Internap In 2018: How Would Internap Clients Review Them?

Internap Introduction

Internap is an internet infrastructure provider for businesses who want access to a world class network and technical expertise to support consistently solid performance of advanced web applications. Internap offers cloud and dedicated server hosting, colocation services, IP and CDN services, and a variety of internet infrastructure management services.

Internap was founded in 1996 as an internet infrastructure provider. Internap is headquartered in Atlanta, GA and employs approximately 700 employees at their various locations. Internap also owns two other companies:

• iWeb: a provider of dedicated servers, cloud computing, and hosting services.
• Ubersmith: a provider of billing and subscription management software designed to empower data centers and internet infrastructure providers to better manage their business.

Cloud Hosting

Internap offers three varieties of cloud hosting: public, private, and hybrid.

There are two public cloud options available from Internap. The virtual public cloud runs on OpenStack, is available with either Linux or Windows OS, and features configurable memory, SSD-based storage, and flexible pricing based on actual usage.

The second public cloud option from Internap is a cloud built on dedicated servers. What this service does is offer a public bank of dedicated servers automated to operate as a cloud environment.

Internap also offers the option to build a private cloud for customers who demand the power of cloud computing, but also require increased security. Private clouds can be secured to achieve compliance with Payment Card Industry and Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) and the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Finally, Internap allows customers to combine dedicated server clouds with virtual public clouds. This allows customers to configure a dedicated server cloud to handle core processes, but still provides access to the virtual cloud to handle peak bandwidth demands during times of heavy traffic.

Dedicated Server Hosting

For customers who want dedicated server hosting Internap offers a variety of single and double processor dedicated servers which can be located at any one of three data centers in the USA, two data centers in Europe, or two data centers in Asia.

A variety of SATA and SSD storage devices are available, and available port speed range from 2X 1000MBPS up to 2X 10GBPS. Dedicated servers can be commissioned on an hourly or monthly basis.

Data Centers & Colocation Services

Internap’s website lists fifteen data center locations available for colocation. However, Internap’s 2014 annual report indicates that Internap owns eight data centers in the United States, one data center in Canada, and has set up additional data centers at more than twenty third-party locations across North America, Europe, and Asia.

All Internap-owned data centers are physically secured 24/7 by the standard security array along with some impressive added security features such as man-traps that compare a person’s weight upon entry and exit to determine if they are leaving with equipment they did not bring in, and fingerprint activated biometric locks. 

Internap data centers are designed with complete duplication of all critical infrastructure. This means that if there is a failure of any critical data center infrastructure, such as electricity, a backup system will come online and the data center will continue operating as usual. Internap data centers have also implemented a range of sustainable energy practices such as the use of reflective roofing, graywater recycling, controlled lighting, outside air exchangers to take advantage of cool climate, and more.

Colocation with Internap has the added benefit of allowing integration of colocation services with other services offered by Internap. For example, from a account a customer can manage and provision dedicated servers, cloud servers, and colocated servers.

Internet Infrastructure Management Services

A variety of add on services are available to enhance the hosting and computing products offered by Internap. Server management, data security services, data storage services, automatic server and database backups, network monitoring and optimization, load balancing, 24/7 remote hands availability, and installation services are all available on an ongoing or as-needed basis.

Network Services

Internap offers IP services and a content delivery network (CDN) to enhance the experience of users accessing applications hosted in Internap’s data centers. IP services by Internap aim to route traffic to the hosted application through the fastest channels possible, and to insulate traffic from network outages. Internap’s CDN service speeds delivery of applications and websites by storing and delivery static content from the data center closest to the application users.

Support and Customer Service

Internap claims to have one of the best technical support teams in the industry. They boast that when you contact Internap support you will dialogue directly with a network engineer, and not with a customer service rep. Internap also states that 95% of all issues will be resolved by the first network engineer who receives your request and logs the service ticket.

This claim for best-in-class technical support is backed by a 100% uptime service level agreement. The SLA terms are fairly generous. Event tracking begins when the event actually begins, not when you notice the outage and contact support. In addition, the SLA kicks in even if you don’t notice the issue, and support contacts you to resolve the situation. 

The SLA covers items sometimes excluded from SLAs such as DoS response time, and equipment installation that takes longer than was agreed upon. The minimum threshold for the SLA to kick in and reimbursement to begin accruing is only 10 minutes.

Summary / Conclusion

Internap is an advanced provider of cloud computing, dedicated servers, colocation, and a variety of other internet infrastructure services. If you’re looking for an infrastructure provider who can handle the demands of a resource intensive application with a growing user base then Internap is worth considering. Their impressive data centers, highly qualified technical staff, and generous SLA stand out as compelling reasons to give Internap serious consideration.