Storm IMC Server Upgrades 
Expect Amazing Things!

Introducing Our Newly Upgraded Web Hosting Services

After nearly a year in testing and development, Storm IMC are proud to be announcing the rollout of their new and upgraded hosting services.

The suite of new and enhanced services represents a significant milestone and significant upgrade on the existing legacy systems.  The new server set up and hosting services have been introduced to greatly enhance website security and back-up systems and markedly improve website load times and performance.

The staged migration of client websites has been in progress since late August and the expectation is that all client websites will be transferred to the new and improved server set up ahead of the new year period.

Key Benefits and Services of the Server Upgrades:

• Improved and more reliable hardware.
• 99% scheduled uptime (just a mere 90 minutes down in total over past three years).
• Locally-based in Auckland – resulting in faster load times and website page speed for NZ-based clients.
• Secure servers nearby to manage storage and backups.
• Stringent backups conducted in three stages with one being done every month and another every 24 hours, and the final back up being done every 30 minutes using imaging via a fast access recovery point.
• Devoted Windows and Linux virtual servers for your specific business needs, with the ability to scale to hundreds of virtual machines with Microsoft Azure.
• cPanel interface – with its first-class support and rich feature set, cPanel has been the web hosting industry's most reliable, intuitive control panel since 1997.
• NZ-based support desk.

Why is this Important?

In addition to the obvious benefits around website uptime, security and backup recovery, website load times are playing a significant role in achieving top organic search rankings, reducing bounce rates and greatly improving both user engagement rates and conversion rates.

Recent case data presented by Cardinal Path on behalf of Google, shows a strong negative correlation between reduced webpage load times and website bounce rates, and inversely, a positive correlation between load times and website engagement, and load times and exit rates. This means that the faster your website load times are, the lower your bounce rate and exit rate are expected to be, and the higher your engagement score. The graphs included below in clearly illustrate the relationships described, and communicate that significant percentage differences can occur between fractions of seconds!

 Correlation Graph Shows Relationship Between Web Page Load Times & Other Factors

What you can Expect:

• We will be contacting clients in the months ahead to confirm arrangements in advance of proposed website migration to the new server and to assess other requirements including website encryption and email hosting services.
• If you have questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!