ColossusCloud Introduction

ColossusCloud is the brand name given to cloud hosting VPS plans offered by ServerPoint. In addition to ColossusCloud cloud VPS hosting plans, ServerPoint offers shared hosting plans and dedicated servers. Founded in 1998 by a group of web developers who imagined a hosting environment that was more developer-friendly than any other hosting environment on the market at the time, ServerPoint has served over 100,000 customers since it’s founding.

What makes ColossusCloud stand apart from the other ServerPoint brands and products is that all ColossusCloud plans are built on a virtualized cloud of custom-built Colossus Servers — the brand name given to the high-performance web servers designed and custom-built by ServerPoint.

Services and Specializations

ColossusCloud offers one highly configurable product: cloud virtual private servers. However, this product is extremely flexible and highly configurable. As a result, there is a resource allocation level that will meet the budget and performance needs of nearly every hosting customer.

Some of the options customers can configure when deploying a cloud server include:

• Optional installation of Linux operating systems such as CentOS, CloudLinux, Debian, Fedora, FreePBX, and Ubuntu;
• Optional installation of fully-licensed 2003, 2008, or 2012 Windows Server OS;
• RAM allocations varying from 250 MB to 32 GB;
• SSD RAID1 hard disk allocations ranging from 10 GB to 1.2 TB;
• From 1 to 8 CPU core allocations;
• The choice of datacenter location in which the cloud server is deployed;
• Optional cPanel installation for web designers and hosting resellers;
• Optional daily backups.

A variety of suggested cloud server configurations are available. However, there is no requirement for customers to select from one of the preset configurations. All plan features are configurable and can be changed at any time based on changing customer needs.

One ColossusCloud feature that stands out is their user-friendly customer portal. While cPanel is optionally available, it isn’t installed by default, and the default panel is advertised as being very easy to use, even for non-technical users.

Infrastructure

While ColossusCloud does not own their own datacenters, they do own all of the servers and network infrastructure connecting their equipment to the internet backbone. In addition, they have complete 24/7 access to their servers in the event that physical access to the equipment is necessary.

While the colocation centers in which ColossusCloud servers are physically located are not identified, they are located in known internet technology hubs. ColossusCloud servers are distributed at datacenters in:

• Las Vegas, NV: an ideal option for customers who need absolute data security and the fastest possible delivery to visitors on the west coast of the United States;
• Dallas, TX: a good option for customers with a geographically-dispersed US-based audience or those who want to target customers in Mexico and South America;
• Ashburn, VA: delivering the best possible speeds to customers based on the east coast of the United States;
• Amsterdam, Netherlands: for excellent reach throughout Europe and extending into northern Africa, the middle East, and western Asia.

All ColossusCloud plans are built on a cloud of ServerPoint Colossus dedicated servers. The minimum server specifications are impressive and include 6 CPU cores, 32 GB of RAM, 4 x 128 GB SSD RAID1 hard disk drives, a gigabit network port, and redundant power supplies.

Support and Customer Service

ColossusCloud customers receive support directly from ServerPoint. While the company can be reached over the phone 24/7, the official Terms of Service indicate that requests for service should be initiated through the online ticketing system.

Keep in mind that when you purchase a cloud VPS plan you are purchasing a hosting product designed with a relatively high level of customer sophistication in mind. While the provided customer portal may be easy to use, customers are still expected to provide most of their own technical support.

If you are considering ColossusCloud and anticipate requiring regular and ongoing technical support from your hosting provider, be sure to contact them directly to discuss your expectations prior to purchasing a hosting plan.

Billing and Payment Policies

All plans are offered with a monthly billing cycle. Payment can be made with any major credit card or with PayPal. The applicable Terms of Service describe a typical contractual relationship between ServerPoint, not ColossusCloud, and the customer. No money back guarantee is offered. However, since all plans are purchased on a monthly basis, this should not be a major problem.

Summary

ColossusCloud hosting plans are flexible enough to be within the reach of most hosting customers, yet powerful and configurable enough to power the most demanding web applications. With servers located in data centers across the United States and in Europe, ColossusCloud should be on the radar of any performance-minded customer with the sophistication to appreciate the difference between a cloud VPS plan with limited resources and a shared hosting plan with unlimited resources.