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[Announcement] FTNHosting.net acquires VMPort & its assets - Page 3
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[Announcement] FTNHosting.net acquires VMPort & its assets

135

Comments

  • camargcamarg Member

    @FTNEthan said: XEN (PV and HVM) & KVM plans are being moved to OVZ platforms.

    was this a last minute decision? yesterday you told me to give a second thought about cancelling

    @FTN_Kevin said: Please take into consideration that our XEN VPS nodes achieve well over 200-250MB/s Disk I/O

  • @camarg -

    Kevin is only in sales, and I guess he never specifically stated whether we are continuing XEN or not. I would assume he was clarifying the performance of our hardware.

    I can confirm that our newer nodes on RAID10 (even OpenVZ) can easily achieve similar Disk I/O results.

  • tuxtux Member

    @FTNEthan said: XEN (PV and HVM) & KVM plans are being moved to OVZ platforms.

    How I can run own kernel on OpenVZ? This is not possible because all OpenVZ VPS share same host node kernel!

  • @tux -

    If you really need XEN please contact us, we have a few XEN servers we use for the URPad brand and if it is really a must we could put you on one.

  • AnthonySmithAnthonySmith Member, Patron Provider

    Well that is what I call a ruthless business decision.

    Thanked by 2TheHackBox nabo
  • @AnthonySmith -

    That is your opinion.

    Actually as you don't have admin access to the backend I do not see how you can make such an assumption, considering majority of the client base is OpenVZ it is an excellent business decision.

    True, the business lately has been promoting KVM VPS but the amount of KVM/XEN customers still do not outweigh OVZ.

  • AmitzAmitz Member

    Yes. Excellent. Business. Decision.

  • AnthonySmithAnthonySmith Member, Patron Provider

    Well I guess you would not see how I can make such an assumption, hence your assumption that I made one. :)

    Anyway, moving customers from XEN/KVM to OpenVZ is just not right regardless of numbers.

    But if you don't mind sacrificing those customers which is the impression you are giving then yes its a brutal business decision and it is your to make.

  • FTNEthanFTNEthan Member
    edited May 2012

    @AnthonySmith

    Correct, we are not going to be taking a loss on a certain product launch or a few servers just for a few customers. That makes absolutely no sense, and is what would eventually lead to the dead pool.

    There is a reason why all FTNHosting brands are profitable along with all of its product line ups and every single server. This allows us to stay sustainable and profitable in the long haul, just like every business should be.

    Seeing you run a business yourself I am sure that you can see our perspective, if you do not stay profitable how can you stay in business for the customers? I understand it may not be fair for the KVM/XEN customers (most seem to be fine with migrating to OVZ so far), but we have to do what's best for the company, and if we are taking multiple loss leaders we obviously cannot stay in business.

  • taiprestaipres Member

    Congrats on the acquisition and I hope the VMPort customers like their new home. Also hope the VMPort admin got a nice chunk of $$

  • Thanks for the gratz @taipres - we appreciate it :-)

  • edited May 2012

    @DanielM said: i guess the legal parts have been covered? As giving private details to foreign people isnt exactly data protection friendly. Especially in a lawless corrupt country like the united states. I might contact the ICO to clarify this myself.

    While I don't have anything to do with the VMPort deal, I can speak from my business knowledge.

    Assuming that it is a standard acquisition deal (i.e. share transfer), there is nothing to be said. One thing a lot of people forget here is that a Limited Company is a separate legal entity. While many folks here put names to provider brands (which is always nice for a personal level of service), we have to remember that the companies themselves are indeed separate. Shareholders own shares in a company. The company itself owns the client database, servers, etc.

    As such, since FTN has purchased all shares of VMPort, then even though they are "in control" of VMPort (i.e. can select the board of directors), your relationship is still with VMPort, and thus your details have not been sold.

    There is nothing shady or dodgy about this. Your are still paying service to a UK company. Who owns that UK company is irrelevant.

    Thousands of companies are bought and sold every day around the world.

    Note: The above assumes that FTN are going to run VMPort as a separate entity still. There mere fact that VMPort customers may be moving onto FTN servers does not rule this out. You could think of this as VMPort renting dedicated servers from FTN.

    Of course, VMPort are still responsible for Data Protection issues. Assuming that VMPort is still being run as a separate entity, really the only major issue is that the customer details can't be stored outside of the EU without asking the customers first.

    Hope this helps a bit :)

    Update: My above comments may be moot, as I'm actually not sure if VMPort was a Limited Company at all. In that case, the story is very different, legally speaking. Not saying it's shady or dodgy, as I'm sure FTN are a good bunch of guys, just saying the the legal aspects will be different. But I'm sure they've done everything above board :)

    Thanked by 1beard
  • AnthonySmithAnthonySmith Member, Patron Provider

    Nothing personal Ethan.

    I do run a business indeed, and honestly I would not be making the same decision as I firmly believe in customers first and I know Ash was the same hence keeping the Xen node on line for so long with ** customers on it.

    Again nothing personal but you have Xen nodes, and I think you should use them.

  • AnthonySmithAnthonySmith Member, Patron Provider

    Actually, I am backing out of this one now.

    /unsub & best of luck.

  • @Jonny_Evorack -

    We are keeping VMPort as a separate brand and do not have plans to merge it into another at this time.

  • beardbeard Member

    @Jonny_Evorack said: There is nothing shady or dodgy about this. Your are still paying service to a UK company. Who owns that UK company is irrelevant.

    Well put

  • CloudxtnyHostCloudxtnyHost Member, Host Rep

    @Jonny_Evorack @beard in UK law it very much depends on where data is located rather than what country its ownership comes from.

    Thanked by 1tux
  • JacobJacob Member
    edited May 2012

    I guess their is no more hosts offering UK KVM, Perhaps its the right time to jump in. ;)

  • NickMNickM Member

    @Jacob said: I guess their is no more hosts offering UK KVM, Perhaps its the right time to jump in. ;)

    Please do.

  • AmitzAmitz Member

    EDIS is still offering UK KVMs and surely there are more.

  • So i guess every VMPort customer had the right to opt-out of this transfer before any data changed hands and got the money for monthly/yearly services refunded?

  • XEN/HVM Customers will be migrated onto our OpenVZ platform.
    If we do not hear back from you within 48 hours, we will automatically migrate your VPS to a location of our choice based on availability.

    With all due respect to FTN, whoever wrote this doesn't have a clue about Xen/HVM -- that most folks chose it -- when it's usually more expensive -- because OpenVZ cannot fulfill their needs. If a specific/custom kernel was required, for example, you cannot by definition "migrate" that to OpenVZ.

    If I were a customer, I'd hope you'd at least have the decency to keep Xen/HVM nodes online for a reasonable notice period, say 15 days, until customers could really migrate to a similar VPS. 48 hours is too little.

    Are you offering pro-rated refunds to customers for whom your "migration" is not going to work, due to technical and/or geographical factors?

  • edited May 2012

    @httpzoom Yes I'm aware of this; this is pretty much what I said in my long post :) I live and work in the UK, and Evorack is a division of a UK Limited Company :)

    @quirkyquark said: With all due respect to FTN, whoever wrote this doesn't have a clue about Xen/HVM -- that most folks chose it -- when it's usually more expensive -- because OpenVZ cannot fulfill their needs. If a specific/custom kernel was required, for example, you cannot by definition "migrate" that to OpenVZ.

    This is very true indeed. OpenVZ and Xen are very different in their operations. Expect to see some Xen operation run "Ex-VMPort Customer" deals! :)

    @gsrdgrdghd said: So i guess every VMPort customer had the right to opt-out of this transfer [...]

    You have to understand that if FTN has purchased shared in a Limited Company, there is no transfer of relationship, as you will still be customers of VMPort. Of course, there is a service transfer from Xen to OpenVZ, which is another story. Of course I a stated, all Limited Company comments from me could be moot, as I'm not sure if VMPort is a limited company

  • I would have to agree with @AnthonySmith, a company should consider the needs of their clients.
    Most of them have ordered a XEN PV/HVM VPS with a reason, and it should have been part of a due diligence you did before purchasing the "assets".

    Regardless who made the statement clients would stay on their selected Virtualization Type, the person is expected to represent the company.

    You could also look at it as an investment into client retention and growth, by taking a small loss on a few servers for a while and trying to make it profitable.

  • AnthonySmithAnthonySmith Member, Patron Provider

    @Jonny_Evorack VMPort was a sole trader not a Limited Company.

  • Ash_HawkridgeAsh_Hawkridge Member
    edited May 2012

    I appreciate that in times like this certain individuals like to think of themselves as lawyers..

    With that said, after DanielM's comments/threats i got in touch with my solicitor to clarify where we stood in terms of legality. They confirmed what i already believed to be the situation myself.

    As long as the client base/data, or the WHMCS installation in this case, remains in the EU (Where it is now, located in the UK) then we are absolutely fine.

    No data has actually been transferred over seas here, all that has changed is ownership. With that said, FTN can also no longer be considered as a third party, since they are the owner and have adopted the brand, which means your legally binding contract and privacy policy, TOS/AUP is still with VMPort (Which is now owned by FTN).

    Just to clarify i am a sole proprietor and not a LTD company. I must also admit that loosing the KVM line has surprised me and i wasn't aware this was part of the plan upon the agreed sale since it was doing very well in terms of sales, but its not my decision to make and im sure FTN have the best interest of the company at heart. They did however inform me of this decision before they announced it, which is appreciated.

  • So your going to be changing a customers product even though their half way into a contract?

  • quirkyquarkquirkyquark Member
    edited May 2012

    @liam said: I'm glad I didn't sign up for a year KVM with vmport.

    I'm glad I didn't sign up for OVZ. It would have become nearly useless for me with a non-UK geoIP:)

  • AnthonySmithAnthonySmith Member, Patron Provider

    I am very pleased to hear that you were not aware of the intent to push people on to OpenVZ Ash, I have to admit I was disappointed in you as I figured that must have been agreed.

    Understand your probably under an NDA so you cant talk about it in to much detail.

  • FTNEthanFTNEthan Member
    edited May 2012

    Hello-

    We are also offering customers who are currently on the XEN or KVM platform and agree to migrate to the OpenVZ platform double their current resources (Storage/RAM/Bandwidth) at no added cost.

    We understand this is inconvenient for XEN/KVM customers, and as @AnthonySmith mentioned there are not much XEN customers (**). As I mentioned earlier, we do have a few XEN VPS nodes we use at URPad and if XEN customers really do need XEN we can likely arrange something with them. We however do not have any KVM nodes and do not feel comfortable venturing into KVM due with the lack of support SolusVM gives for KVM at this time, along with the limited documentation about KVM online.

    We have considered continuing the existing servers and infrastructure, however as they were rented and most of the hardware specifications didn't meet our standards, for this reason we have made the decision to move the VMPort customers to our fully owned equipment. We generally don't like renting servers as it gives us no control over the hardware, and as we fully own our servers and equipment (except for our Dallas location), we will also be able to provide customers with better support as we have better control over the hardware.

    We hope that you guys will respect our decision and understand our perspective. We have considered all possible options and stand by the decision we have made, as it would be beneficial for all parties in the long haul.

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