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THUS enables businesses to build advanced Internet activities without hosting worries

Businesses can now conduct their Internet activities on a dedicated server with as much bandwidth as they will ever need. THUS plc's new service, called Demon Server Hosting, offers hosting on one of the UK's fastest and most reliable data networks.

Under its Demon Internet brand, THUS is allowing SMEs to take advantage of huge cost reductions on hosting their own dedicated server. Demon Server Hosting sits on Sun Cobalt RaQ 3i units running the Linux 2.2 operating system and can be administered remotely by the customer. Technical stability and support on the Cobalt/Linux platform is combined with a range of software designed to provide customers with extensive functionality for their web hosting. The key benefit of the THUS offering is a range of guaranteed unmetered bandwidth options, starting at 512 Kbps and ranging to 10 Mbps, with customised higher bandwidths available.

Customers have their own disk space processing, rather than sharing server and support with a hundred or more other companies. Organisations will also have round-the-clock support in a dedicated secure data centre, owned and operated by THUS.

"With a shared server there are various constraints such as not being allowed to run your own CGI scripts. With a dedicated server the disk space, processing power and bandwidth are not shared and you can run your own applications. We are offering a dedicated server solution for the user who wants more functionality from their web site together with minimum hassle and the benefits of the best data network in the UK," said Phil Male, executive director at THUS.

"This new highly engineered server will allow us to host thousands of customers and our high capacity network allows us to provide each customer with their required bandwidth," Male said.

"The managed servers offer a higher level of functionality with the addition of a range of Web applications. Customers can concentrate on building their business rather than having to worry about hardware, network, bandwidth, disk space, back-ups, access, security and resilience. We're aiming to offer that peace of mind any company wants, from the CEO to the IT support team."

The service is aimed at SMEs that have outgrown services provided by virtual hosting, and corporate customers looking for a stable, reliable and robust platform for hosting their Intranets and extranets. Web design agencies who want to offer their own customers a full service of design and hosting, as well as small ISPs will also be able to take advantage of Demon Server Hosting.

"We are pleased to be associated with a recognised industry-leading ISP to provide a first class service to the market," said George Korchinsky, Director, Sun Microsystems Server Appliance Unit - EMEA. "THUS has made a significant investment in a state-of-the-art premise that should benefit a huge number of growing businesses in the SME and e-business arena."

The UK data centre market is currently worth £298m, but is forecast to be worth over £600m in 2001.

in 2001.