you-go and you can dynamically allocate your resources for the ultimate in Cloud control. With the ability to add CPU, memory, storage and bandwidth at any time you can never run out of resources and you'll only pay for what you use. Now more than ever Steadfast is giving you the options you need, when you need them most. Choose your specs and divide them up between as many virtual machines as you want using our revolutionary and industry leading OnApp Hypervisor. From there you can allocate resources, view statistics and logs, and have full control over your Cloud Hosting environment! Also, using the Steadfast Cloud Control app you can do all of this from anywhere on the planet using your iOS device! Check out our pricing and order today on our Cloud Hosting page and email our Sales Department if you have any questions. Thanks for choosing Steadfast Networks and we'll see you in the Cloud!tweetmeme_url = 'http://steadfast.net/blog/index.php/customers/new-cloud-pricing';tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly';tweetmeme_source = 'steadfastnet';tweetmeme_style = 'compact';Original post blogged on b2evolution.

We're happy to announce the availability of new Samsung 830 Solid State Drives! The new Samsung 830 SSDs are SATA3 powerhouses of performance and reliability, twice as fast than our previous Intel X25-M and Intel 320 SSD offerings and with 50% faster IO/sec. The Samsung 830 features a 3-core MCX controller, 2x nm Toggle MLC NAND, 256MB SDRAM cache and firmware, all made by Samsung. Having full control of every component, Samsung can ensure their 830s are the height in stability and quality. In benchmarks between the Samsung 830s and Intel 320s there is indisputable evidence that the Samsung outperforms Intel at every level. In compressible sequential read testing, the Samsungs were reading at 360.4 MB/s while the Intels only 222.2 MB/s. In write tests the Samsung 830 clocked an even 400 MB/s write time while Intel only 240 MB/s. We're seeing 16% faster on random reads, 119% faster on random writes, 62% faster on sequential reads, and 56% faster on sequential writes. See this article at Tom's Hardware for those tests and more. Even better? We're able to offer these new Samsung 830 SSDs at outstandingly low prices. Here are our offerings: 64GB Samsung 830 SSD - $20 per month 128GB Samsung 830 SSD - $35 per month 256GB Samsung 830 SSD - $60 per month 512GB Samsung 830 SSD - $100 per month Hardware RAID + SSD Cache - $100 per month The Hardware RAID + SSD cache is a fantastic option for data integrity and continuity of operations. Combining a RAID backup card with an SSD cache you can be sure that data is accessible and fast, plus safe in the event of power loss. It's a zero-maintenance cache protection design using SSD storage instead of the traditional battery backup so that your data stays intact and protected longer. Everything you need to know about RAID can be found in this blog post and if you have any questions, contact sales today! The Samsung 830 SSDs are only available for new orders. To take advantage of these amazing new drives contact [email protected] and inquire today!tweetmeme_url = 'http://stead

A major initiative in 2012 for Steadfast is a focus on local tech and the burgeoning Chicagoland technology scene. It started with the idea that Chicago and really the entire Midwest is fast emerging as a hotbed for developing startups. The term "digital prairie" has gotten bandied about along with the Chicago government's efforts toward growing the South Loop area into a Silicon Alley of sorts. It's attention like this and more that is quickly changing the face of tech startup incubation across the country. No longer are startups heading West to the sunnier patches of California, but instead are occupying lofts in Wicker Park and Bucktown, collaborating locally with other startups in shared spaces and meeting at cafes to discuss their progress and vision. Chicago is the hotspot in the country for startup tech and the everyone is starting to take notice. Just today the Wall Street Journal published this article with undeniable proof that Chicago fosters an amazing atmosphere for startups. It's with that in mind that we're proud to announce our partnership with Built In Chicago, a fantastic local resource for technology enthusiasts, venture capitalists and startup entrepreneurs. At BuiltInChicago.org hundreds of companies are gathering to talk tech and reinforce what everyone suspects: there is power in numbers and we are more stronger as a whole than we could ever be as separate forces. Tremendous resources for growth have emerged over the past few years. From companies like Excelerate Labs where the startups of tomorrow are taught how to succeed to shared workspaces such as TechNexus and 1871 where companies collaborate and grow together, this city is fostering an atmosphere of cooperation and collaboration that is crucial to so many fledgeling tech companies. Steadfast Networks is proud to host BuiltInChicago.org and is working to partner with several other Chicagoland tech companies to assist in any way we can and help solidify Chicago's place in the national technology landscape. We truly can accomplish magni

Contact: Matt Wolff FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tel. 888-281-9449 Email: [email protected]   STEADFAST NETWORKS PARTNERS WITH SUPPLIES FOR DREAMS TO HELP CHICAGO STUDENTS With their combined efforts more Chicago Public School students will receive help. Chicago, IL (PRESS RELEASE) March 1, 2012 – Steadfast Networks, a provider of Chicago dedicated server hosting, colocation hosting, and cloud hosting service provider is teaming up with Supplies For Dreams, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the educational experience for Chicago Public Schools students. Through both financial and material support, Steadfast Networks will be working to mentor, equip and empower hundreds of students in Supplies for Dreams' programs. "Our web-based platforms are extremely important in connecting with our donors, our partner communities, and advocates of education reform. Without these platforms, we would face considerable fundraising and marketing challenges. We are grateful for Steadfast's support of our organization and endeavors," said Executive Director for Supplies for Dreams Hiro Kawashima. The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the 3rd largest public school system in the country and caters to more than 400,000 students in 675 schools. 21,320 teachers serve students from all racial backgrounds including 45% African-American, 41% Latino, 9% White, and 3.6% Asian or Pacific Islander. Leveraging their already existing clients such as The Museum of Science and Industry, the Museum of Broadcast Communications, WBEZ, and Chicago Public Radio Steadfast Networks will be able to expose Chicago Public School students to industries, career options and resources that may have previously been unattainable or unknown. 45% of all CPS students will fail to graduate from high school. That means that 45% of students will drop out and fail to earn a diploma. CPS has been unable to provide most of its students with a realistic path to securing a college education. Currently, 94 out of every 100 students who enroll in CPS will never gr

Go to Reddit and Wikipedia, I'll wait. Not much there, right? That's what our future looks like if the SOPA or PIPA bills get passed Today, January 18th is a Day of Action to oppose SOPA, the Stop Online Piracy Act and PIPA, the Protect IP Act. These noble intentioned but terribly misguided pieces of legislation will cripple our online rights to free speech and due process. We've posted many times about this, now the Day of Action has arrived and we offer the following recommendations on how you can stand up and fight against these Orwellian bills. 1. Write your representation! With both SOPA in the Senate and PIPA in the House of Representatives it's our obligation to contact the fine people we elected to represent us and tell them how they can oppose this legislation and do what's right. You can find who your elected representative are at whoismyrepresentative.com. We have a sample letter, which we have sent to Illinois Senator Richard Durbin, available for download here. 2. Show our unity! By banding together and sending a clear, concise message that misguided legislation such as SOPA and PIPA cannot and will not be tolerated we can be heard much farther than any one voice could ever be heard. Sites such as SopaStrike.com can show you how to add your name to the list of sites that are standing in protest, some blocking content, others completely denying access as an example of what can happen if draconian laws like SOPA and PIPA are enacted. 3. Spread the word! Tweet, blog, email, write, speak up and tell everyone that will listen why this legislation is dangerous and to take action themselves! It's only through education and action that we can show our government that there are basic rights we are all granted and free speech without fear of censorship and the suspension of due process is standing at the forefront today. Stop SOPA. Stop PIPA. Start talking. Start acting.tweetmeme_url = 'http://steadfast.net/blog/index.php/customers/stop-sopa-day-of-action';tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly';tweetmeme_source =

  Contact: Matt Wolff Tel. 888-281-9449 Email: [email protected]   STEADFAST NETWORKS RELEASES IOS APP "CLOUD CONTROLLER"Gives customers unprecedented control over their servers from anywhere.   Chicago, IL (PRESS RELEASE) December 28, 2011 – Steadfast Networks, a provider of Chicago dedicated server hosting, colocation hosting, and cloud hosting service provider has released a mobile application that allows clients to control their cloud hosted servers. Cloud Controller, available for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, gives users access to a wide array of information about their servers as well as the ability to provision new servers within their cloud environment. As a leading edge Chicago dedicated server company, Steadfast Networks saw the need for giving clients unparalleled mobile access and teamed up with OnApp to develop their Cloud Controller iOS App."This is a tremendous asset for our clients," says Karl Zimmerman, CEO of Steadfast Networks, "We wanted to give our clients mobile access to pertinent information and control over their servers while maintaining the high level of quality they've come to expect from Steadfast Networks and our Cloud Controller app does exactly that." As businesses worldwide become increasingly mobile the significance of mobile applications that provide a comparable level of control as sitting at a desk becomes glaringly obvious. A recent study published by market research firm Gartner states mobile application marketplaces are forecasted to reach 17.7 billion downloads this year. The figure is a 117 percent increase over the estimated 8.2 billion downloads Gartner counted for 2010. The Steadfast Networks Cloud Controller app is available for the iPhone, iPod Touch and an HD version is available for the iPad. Cloud Controller can be found in Apple's iTunes Store and is free of charge to download, install and use. Customers interested in learning more about Steadfast Networks, the Steadfast Cloud Platform or Steadfast Chicago dedicated servers are encouraged to visit http://www

We're excited to announce the first in a line of upcoming changes to our website! Thanks in part to feedback from clients and staff, we're endeavoring to make Steadfast.net more user friendly and accessible. We've assembled a laundry list of improvements and requests and are implementing, starting with easier to use navigation and homepage design. The drop down menu should help you find what you're looking for faster and easier than ever! We're open to your feedback and comments - what do you think?  tweetmeme_url = 'http://steadfast.net/blog/index.php/general/change-is-good-change-is';tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly';tweetmeme_source = 'steadfastnet';tweetmeme_style = 'compact';Original post blogged on b2evolution.

  At Steadfast Networks we understand all too well how important it is to keep our rights to free speech and expression. As I type this the final revisions to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) are being penned and it's due to go in front of the US House of Representatives within two days. Opposition to this bill have come from every bastion of free speech on the Internet from Facebook to Google, Yahoo to Twitter. Leaders of tech industry and great minds from many fields are speaking out against the greatest threat to our online right to free expression to ever exist. It's important for you to oppose this legislation with us, and here's why: It will not end with the Internet. Under the guise of stopping online piracy, SOPA will give governmental agencies and copyright holders unprecedented power to limit what you can and cannot access on the Internet. On even the slightest suspicion of copyright or intellectual property infringement an order can come down the wire to limit access to a suspected site up to and including cutting off its ability to generate revenue, barring search engines from listing it, shutting off DNS for the domain or just plain out and out removing it from a server. This applies to any subdomains that may not even be related to the site in question and because SOPA doesn't differentiate subdomains, the potential for collateral damage is mind-bogglingly large. SOPA is dangerous legislation introduced by people who do not grasp technology or the effects their hazardous bill will have. It will make service providers think twice about the hassle of hosting controversial clients. It will open up the floodgates on frivolous lawsuits and impact how venture capital providers fund startups. The one thing it will likely do absolutely nothing to stop is online piracy, its so-called intended target. And once in place, it isn't a stretch to see controlling interests move to apply it to media. Books. Art. Public speech. Claiming copyright infringement they could shut down avenues of free speech that form th

Greetings! In our unending quest to provide the best service possible we are proud to announce NEW SALES HOURS! Starting immediately you can reach our sales staff from 8AM until midnight, Monday through Friday! With these extended hours you're never more than a call, email or chat away from expert answers to all your sales-related queries. As a reminder, here's how to contact us: Via phone at 888.281.9449, option 2 Via email at [email protected] Via Skype at steadfastnetworks And with the holidays fast approaching Steadfast Networks will be available the following hours to allow our dedicated, brilliant staff time to enjoy time with their family and loved ones: 8AM - 4PM for December 22nd and 23rd Closed December 26th 8AM - 4PM for December 27th and 28th All other days this holiday season we'll be open our usual 8AM - 12AM. We look forward to talking to you and have a wonderful holiday season!tweetmeme_url = 'http://steadfast.net/blog/index.php/customers/holiday-hours-and-new-sales';tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly';tweetmeme_source = 'steadfastnet';tweetmeme_style = 'compact';Original post blogged on b2evolution.

November 16th is American Censorship Day. It's a day of protest and in opposition to to H.R. 3261, the "Stop Online Piracy Act." At Steadfast Networks we oppose Internet piracy in any form. We comply with any legitimate takedown requests that we receive and do not tolerate our network being used for illegal purposes. We're sure the spirit of H.R. 3261 is true and if its language and proposals were in line with that we would stand firm behind it. However that's not the reality of the bill. In reality this bill can and will be used to cripple free speech on the Internet through granting totalitarian rule to governmental agencies giving them the unprecedented ability to remove and restrict access to free speech without any need for proof that a law is being broken. At present if a client has content on their website that another organization feels infringes on their intellectual property there is a process that the organization follows which results in the disputed content either being removed, or not removed depending on the evidence presented. That much isn't slated to change, however what H.R. 3261 introduces is the ability for government agencies to go so far as to not only force that client's web host to take the site down, but also to prevent that site's owners from conducting business - actually removing their ability to process credit cards and advertising can be cut off. In essence without any proof whatsoever, a small business can be completely and totally destroyed if there is a dispute over what it features on its website. Please see this video to see how this legislation can cripple free speech and the Internet. Steadfast Networks cannot and will not stay quiet in the face of legislation that stands in stark contrast to its fundamental and core belief that free speech is what makes our nation great. We ask you to stand with us against H.R. 3261 and keep free speech alive on the Internet. For more information, please visit http://americancensorship.org/ and unite with Steadfast Networks and thousands of

Contact: Matt Wolff FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tel. 888-281-9449 Email: [email protected] STEADFAST NETWORKS GIVES BACK THIS HOLIDAY SEASON! Awarding a $1,000 service credit per week to technology companies. Chicago, IL (PRESS RELEASE) November 7, 2011 – Steadfast Networks, a provider of Chicago dedicated server hosting, colocation hosting, and cloud hosting service provider has announced a sweepstakes designed to reward innovation and foster growth in the startup tech community. Entitled, "Steadfast Gives Back" the contest will solicit submissions from technology startups and nonprofits that would benefit from Steadfast Networks's reliable, flexible hosting environment but have not been able to because of expenses, the downturned economy or other hardships. Organizations interested in entering can do so via Steadfast Networks' social media initiatives on Facebook and Twitter. They can be found at http://www.facebook.com/steadfastnetworks and http://www.twitter.com/steadfastnet respectively. Submissions should be messaged directly to Steadfast Networks who will then review submissions and begin awarding credits on Cyber Monday, November 28th. "This is the latest in our ongoing commitment to giving back to the groups that work so hard to push the envelope of progress in technology," says Karl Zimmerman, CEO of Steadfast Networks, "$1,000 toward Steadfast Networks wide array of services will go a long way for so many companies and we're very glad we can help this holiday season." Small business (those with 500 employees or less) account for around 50 percent of the employment opportunities in the U.S (57.4 million jobs), and firms with 100 employees or less employed 41 million people. During the 2000-2001 fiscal year––the last year statistics were measured––more than 1 million new jobs were created by small businesses. They represent 99.7 percent of all employers and employ half of all private sector employees. Steadfast Networks recognizes the importance of small businesses, startup companies and nonprofits and the m

Managing your Steadfast Networks Cloud Server? There's an App for that! Who's that cloud service provider with a BRAND NEW iOS APP? That would be us. We're happy to announce the release of the Steadfast Cloud Controller! It's a feat of engineering and dedication that we're very proud of. What our App does is allow you to control your Cloud server from anywhere in the world. Here's a brief list of overview features: Overview of your entire Cloud installation giving disk usage, memory usage and recent log activity. Virtual Machine control allowing you to startup and shutdown specific VMs in your Cloud. The ability to configure and create new VMs in your Cloud At the VM level in the App here's a small list of features: Start/stop and configure the VM. See VM info such as memory, CPU and disk size. View logs of recent VM activity Attach and view storage and disks See networking statistics and much, much more. Check out the below screenshots and go download it today!                       Thanks for reading and downloading and we'll see you all in the cloud!tweetmeme_url = 'http://steadfast.net/blog/index.php/customers/carry-us-in-your-pocket';tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly';tweetmeme_source = 'steadfastnet';tweetmeme_style = 'compact';Original post blogged on b2evolution.

The economy has been tough on everyone over the past couple years, but it now seems to have claimed a victim in the hosting industry. From everything I can tell, on September 27 Caronet (Carolina Internet, Ltd), a Charlotte, North Carolina based Cloud, Managed Hosting, and Colocation provider, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States Federal Bankruptcy Court, Western District of North Carolina (Case 11-32461). This was discovered in a suit to protect their assets from TW Telecom Holdings, Inc. of which you can see the full documentation here. This issue appears to have stemmed from a $3.2 million judgement against them from tw telecom (TW Telecom Holdings, Inc). While this is a shock to the industry, I want to assure our own customers that while the last couple years have not been as good as expected due to the economy, we still saw strong revenue growth (20%+ annually) and have continued expanding on strong financial footing. Steadfast Networks has been on the Inc 5000 listing of fastest growing companies each of the past 4 years and has continued with growth/expansion plans, including multiple acquisitions. We have been privately owned, under the same management, since 1998 and have never carried any significant debt. Overall, we are in a very strong position and the future is looking even brighter. In 2011, we are already seeing growth levels like they were before the recession, with ever better revenue and margin numbers each and every month. Now, I do not want to encourage Caronet customers to make emotional decisions and immediately jump ship, as companies can come out of Chapter 11 better and stronger. I also understand this is a time that you do not want to base your business on an uncertainty, so we are happy to help any affected customers with emergency/backup plans to assure you're ready for any circumstances. We do offer similar Cloud Hosting, Managed Dedicated Server, and Colocation services as Caronet, but our main goal is to assure this situation does not serve as

Today we have added a new 10 GigE circuit to a new carrier, Tinet (formerly Tiscali International Network then acquired by Neutral Tandem in October of 2010) out of our Chicago facilities. This immediately expands the quality of our network by adding an additional Tier 1 carrier that can help expand our reach into Europe. Tinet has a strong history dating back to 1998 and having been founded in Italy has a very strong European presence and backbone. In addition, since being acquired by Neutral Tandem, a Chicago based company, they have also made a commitment to domestic expansion. Overall, we feel this is a very good fit into our current network blend as we already have connectivity to NTT, the largest telecommunications company in Asia, Level3, the world's largest Internet backbone (by number of users/routes), and nLayer, a very strong and nimble Tier 2 player.tweetmeme_url = 'http://steadfast.net/blog/index.php/networking/new-carrier-tinet';tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly';tweetmeme_source = 'steadfastnet';tweetmeme_style = 'compact';Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Steadfast Networks is pleased to announce the immediate availability of CentOS 6.0 as a supported operating system for our dedicated server and cloud offerings. We will offer continuous support for the CentOS 6 series for the entire 7 year life-cycle typical of Enterprise Linux distributions. All supported control panels: cPanel, InterWorx, DirectAdmin, and Parallels Plesk Panel are immediately and fully supported under CentOS 6. We will continue to support CentOS 5 installations as well for the duration of its life-cycle. When CentOS 6.0 was released in July 2011, we chose to delay supporting the platform due to the lack of security updates following the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.1 in May. Internally, we continued to test and evaluate the release, waiting for CentOS 6.1 or some other way to obtain these security updates quickly. CentOS has now deployed a new "yum" package repository called "Continuous Release" which allows CentOS 6.0 users to obtain updates for security and stability from the upcoming 6.1 release. This package set is enabled and included by default in all our installations. CentOS version 6 is based on the packages of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 and includes many benefits over previous editions in the CentOS line: The fourth extended filesystem (ext4) is now the default filesystem upon installation. Compared to ext3, this filesystem is faster, more reliable, and scales to much larger volumes up to a maximum potential of 1 exabyte. The Linux kernel has been updated to version 2.6.32 which includes many optimizations and improvements that should increase overall performance and stability while adding support for newer hardware and storage technology. Virtualization using KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machines) is now supported in addition to Xen. KVM is integrated tightly into the kernel and can deliver better performance and reliability for virtualization. Many core packages and utilities have been updated to newer versions, allowing CentOS 6 to better meet dependencies of mo

On August 25, 2011 we upgraded the Steadfast Cloud Platform to version 2.2 of OnApp. With this new version two new major features were introduced; VM Auto-Scaling and Load Balancing. What is VM Auto-Scaling VM Auto-Scaling is an important feature of instant expandability in the cloud. It allows your VM to dynamically adjust your resource needs without having to log in and make the change by hand. This is important because often times you may not be immediately available to make a change; vacations, sleep, movie theaters or even something as simple as driving your car could leave you without internet and as such the ability to make the changes necessary to keep your infrastructure online. How can I enable and configure VM Auto-Scaling on my VMs? VM resources are scaled based on rules you specify. For example, you can set up a rule that will add 1000MB of memory to a VM if RAM usage has been above 90% for the last 10 minutes - but add no more than 5000MB in total in 24 hours. To configure auto-scaling: 1. Go to your Control Panel’s Virtual Machines menu. 2. Click the label of the appropriate VM. 3. On the page that follows, click the auto-scaling tab. 4. Add auto-scaling rules, explained below: • If RAM usage exceeds  X% for a specific time period, add Y MB – but no more than Z MB in a 24 hour period. • If CPU usage exceeds X % for a specific time period, add Y% - but no more than Z% in a 24 hour period. • If disk usage exceeds X % for a specific time period, add Y GB - but no more than Z GB in a 24 hour period. 5. Click Apply. To delete an auto-scaling rule: 1. Go to your Control Panel’s Virtual Machines menu. 2. Click the label of the appropriate VM. 3. On the page that follows, click the auto-scaling tab. 4. Click Delete. This will delete all auto-scaling rules What is Load Balancing? Load Balancing allows for you to spread connections for various applications between multiple VM’s. This allows you to add additional infrastructure redundancy and capacity between VM’s on different Hypervisors. How can I enab

Steadfast Networks is proud to sponsor the Overnight Web Site Challenge, an event that matches about a hundred web developers with 10 non-profit organizations in the Chicago area.  This event is being held this Saturday starting at 8 AM (going on for 24 hours) at Resolution Digital Studios here in Chicago.  Our contribution is providing free hosting on our Cloud Platform for a minimum of one year.  We feel this will give the developers all the resources they need to quickly deploy comprehensive web sites that will truly benefit these non-profit organizations. We'd like to thank the developers who are freely giving their time as well as the other sponsors of this event. The non-profits being benefited by this event are: A Safe Haven Foundation, Crossroads Adoption Services, Hemophilia Foundation of Illinois, Instituto del Progreso Latino, Kids Have Hope, Midwest Young Artists, Near Northwest Arts Council, Northwestern University Settlement Association, Peace Care, and Southwest Chicago Pads.  You can read all about these organizations here. We hope to see you there!  We'll try to have a member of our team there as much as possible to assure everyone gets as much use as possible out of our Cloud Platform, but it isn't all work, as we hope to enjoy the surrounding festivities.tweetmeme_url = 'http://steadfast.net/blog/index.php/marketing/this-saturday-overnight-web-site';tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly';tweetmeme_source = 'steadfastnet';tweetmeme_style = 'compact';Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Steadfast Networks, a leading provider of public cloud hosting, announces SOC 2 and SOC 3 audits of server security and reliability. Chicago, IL (PRESS RELEASE) August 2, 2011 – Steadfast Networks, a Chicago-based dedicated server hosting, colocation hosting, and cloud hosting service provider, today announced SOC 2 and SOC 3 audits are completed on its public cloud services. The Steadfast Cloud Platform was recently launched and has quickly grown in reputation, with this new level of external auditing marking the next step in the development of the service.   “When the Steadfast Cloud Platform started gaining attention, we were all extremely proud at what we have achieved with our cloud hosting services,” says Karl Zimmerman, CEO of Steadfast Networks. “We worked to develop a cloud hosting solution that was reliable and secure with even the most important of our customers’ data. We have been determined to prove to the world just how outstanding our cloud platform is, and this new audit certifies us as compliant with the latest SOC 2 and SOC 3 standards.”   Service Organization Control Reports 2 and 3 (SOC 2 and SOC 3 respectively) were issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) earlier this year, designed to supersede the previous guidelines established by SAS 70 auditing. SOC 2 and SOC 3 audits both allow third party auditors to investigate the claims made by Steadfast Networks as to the security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy of their systems. These guidelines have been put in place to ultimately empower consumers, reassuring them that service providers can deliver on the promises they make. By successfully attaining SOC 2 and SOC 3 compliance, the Steadfast Cloud Platform leads the way among similar solutions and, at the time of this release, is truly unique among public cloud hosting services.   “I’m not aware of any other public cloud systems with a SOC 2 or SOC 3 audit,” says Zimmerman. “At Steadfast, we conceived our entire cloud service wi

We recently held a giveaway for an iPad and the winner was a long time customer, Intelligent Computing Solutions. They have been a customer since 2005, so along with the iPad I'm also putting them in the customer spotlight here on our blog. Intelligent Computing Solutions is a DeKalb, IL based provider of fixed wireless broadband, VoIP, and many other business services. They started providing fixed wireless broadband services in 2004 because of a local lack of broadband availability in the area, especially in rural areas. Most of their growth (organic as well as acquisitions) has been in providing ISP services. Regarding their relationship with Steadfast Networks, Mike Hammett of ICS says, "We moved our servers to Steadfast in 2005 from another provider that just wasn’t making the grade. Steadfast’s network has provided us great performance for our VoIP services. Upcoming fiber deals will permit us to purchase bandwidth in 350 E. Cermak and Steadfast is on our short list of providers to work with, despite the hundreds of networks available. Steadfast support has been excellent over the years as well. When unfortunate package dependencies rendered one of our servers useless, they were quick to identify the problem and provide guidance on how to remedy the situation. We hope our relationship with Steadfast continues to evolve while both companies grow and provide ever increasing services.tweetmeme_url = 'http://steadfast.net/blog/index.php/customers/customer-spotlight-intelligent-computing-solutions';tweetmeme_service = 'bit.ly';tweetmeme_source = 'steadfastnet';tweetmeme_style = 'compact';Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Chicago, IL (PRESS RELEASE) July 20, 2011 – Steadfast Networks, a Chicago-based dedicated server hosting and colocation services specialist, today announced that its state-of-the-art data centers in Chicago and New York have successfully completed an SSAE 16 audit, marking the company’s ongoing commitment to secure and highly redundant hosting. These data centers at 725 S Wells and 350 E Cermak in Chicago and 121 Varick in New York City are among the first to achieve SSAE 16 compliancy and, by meeting with this new standard of data management and storage, Steadfast is giving customers the assurance they need to win larger contracts and increase revenue. “We are extremely happy to have completed this recent third-party audit,” says Karl Zimmerman, CEO of Steadfast Networks. “We have always focused our resources on giving our customers the standards of security they require in all of our policies and procedures, so this SSAE 16 audit was treated as a matter of priority. Now, we are pleased to be one of the first SSAE 16 compliant data center facilities in the USA, giving every one of our clients the confidence to attract new customers.” Outlined by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Statement on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAE) 16 became effective on June 15th 2011, effectively superseding the auditing standard outlined by SAS 70. The new auditing protocol sets a standard for data redundancy, network security, and the reliability of data access, all of which are checked and tested by an external third-party auditing expert. Essentially, SSAE 16 holds businesses accountable for their service claims and compliance can only be certified if stringent service quality standards are met. Steadfast Networks is the first data center operator within Chicago to achieve SSAE 16 compliance, identifying it as a market leader at the forefront of new developments within the web hosting industry. “We worked to make sure that, as soon as SSAE 16 came into effect, we were already n