April 28, 2020

Domain Related

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Traditional data centres had a good and long near 20-some year run as the primary and exclusive means of being the large-scale repositories where the ever-increasing volumes of digital data that was so key to modern life were kept. It’s only in the past 5 years of so that there’s been this change to cloud-based data storage, but what a monumental and impactful shift it’s been. Now there’s no debating the fact that cloud-based storage does come with certain drawbacks, and the security of data stored ‘up there’ is first and foremost among them. Fortunately there’s been major advances made in cyber security technology to meet the need this has created. But all in all, the good far outweighs the bad when it comes to cloud computing and cloud storage. That said, it’s not like traditional data centres and the now more-conventional data storage means are going to become entirely obsolete anytime soon. Here at 4GoodHosting, the nature of what we do as a Canadian web hosting provider puts us in as good a position as anyone to be informed regarding this and of course we know that being both receptive of these trends and judicious about the extent to which we incorporate them is important. Web hosting means data storage and data centres, and that’s not going to change. But cloud computing and storage trends are changing the role they play and how they’re likely to be built and configured in the future. Let’s dig into that today. Extensive Demises Expected The first thing we can say about traditional data centres is that a good many of them won’t be around for much longer, or so it seems. Many are predicting that 80% of enterprises will have shut down their traditional data center by 2025, and that’s in comparison to the 10% we see today. This adoption is going along with an adopted mindset that the hybrid cloud is the foundation of digital business. Which may well be true, considering that there are estimates that the hybrid cloud market will reach $317 billion by 2022. Looking at the Data Center Footprint We can start by understanding that annual global...

April 21, 2020

Domain Related

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Here we are just over a month into the emergency response measures dictated by the current Coronavirus crisis and unfortunately the end is not in sight yet. While absolutely no one is pleased about all of this, the majority understand that’s what’s being done is necessary. The worst part of it is the economic slowdown that’s coming with this, and for many people it’s really affecting the way in which gainful employment supports life. Almost everyone has a connection to the digital world these days, whether you’re working in it directly or not. And it’s not almost everyone who makes use of email for a large majority of communications, it’s everyone. Unfortunately, every time there’s a large-scale calamity of the sort that we’re experience with COVID-19 there’s going to be some who see it as opportunity to fraudulently take advantage of others. That’s why we’re seeing so many coronavirus email scams going on these days. We’d like to think that one of the ways 4GoodHosting has established ourselves as a reputable Canadian web hosting provider is the way we’re always keen to share what’s most valuable from what we gather by keeping on to of current events in the digital world. The fact that so many scam emails related to the Coronavirus are out and about now definitely meets the criteria for this stuff, so that’s what we’re going to look. Google Blocking 18 Million of Them - A Day! To gauge the full extent of the problem, look no further than the fact that Google has revealed that on each day over the past week, its Gmail-linked computer systems detected and then blocked 18 million malware and phishing emails related to the coronavirus. That’s a mammoth number, and really speaks to magnitude of the issue and the way it’s a far-reaching threat. Interesting to note that Google has also blocked more than than 240 million daily spam messages linked to the virus. And well they should be able to given the resources they have at their disposal; Google’s machine-learning systems have become so effective at detecting the online threats that it manages to block 99.9% of spam, phishing, and...

April 14, 2020

Domain Related

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Anyone who’d unfamiliar with Siri or Alexa these days will have had to very consciously done something to stay so totally out of touch with how voice searches are entirely commonplace nowadays. Even if you’re not among the hundreds of thousands who make use of virtual assistants this way every day, you really can’t not know of them. It’s true that advances in digital and Internet technologies are coming fast and furious these days, however, so for some who aren’t keeners these sorts of things may arrive on their radar much later.Well, as you might imagine given that we’re a Canadian web hosting provider, the lot of us at 4GoodHosting are totally keeners for this sort of stuff as it factors into the way we make decisions on what we do with our product and services. That’s going to be true for a whole lot of people who rely on the Information Superhighway to make them visible for ‘searcher’s on the lookout for whatever it is they have to offer. And so here we are with a number of figures that bear out what we’re getting at here; the fact that mobile web browsing is outdistancing desktop variations is well established, and now we’re also seeing that more and more often those mobile web browsers are utilizing voice search on their devices. Voice Search Becoming Commonplace It’s being reported that more than 50 percent of all smartphone users will utilize voice technology on their devices over the course of the rest of this year. There’s no debating that voice and visual search tools have completely transformed the way we use the internet, and that half figure there indicates that the transformation is definitely being well received. We’re at a point now where using our mouths and eyes to guide searches has transformed how we find desired information, items, and whatever else it is we have access to on that Superhighway. We may be just a quarter of the way through, but 2020 is already proving to be a big year for internet development. Whether it’s huge gains in major data storage expansion capacities or the way cloud computing has been...

April 7, 2020

Domain Related

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Young adults under the age of 25 won’t remember it, but there as a time a good few years before the turn of the century when the Internet was still something of a novelty and not the principle resource in the digital world we have today. If you’re in that age bracket it will be probably be hard for you to imagine, but for those of us in the ‘biz’ of sorts and old enough to remember what we felt like on the Millennium NYE it’s really quite something to look back and see the way the Information Superhighway became so integral to the entire world. Now not to toot our industry’s horn too much, but it’s web hosting that’s served as the conduit between domains and getting onto that Information Superhighway. And if you’re in business online then perhaps it’s more opening yourself up to it. Either way, you can’t deny that reliable web hosting has been pivotal for a whole lot of us being able to do with our own website or overall online presence, no matter what aim it serves. Here at 4GoodHosting, we’re like any Canadian web hosting provider in that a look back on the history of web hosting isn’t going to be as informative for us as it is for you. Still pretty darn interesting all around though! Seeing as the whole word is pretty much on pause we may find there’s not a whole lot new or interesting to discuss all the time, so how about we look back on all the important moments that happened along the way as web hosting played an important role in building the digital world we enjoy today. We’ll go until 2001, and then we’ll continue with this next week. 1965 – MIT Scientists lay the foundation for the Internet by having two computers reliably communicating with each other. 1973 – The dawn of the Internet - 2 European organizations are able to connect to ARPANET, the U.S. Defence Department’s Internet predecessor. 1974 – The First Internet Service Provider (ISP) Telenet provides a version of ARPANET for the public to become the first ISP. 1979 – Founding...

March 31, 2020

Domain Related

Reading Time: 9 minutes

There’s been all sorts of articles in the news these days about how the COVID-19 Pandemic is keeping nearly all of us indoors nearly all the time, and all of the different challenges that’s placing on us as a society. One of the more troubling issues for those of us being responsible and working from home is that we need to have strong Wi-Fi connections to go along with unimpeded access to the high-speed Internet we pay for. The work needs to be done, and web connectivity is essential to it. Now of course there are people who are also housebound but either unable or not required to work. We certainly can’t blame them for wanting to stream entertainment options or play games online etc., etc., but it is quite frustrating and problematic when a person who is working from home and their productivity is taking a hit because they’re having to deal with slo Internet speeds because many others in the area are using their own connections for entertainment. Unfortunately there’s nothing to be done to change that situation. Here at 4GoodHosting, we’re like any other popular Canadian web hosting provider in that we imagine a large majority of our customers are doing the same as we’re doing in the interest of being socially and civically responsible; working from home. There’s only so much bandwidth to go around, so if you’re more than a little annoyed with having to deal with slow Internet speeds at this time we’ve compiled a few tips that might help you remedy the situation somewhat. Experts are saying that the need for isolating in the interests of ‘flattening the curve’ (surely you’ve all been watching the news nowadays and are familiar with this term) may stretch on for months. So any one or a combination of these tips may be just what you need to keep from becoming exasperated with your inability to work as you would have, before the Internet was so hotly in demand! First thing we’ll suggest you do is run an Internet speed test on your device of choice, and the one you work on primarily would be best. Then,...

March 24, 2020

Domain Related

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Well here we are in the 3rd week of March and it’s probably fair to say that the last of the ‘it’s not going to be that big a deal’ way of thinking crowd regarding COVID-19 have finally changed their tune. What was once an epidemic has become a pandemic, and we’re seeing the entire world and our way of life in it being turned upside down. The reality is that this is not only a threat to the lives of human beings, but it’s also a threat to the economy and social service infrastructures that they rely on. First and foremost in this regard is healthcare. Fortunately, those of us in Canada have it significantly better in that regard than our American neighbors, but even our healthcare system is at risk of being overwhelmed by the Pandemic if it’s not seriously constrained in its advance. We’ve talked in the past before how 5G technology is set to really revolutionize healthcare in a big way, but a lot of these benefits are quite ready for implementation yet given that 5G is just beginning to be rolled out. What we need to combat COVID-19 is to get everyone on the same page and buying into what’s the best plan of attack. Here at 4GoodHosting, we imagine we’re the same as every other Canadian web hosting provider in that this global crisis is front and centre in our minds and we’re equally concerned about what this may mean in a month or two if we don’t make serious inroads into containing this pandemic virus. But in reference to what we alluded to just above - getting people on the same page and buying into what’s best - it would appear as if the digital world is ready to put a few especially powerful non-animate beings on the case too in the interest of fighting COVID-19 as best we can. Supercomputers - To the Rescue? Maybe so. The battle against the Coronavirus will soon have the support of 16 supercomputers, offered for service on behalf of a new consortium of U.S. government agencies and companies. A partnership has been announced between the White...

March 16, 2020

Domain Related

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Well, they warned us that this was a possibility, now it’s become one. The coronavirus (Covid-19) threat has increased considerably now that it’s been defined as a global pandemic, and the shockwaves of it are being felt all around the world in a big way. It’s even been suggested that the economic slowdown resulting from it may even trigger a worldwide economic recession. For the average person whether or not that becomes a reality is something that’s beyond their control, but if you’re operating a small business online you may find that you have to change your ways. Here at 4GoodHosting, we’re like any Canadian web hosting provider in that it seems we may be fortunate in that the nature of the work that we do allows us to be fairly isolated and working from home if need be. Doing so may be the most responsible choice to make, as there are many others who have professions that don’t allow them to do that and by staying in we lessen the chance of transmission rates increasing to very problematic levels. As we’ve all been told, even if you are in good health with a strong functioning immune system you may be contributing to the problem just by going about your everyday lives and being out and about as usual. Without going on at length, we agree with those insisting that it’s best for as many of us as possible to stay home and help in the fight against the pandemic. Concerns for Those Operating E-Commerce Websites We imagine that everyone will agree that public health has to be the number one priority during the Coronavirus pandemic. eCommerce companies are advised to make plans to maintain their business in the face of this current economic volatility. You should already know that large scale disruption is likely, and problems with supply and demand that can seriously impact cash flow are already being seen. Here are the major issues and what you can do to minimize the effect they have on your online storefront to keep it open. Product Availability Concerns An eCommerce company does not operate if it does not have products...

March 9, 2020

Domain Related

Reading Time: 6 minutes

If you’re the type to stay on top of developments in the digital world then you’ll almost certainly have been front and centre for all of the fanfare that the forthcoming 5G network in Canada has received. The buzz has included both positive AND negative takes on it, but if you’re one to think positively then you’re likely very enthused about being able to get so much more out of your mobile devices in making your life easier. Here at 4GoodHosting, we believe you’ll find that every Canadian web hosting provider will be the same way we are with a real sense of anticipation for what 5G is really going to make possible once it’s rolled out. There’s been no shortage of opportunities for us to read about it, and if it’s something that has interested you in the same way it has for us then you’ll likely have been able to read a lot of different takes and perspectives. One thing’s for sure – it’s going to change the landscape in a big way. One area of discussion that seemingly hasn’t been gone over at length is what this new supremo level of network capability is going to do for mobile app development. Even if you’re not app-savvy or and app afficionado, even the most laypeople of us tend to make use of at least a few apps on our phones these days. That goes for mobile phone games too, everyone seems to have at least one on their phone. Everyone who’s in the know is saying how 5G is really going to have major affects on mobile app development. Here’s how. Early Adopter Industry This is going to move the world towards widespread connectivity, ease of accessibility, unhindered innovation, and speed. As well as being a leveraging force which is going to make everything easier for netizens of the planet. Mobile app development is almost certainly going to be one of the early adopters of this revolutionary technology, and one of the first things we all need to take into account are device features and network requirements. Developers are going to have to wade into this with an...

March 3, 2020

Domain Related

Reading Time: 5 minutes

It’s surprisingly common for people to be more insistent on having some type of virus protection on their home desktop or notebook but, but less so when it comes to their smartphone. The worst way to become aware of the deficiency is if you find yourself with an infected smartphone OS and having to factory reset your phone to get rid of it. As we’re sure you know, however, that’s a best case scenario a lot of the time. These days most people keep an extensive amount of personal information in your Google account, from bank account balances to phone numbers, email addresses, and even photos of you or your family that could be used for facial recognition. Any conscientious Canadian web hosting provider is going to know that the nature of the Information Superhighway is that it’s all too easy to get your hands on what’s not yours. Phones do get hacked, and when they do it can be a big problem, especially if someone gets your financial information. These days some type of virus protection for your Android – or iPhone – is a good idea. Which leads us to what we’re highlighting today. In the face of increasing security risks for smartphones, Google is going to take some of the heat off Android smartphone users with the new Google Advanced Protection Program. What it’s being advertised as able to do is protect sensitive data with the highest level of security you can get and making it nearly impossible for anyone other than you to access your Gmail, Google Drive, Google Photos or other Google services. Sound good? We bet it does Darn Good Defence Plus, just after rollout a follow up update has now added what Google claims is the strongest level of consumer-grade security possible for your Google account. And the superlative there is important, because data breaches are occurring more frequently than ever before. Companies alone reported a staggering 5,183 data breaches in 2019 alone. Most will have heard of how even Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ phone was hacked. And then there’s the fact that even the ‘strongest’ passwords can be determined. The risk is...