In 2023, Hostpoint was able to resume its strong growth of recent years in impressive fashion.

In 2023, Hostpoint was able to resume its strong growth of recent years in impressive fashion. Sales exceeded CHF 30 million for the first time in the history of the company. The successful market launch of the new e-mail service confirms the strategic direction of the Rapperswil-based provider.

In a market environment that is currently undergoing change due to various external factors, Hostpoint once again achieved excellent annual results in 2023. With growth of 8.5 percent and annual sales of CHF 32 million, Switzerland’s largest web hosting provider succeeded in gaining significant market share along with growth in all business areas.

After Hostpoint surpassed one million managed domain names for the first time in the previous year, this business area continued to grow significantly in 2023. With growth of more than 11 percent, Switzerland’s leading domain registrar now manages more than 1.1 million domains. Hostpoint is also experiencing stable growth in other business areas such as web hosting, managed servers and e-mail hosting.

Successful launch of new e-mail service

Last year, e-mail was an area of particular importance with the launch of “E-mail & Cloud Office” in January 2023. With the introduction of the comprehensive e-mail service, which is completely decoupled from web hosting and includes various office and team functions, Hostpoint was once again able to tap into completely new customer groups in the e-mail service business. Customers appreciate Hostpoint’s 7-day support and that all data is stored in Switzerland with this digital collaboration solution. By combining security and a customer-oriented approach, Hostpoint sets itself apart from the international competition with E-mail & Cloud Office.

“We are extremely satisfied with the market launch of E-mail & Cloud Office. The number of users in the first year exceeded our expectations,” explains Yvan Knapp, Chief Strategy Officer at Hostpoint.

In a changing market environment, Hostpoint is well on track. While some local competitors have been bought out by foreign investors in recent years or have ceased operations completely, the Rapperswil-based provider is managing to continuously grow. As the leading Swiss provider of domains, web hosting, websites and e-mail, Hostpoint is also well positioned in terms of infrastructure, security and support so that customers from other providers who want to switch to Hostpoint can do so as easily as possible.

Targeted reinforcement of personnel

To ensure that the company is well-equipped for future product developments and day-to-day customer support, it is important for Hostpoint to grow organically in all relevant areas, including at the personnel level. As a result, the Customer Care, Software Development and System Engineering & Operations teams were strengthened last year and a number of key cross-divisional positions were created.

At the end of 2023, Hostpoint had a total of 97 employees, which corresponds to growth of almost 8 percent compared to the previous year. Since the beginning of the year, the company has increased its workforce and now Hostpoint employs more than 100 people for the first time. In the last two years alone, the number of employees has grown by more than 30 percent.

High level of investment in infrastructure and security

As a leading hosting provider, Hostpoint not only stands for excellent products with attractive conditions, but also for the highest standards of performance and security. This is why Hostpoint is investing millions every year each year in expanding, further developing and optimizing its infrastructure and security.

Hostpoint is now accepting applications for the registration of .swiss domains from private customers.

Until now, domains ending in .swiss were almost exclusively reserved for companies with an entry in the commercial register. According to the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM), the long-awaited opening of the market for private individuals is set for April 2024. Hostpoint is now accepting applications for the registration of .swiss domains from private customers.

The generic top-level domain (TLD) .swiss, which is issued by the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM), will see the most important change since its introduction in 2015. Whereas domains ending in .swiss were previously reserved for companies with an entry in the commercial register and public-sector bodies, access to this exclusive ending will soon be open to private individuals as well.

OFCOM had already announced prospective plans to open the top-level domain in the first half of 2024 last year. The registry nic.swiss (a division of OFCOM) has now announced that registration applications from natural persons will start being reviewed and approved from April 24, 2024, provided the registration conditions have been met.

Among other conditions, the desired domain name must contain an official name (e.g. first name, surname, combined surname) or a recognized artist name of the applicant, and the applicant must have a valid residential address in Switzerland. However, it is also possible for Swiss nationals living abroad to register .swiss domains. For more information about the registration conditions for private individuals, please visit our Support Center.

The opening of access to .swiss domains for private individuals is expected to generate high demand. For this reason, Hostpoint is already offering customers the opportunity to search and apply for their desired domain via hostpoint.ch. These applications will be collected and then submitted to the registry nic.swiss on April 24, 2024. Hostpoint has no influence over the definitive allocation of the desired .swiss domains as this is handled exclusively by OFCOM. The exact provisions governing the allocation process can be viewed on the website of the registry (nic.swiss).

Unique opportunity to secure one’s own name as a domain

As many popular terms are already taken in the TLD .ch, which remains much more well known and widespread in Switzerland, the opening of .swiss offers a unique opportunity for many. Private individuals will now have the chance to secure a long-desired domain name after all.

Hostpoint is the leading Swiss domain registrar and manages more than one million domains. As Switzerland’s first web hosting provider, Hostpoint received official accreditation from ICANN in 2013 and is now the largest provider of .ch domains on the market. Hostpoint offers all available TLDs and has been an officially listed registrar for .swiss domains since their introduction.

Demonstrating Swissness with .swiss domain

The generic TLD .swiss was introduced by OFCOM in 2015. By registering a .swiss domain, companies and organizations had the opportunity to demonstrate their affinity for Switzerland. But acquiring a .swiss domain is not just a good idea for the Swissness factor, but also strengthens brand protection in the digital space and is an ideal addition to a domain portfolio (for example alongside .ch and .com).

While the demand for .swiss domains is steadily rising, there is still plenty of potential for business customers as well. According to nic.swiss, only roughly 27,000 .swiss domain names have been registered to date (as of December 2023). With the forthcoming opening of the market to private customers, many companies would be well advised to take advantage of the still restricted access to secure their company names as .swiss domains before April.

Hostpoint once again recorded strong growth in the past year...

Hostpoint once again recorded strong growth in the past year. At CHF 29.5 million, revenue again increased by more than 10 percent over the previous year. The major highlight of 2022 was reaching the milestone of one million managed domains.

Hostpoint can look back on another strong financial year in 2022. Switzerland’s leading web hosting provider and domain registrar increased its growth by an impressive 10.1 percent to CHF 29.5 million. This is a continuation of the strong growth trend of recent years. Over the past three years, the revenue growth has exceeded 10 percent in each case.

In 2022, Hostpoint placed a strong focus on the development and final market preparation of the recently launched service “E-mail & Cloud Office”, which combines personalized e-mail addresses with digital and mobile working features (e.g. Drive, Documents, Calendar, Address Book).

Milestone of one million domains thanks to growth in the domain business

In November, Hostpoint became the first web hosting provider in Switzerland to reach the “magic” marker of one million managed domains in the Swiss market. This is a major milestone in the history of the Rapperswil-based provider and underscores Hostpoint’s role as leading Swiss domain registrar. Managed domains grew by around 11 percent overall in 2022.

Hostpoint is also continuing on a stable growth trajectory in its other central business areas, such as web hosting, Managed Flex Servers and e-mail. For example, Hostpoint now hosts well over 100,000 WordPress websites and around three-quarters of a million e-mail addresses.

In the area of domain security, the development of .ch domains signed with the DNSSEC security standard was also encouraging. Out of all the 1.1 million .ch domains registered with DNSSEC by the registry operator SWITCH at the end of 2022, more than 30 percent run on Hostpoint DNS servers.

Customers appreciate the expansion of support services

At the beginning of last year, Hostpoint significantly expanded its customer service offering with its seven-day support service. Since then, customers have been able to reach support free of charge by phone, e-mail, and other channels, even on weekends. This service is highly valued by customers, as Marco Bühler, Head of Customer Care at Hostpoint, emphasizes:

“We’re always working to make our support services even better. By expanding our telephone support to seven days a week, we were able to meet a real customer need. Customer feedback on this service expansion has been consistently positive ever since.”

Employer branding as a response to a shortage of skilled workers

Hostpoint now employs more than 90 people at its Rapperswil site. But as with many IT service providers, finding qualified specialists is also a challenge for Hostpoint. To keep up with the growth of the company in terms of personnel, Hostpoint is continuously looking for new staff, especially in the areas of system engineering and software development. That is why Hostpoint invested heavily in employer branding in 2022. Among other things, it introduced a completely redesigned working model that gives employees extensive freedom in choosing their place of work and scheduling their working hours.

Hostpoint, the leading Swiss hosting provider, has significantly expanded its range of e-mail services...

Hostpoint, the leading Swiss hosting provider, has significantly expanded its range of e-mail services. E-mail addresses with their own domains can now also be used without a hosting package. The range of services has also been expanded with numerous useful functions, such as cloud storage and shared document editing.

These days, a reliable e-mail service is essential for personal and professional communication. The needs of users have increased dramatically and aspects such as data security, spam protection and support availability are increasingly in demand. This is where Hostpoint’s new “E-mail & Cloud Office” products come in. Hostpoint offers a professional and secure solution for business and personal e-mail combined with versatile and flexible tools for digital working.

All data is stored on servers in a highly secure data center in Switzerland and no e-mail data is utilized for advertising or similar purposes. Support is also available free of charge seven days a week via e-mail and telephone. This combination of security and customer orientation sets Hostpoint’s services apart from other mail hosting and groupware providers.

Tiered model with attractive packages to meet all needs

There are three packages ranging from CHF 3 to CHF 7 per month per user, with Hostpoint offering attractive introductory discounts until the end of the year. Depending on the package, users receive up to 100 GB of storage space for e-mail and up to 250 GB for cloud data. Thanks to a free migration service, all e-mail data from existing mailboxes can be quickly and easily migrated to Hostpoint. Office features include synchronizable and shared calendars and address books, as well as tools for collaborating within teams on text documents, spreadsheets and presentations in real time.

With more than 700,000 mailboxes already managed, Hostpoint has many years of experience in mail hosting. Previously, Hostpoint has only enabled users to set up e-mail addresses as part of a hosting package. The new e-mail services can be used individually or together with other Hostpoint services. They also offer much more features and storage space.

Mail and Office solution for mobile working

Mobility is an established part of the modern working world. Hostpoint’s services are therefore aimed particularly at SMEs, start-ups and private individuals who appreciate this flexibility. Newly founded companies are ideally placed to register their domains, host their websites, set up their e-mail addresses and store shared data with a single provider. The shared use of a calendar, address book and drive memory can also be very useful for families and clubs.

Hostpoint is expanding its existing product portfolio with the launch of E-mail & Cloud Office. Customers are offered an environment of solutions that make the digital workspace as connected and simple as possible. The channels between hosting, content management, e-mail and cloud storage are shorter and the products are perfectly interlinked.

2021 was another highly successful year for Switzerland’s largest web hosting and domain provider...

2021 was another highly successful year for Switzerland’s largest web hosting and domain provider. Hostpoint reported annual sales of CHF 26.8 million, thus achieving record growth. With almost 16% growth, the Rapperswil-based internet service provider also recorded significant gains in managed domains.

Last year, Hostpoint both celebrated its anniversary and set yet another record, in spite of the challenges of the pandemic. Total annual sales amounted to CHF 26.8 million. This represents a year-on-year increase of CHF 2.8 million (11.7%): the highest sales growth in the company’s history.

“We are, of course, very pleased with this excellent result and see it as confirmation that we are on the right track with our strategy. In 2021, we continued to invest heavily into further developing our platform and products and into expanding our support services,” explains Hostpoint CEO and co-founder Markus Gebert.

A particular highlight of the past year was the 20th anniversary of what once began as a tech start-up in Rapperswil. Over these past two decades, Hostpoint has managed to grow steadily and establish itself as the largest provider of web hosting and domain registrations in Switzerland. Today, Hostpoint employs 78 people.

Milestone of one million managed domains in sight

In the key domain business, Hostpoint is making great strides towards the “magical milestone” of one million domains. As of the end of 2021, Hostpoint managed a total of 919,523 domain names, representing an increase of 15.9%.

The figures also confirm a growth trend for web hosting. The total number of hosted websites increased by five percent to 305,281. This includes more than 100,000 WordPress installations, further consolidating Hostpoint’s position as the leading WordPress service provider in the Swiss market. In addition, more and more private customers and companies are using Hostpoint’s e-mail services. At the end of 2021, Hostpoint managed a total of 722,578 e-mail addresses (up 6.1%).

In 2021, Hostpoint also implemented various measures in the area of internet security. The DNSSEC security standard has already been activated for a large number of .ch and .li domains registered with Hostpoint. At the end of 2021, Hostpoint had more than 300,000 DNSSEC-signed domains. This puts Hostpoint at the forefront of internet security in Switzerland.

Hostpoint sets its stakes on Swissness

While some foreign investors are currently making headlines in the Swiss hosting market by taking over local providers, Hostpoint is still fully committed to its “Swissness”, as Markus Gebert emphasizes: “we want to remain the leading Swiss provider for Swiss customers in the long term and will continue to pursue our own independent path. Our position should even improve as a result of the changed market environment.” Hostpoint remains fully owner-operated, making it entirely Swiss-owned. All customer data is also stored in Switzerland.

Hostpoint is now the first web hosting provider in Switzerland to offer telephone...

Hostpoint is now the first web hosting provider in Switzerland to offer telephone tech support seven days a week. Hostpoint’s customer service is available on weekends not only via e-mail but now also via phone, WhatsApp and Skype. The Rapperswil-based Internet service provider is thus once again significantly expanding its customer service offering.

Hostpoint customers have already been able to benefit from numerous options for contacting support. The telephone customer service has always been available from Monday to Friday during opening hours (8:00 am to 6:00 pm each day). The same is true for WhatsApp chats and Skype calls. Written support requests via e-mail or contact form are also accepted on weekends.

Now, Hostpoint is taking customer support one step further by extending the regular opening hours for the telephone service and for the WhatsApp and Skype services to Monday to Sunday (8:00 am to 6:00 pm each day). Hostpoint support now covers the full breadth of contact options seven days a week: phone, e-mail, website contact form, WhatsApp and Skype. All support channels are available to all Hostpoint customers without restriction.

Customer service unique to the Swiss web hosting industry

Hostpoint therefore offers a support service that is unique to the Swiss hosting market. Switzerland’s largest web hosting provider has always placed great emphasis on first-class advice and customer-oriented support. Not least thanks to the personal and expert customer service in four languages from Switzerland, Hostpoint can build on a very large and loyal customer base.

For Marco Bühler, Head of Customer Care, the extension of the telephone customer service to both days of the weekend is a logical and important step: “Our products and services are always available to customers. And many customers primarily have time on the weekends to manage their websites or online stores. Accordingly, questions and problems also arise on the weekend. By expanding support via phone, WhatsApp and Skype to Saturdays and Sundays, we want to meet this customer need.”

In the past, Hostpoint has repeatedly invested in the further development and expansion of support. Since 2008, more than half of all employees have been working in technical or administrative customer service. Since 2012, support requests have been possible via the internet telephony service Skype. In the same year, the CheckIn service was launched, allowing customers to book an on-site consultation with Hostpoint. And finally, last year Hostpoint became the first provider in Switzerland to open a support channel via the chat service WhatsApp.

Support requests by telephone now possible

With immediate effect, technical telephone support is available to all Hostpoint customers from Monday to Sunday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm each day. The same applies to e-mail, the contact form, WhatsApp and Skype. Customers with Business web hosting or a Managed Flex Server also enjoy the benefits of Gold or Platinum support (with service level agreement), depending on the product.

Hostpoint – Switzerland’s leading domain registrar – is now accepting...

Hostpoint – Switzerland’s leading domain registrar – is now accepting applications from customers who would like to register .zuerich domains. The Canton of Zurich is the official registry for this new top-level domain and offers it exclusively to companies and public organizations located in the Canton of Zurich. As part of the multistage rollout plan, the registration process will begin on August 30. Hostpoint is already accepting applications now, however.

By launching the new .zuerich top-level domain (TLD), the Canton of Zurich hopes to further enhance Zurich’s profile as a center of business in the digital world. Companies and public-sector bodies can use their own .zuerich domains to display their connection to the local economy and communities, while at the same time benefiting from the excellent reputation of the Zurich region.

The Canton of Zurich monitors registrations of Zurich domains and ensures their quality and security, whereas Hostpoint, as Switzerland’s leading domain registrar, is the contact point for customers to submit their registration applications.

Exclusively for companies and organizations in the Canton of Zurich

In contrast to most TLDs, .zuerich domains are exclusively reserved for legal entities established in the Canton of Zurich. Companies and organizations located in the Canton of Zurich and listed in its commercial registry can also register .zuerich domains. Public-sector bodies (government agencies), as well as organizations that work primarily for public bodies based in the Canton of Zurich in the long term, may also submit registration applications.

The canton has planned a multiphase registration process for rolling out the .zuerich TLD. The “sunrise” phase will begin on August 30, 2021, and registration applications for .zuerich domains will only be accepted for trademarks that are registered with the “Trademark Clearinghouse”. The “limited registration” phase will then begin on September 30 for public-sector bodies whose administrative centers are located in the Canton of Zurich. The final “general availability” phase, which will also be open to the majority of Zurich-based businesses, will then begin on November 22. The first ten days of this phase will be conducted in a “Dutch auction” format. Prices will be at their highest on November 22 and then lowered each day thereafter. Non-bidding availability of .zuerich domains will begin on December 2, 2021.

Hostpoint is now accepting applications for .zuerich domains

Hostpoint is already accepting applications to register domains with the .zuerich extension right now. These applications will be collected and submitted to the registry on December 2 at 2 pm (CET), provided that the applications have not already met the criteria for early registration. However, Hostpoint cannot offer applicants any guarantee that they will actually receive a given domain.

Hostpoint is the leading Swiss domain registrar and manages more than 800,000 domains. Hostpoint was Switzerland’s first web hosting provider and received official ICANN accreditation in 2013. Today, it’s the largest provider of .ch domains on the market. Hostpoint currently offers the full range of available TLDs, including .swiss, which has also been available exclusively to companies and organizations since 2015.

As Switzerland’s leading domain registrar, Hostpoint is participating in a federal...

As Switzerland’s leading domain registrar, Hostpoint is participating in a federal program promoting the implementation of the DNSSEC security standard. Over the next few weeks, Hostpoint will be gradually activating DNSSEC for a large proportion of .ch and .li domains. By allowing customers and their website visitors to benefit from better protection against misuse, Hostpoint is doing its part to improve internet security in Switzerland.

At the end of 2020, the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) renewed its contract with SWITCH, the registry for .ch and .li domains. The decision was made to ramp up efforts to promote the signing of .ch domains with the DNSSEC standard. As the largest registrar of .ch domains, Hostpoint is now taking a huge step forward by activating DNSSEC in the coming weeks for all .ch and .li domains managed by Hostpoint and operated on Hostpoint name servers. This process will occur automatically; customers do not need to take any action.

The DNSSEC standard (Domain Name System Security Extensions) allows the authenticity and integrity of DNS information to be verified using cryptographic signatures. When accessing a domain, the IP address of the corresponding website is identified during the query process of the Domain Name System. The DNSSEC security extension prevents falsified DNS responses from being planted during these queries, which then, for example, redirect the user to a fraudulent website (known as “cache poisoning”, “DNS hijacking” or “DNS spoofing”).

Security benefits for customers and combating cybercrime

The DNSSEC security extensions not only protect website operators, but their visitors as well. And customers who are using Hostpoint’s mail servers for their e-mail accounts additionally benefit from the DANE network protocol, which increases the security of e-mail traffic.

Most importantly, however, each DNSSEC-secured domain makes a small contribution to improving the security of internet communication. According to OFCOM, only about 6% of registered .ch domains were signed using the DNSSEC standard at the end of 2020. As one of the largest domain registrars in Switzerland, Hostpoint is committed to ensuring that a large number of .ch domains are converted to DNSSEC.

Customers with domains running on Hostpoint name servers have been able to activate DNSSEC since September 2020. At the same time Hostpoint introduced the DANE network protocol. Hostpoint has supported DNSSEC for domains running on external name servers for several years and was one of the first providers in Switzerland to do so.

Taking responsibility for internet security in Switzerland

Digital security has always been a top priority for Hostpoint. As Switzerland’s largest web hosting provider, Hostpoint carries a certain responsibility toward the country’s internet security. Products and services are being constantly improved, brought up to the latest technical standards and made safer in the interest of the customers. In this sense, Hostpoint supports the Swiss government’s efforts to improve cybersecurity in Switzerland.

Twenty years ago, three young entrepreneurs from Rapperswil-Jona founded what...

Twenty years ago, three young entrepreneurs from Rapperswil-Jona founded what is now the largest and most trusted web hosting provider and domain registrar in Switzerland. To celebrate this important anniversary, Hostpoint is taking a look back and highlighting the most important milestones in the company’s history.

The internet has changed drastically since Hostpoint was founded in 2001. At that time, web hosting services were much more limited in scope and tended to be costly, complex and scarcely automated. Markus Gebert, Claudius Röllin and Sandro Bertschinger recognized a great deal of potential in these services, and wanted to provide powerful, easy-to-use web hosting and e-mail services to their customers.

Over the years, Hostpoint grew to become the largest provider of web hosting services and the leading domain registrar in Switzerland, while at the same time bearing witness to a number of key developments in the digital world. These included the rise of social media and the breakthrough of mobile internet use, as well as ever-growing volumes of data traffic, tougher data protection requirements and the continuous advancement of technology. During this time, Hostpoint was able to keep growing and expand its range of products in a targeted manner.

A pioneer in web hosting management software

Hostpoint’s first major milestone was the introduction of the “Hostpoint Control Panel” in 2007, a management software for web hosting services that was fully developed by Hostpoint. From early on, two aspects were important to Hostpoint: to develop key elements of their software themselves and to rely on Switzerland as the location for the development process as well as the infrastructure itself.

Over the years, the company invested in the diversification of their own range of products and services. In 2004, they launched “web-o-mat” – a website toolbox that served as their entry into the software as a service business (SaaS). The solution was replaced by “Sites” in 2011; the e-commerce solution “Webshop” was added in the same year. Hostpoint has also offered managed server products since 2010. In 2019, the managed server was replaced by the virtualized “Managed Flex Server”.

20 years of steady growth in terms of turnover and company size

Over the past 20 years, Hostpoint has enjoyed consistent, organic growth in terms of both turnover and the number of employees. The company first crossed the CHF 10 million mark in 2013, before exceeding the CHF 20 million mark five years later. In recent years, turnover has increased by around 10 percent annually, and reached a record CHF 24 million in 2020.

The number of employees has also grown steadily over the past two decades. Ever since Hostpoint significantly expanded its support services in 2008, more employees have worked in the Customer Service department than in all other departments combined. However, despite the tough competition, Hostpoint has consistently been able to find highly trained personnel for its other main departments Software Development and System Engineering and, thanks to excellent working conditions, has managed to hold on to these employees for the long term.

Milestones in the history of Hostpoint and the digital world since 2001

In honor of its 20th anniversary, Hostpoint has decided to take a look back at the past two decades and to present the milestones in the company’s history alongside key events in the history of the internet. Interested visitors can read more about Hostpoint’s history on a special website dedicated to this topic and, at the same time, can take part in Hostpoint’s 20th anniversary contest to win attractive prizes.

Hostpoint, the Rapperswil-based hosting provider, has expanded its security...

Hostpoint, the Rapperswil-based hosting provider, has expanded its security package “Domain Shield” once again. Now customers of “Domain Shield” can also benefit from DNS Anycast, which enables website connections through a global, decentralized network of name servers. The result is even faster page loading and improved stability.

Hostpoint strives to keep developing and improving its products and services for customers. Most recently, in January 2021, it added domain loss protection to the domain security package “Domain Shield”. Now Hostpoint is going a step further by adding yet another service to “Domain Shield”. Customers who have purchased this all-in-one package will now get the benefits of DNS Anycast at no extra charge.

Unlike the conventional routing method, which connects to a certain website via a specific DNS location (Unicast), DNS Anycast uses a global network of more than 20 different DNS locations instead. Depending on where the website visitor is located, the geographically nearest DNS server is used to establish the connection. This speeds up websites’ loading time, particularly the initial page request.

Greater availability equals better Google rankings

But DNS Anycast offers more than just better performance – it also improves stability and protects more effectively against DDoS attacks (Distributed Denial of Service). If a particular DNS location goes offline due to a DDoS attack, for example, the decentralized network of name servers ensures that website traffic can be rerouted via the next name server that happens to be nearest.

The SEO advantages are certainly worth mentioning as well. “Domain Shield” customers who have activated DNS Anycast for their domains will notice better search engine rankings thanks to speedier loading times and greater stability.

“Domain Shield”: complete protection for your domain

Having a proprietary domain is becoming increasingly important for businesses, freelancers and private individuals, which is why more and more customers want to safeguard the domains they own. Hostpoint has responded to this demand with “Domain Shield”, a product that includes protection against domain loss, protection against domain misuse and protection of customers’ data. It also offers new and improved downtime protection and other performance advantages.

“Domain Shield” loss protection guarantees that customers remain the rightful owners of their domains even if there is a lapse in paying the domain renewal fee on time. Domain Guard protects domains against unauthorized activity as well as other unwarranted or accidental domain name alterations. Last but not least, the Domain Privacy trustee service prevents third parties from accessing customers’ personal details and serves as an intermediary for any legitimate requests for customers’ contact details.

In spite of a year significantly impacted by the coronavirus, Hostpoint...

In spite of a year significantly impacted by the coronavirus, Hostpoint recorded a record turnover of CHF 24 million in 2020. The largest and leading web hosting provider in Switzerland saw managed domains grow by more than 20 percent, while hosted websites increased by 7.7 percent.

Hostpoint had an eventful yet successful year in 2020. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the Rapperswil-based provider managed to substantially increase its turnover again and thus post its best result ever. Turnover saw impressive growth of about 10 percent compared with 2019, rising to CHF 24 million.

CEO and co-founder Markus Gebert is delighted with the positive result for the year: “The past year was challenging for us, as we suddenly had to switch to working from home for longer periods of time. So this growth is all the more pleasing, and we owe it to the tireless and professional work of our employees.” The number of employees at the owner-operated company grew to 75 in 2020.

Significant growth of managed domains

Growth of managed domain names was particularly impressive over the past year. As of the end of 2020, Hostpoint managed a total of 793,104 domains, an increase over the previous year of 20.6 percent.

The growth of hosted sites was also very positive. There are currently 290,847 websites and online stores that run on Hostpoint web hosting infrastructure, which represents an increase of 7.6 percent compared with 2019. Of these websites, 90,044 are operated with WordPress, the world’s most popular content management system. With Hostpoint’s web hosting products, customers can create an unlimited number of e-mail addresses with 5 GB of storage space each. As of the end of 2020, a total of 681,222 e-mail addresses were managed at Hostpoint (up 6.8 percent).

The total number of FreeSSL certificates offered by Hostpoint climbed by 25.2 percent to 321,217. Hostpoint has been active in various areas of digital security for many years. The growth and dissemination of the domain-validated SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt is a core concern for Hostpoint.

Working from home presents challenges and opportunities

The coronavirus pandemic has presented Hostpoint with several challenges. The company’s entire operations had to be changed rapidly in spring 2020 to enable employees to work from home. Throughout the period when employees worked from home, Hostpoint continued to offer products, services and customer support to the usual high quality standards. Demand for certain products, such as Webshop and Sites, even rose during the lockdown in spring 2020. Hostpoint launched attractive offers for these products, including some free offers to support SMEs affected by the pandemic.

Despite some obstacles, working from home also presented some opportunities for establishing new forms of communication and collaboration. For example, in April 2020 Hostpoint launched its own video conference solution – Hostpoint Meet – which was made available to the public free of charge and without any restrictions. This offer was utilized very often, especially during the lockdown in 2020 and early 2021. “Particularly during this situation, it was important to us to be able to give something back to society,” explains CEO Markus Gebert.

Just in time for the new year, Hostpoint is offering a big improvement to...

Just in time for the new year, Hostpoint is offering a big improvement to its “Domain Shield” security package in the form of a new loss protection service. This ensures that domains are reserved and renewed for customers even if problems occur with payment of the renewal fee, protecting domain owners from the potentially serious consequences of losing their domains.

For many companies and private individuals, having a unique domain name plays a key role with respect to the value of their own name or brand. Hostpoint has been offering the Domain Shield domain security package since 2018 to provide comprehensive domain ownership protection. This service will now also include an additional component at no extra cost for both new and existing customers.

With the new domain loss protection, customer’s domains are protected from accidental loss. If there are any problems processing the annual domain renewal fee, the domain will still be secured and renewed for the customer. Reasons why a domain might not be renewed as usual include an expired credit card, a forgotten or misplaced invoice, or the person responsible being away for an extended period of time. This is where Hostpoint’s loss protection service comes in to ensure that domains remain in their owners’ possession.

Losing a domain can have serious consequences

Without loss protection, domain owners run the risk of unintentionally losing their domain if the domain renewal fee is not paid on time. The potential impact of this should not be underestimated. If a domain is lost, it is normally released for unrestricted sale again, meaning that third parties are free to register the domain in question. And services tied to this domain, such as a website or e-mail addresses, would no longer be available. For companies and self-employed individuals in particular, this could have a serious impact in terms of lost revenue and damaged reputation.

The domain loss protection service included with Domain Shield ensures that, if a domain owner fails to pay their domain renewal fee, the domain is secured for them. The domain remains in the owner’s possession, and all of the associated services continue working normally. To secure the domain for the customer in the longer term, Hostpoint will then attempt to contact the customer in stages through various channels, such as e-mail, text message or by phone.

Triple protection: loss protection, misuse protection and data protection

In addition to domain loss protection, the Domain Shield security package still includes all of the same functions as before. These include the domain misuse protection (Domain Guard), which protects the domain from misuse or accidental changes, and the domain trustee service (Domain Privacy). With the trustee service, the domain owners are represented externally by Swiss Domain Trustee AG, and their personal data is not disclosed to third parties or registries.

As a leading, ICANN-accredited domain registrar, Hostpoint has placed much focus on service quality in the context of domain registration, transfer and administration for many years. For example, all domain customers benefit from free DNS hosting, a DNS zone editor and settings for domain forwarding. In the fall of 2020, Hostpoint began offering digital signing with the DNSSEC security protocol for all domains operating with Hostpoint name servers. Additionally, Hostpoint supports the DANE network protocol, which improves the security of encrypted e-mail communications.

Hostpoint customers now have the option of running their websites using...

Hostpoint customers now have the option of running their websites using the powerful, high-performance Nginx web server in shared hosting. As a leading and innovative hosting company, Hostpoint also enables the use of Nginx and Apache web servers in parallel. Customers can decide which web server to use for each website they create.

Since Hostpoint was founded in 2001, shared hosting offers have been based on the widely used web servers of the Apache Software Foundation. Hostpoint customers with a Managed Flex Server have already been able to benefit from the performance advantages of Nginx web servers following its launch in 2019. Hostpoint is now expanding its product range and also making it possible to use Nginx in the shared hosting models “Smart Web hosting” and “Business Web hosting”.

With shared hosting, Hostpoint customers have the option of using both leading web server technologies, Nginx and Apache, in parallel as part of the same web hosting account. Customers don’t have to decide on one web server for their entire hosting, but can choose one of the two web servers for each website. Various configuration options are available for both web servers, which are easy to adjust on the Hostpoint Control Panel.

Intelligent caching and high performance lead to SEO advantages

The main benefits of Nginx web servers are their intelligent caching and strong performance. In addition to Nginx caching, however, static websites can also be run with Nginx. Nginx is particularly well suited for websites with high visitor traffic. Thanks to extremely fast loading times, using an Nginx web server can also help to optimize your search engine ranking (SEO).

The open source web server Nginx has gained more and more market share in recent years and is almost neck and neck with long-term market leader Apache. Depending on the statistical source, it even overtook Apache some time ago.

The use of Nginx and Apache web servers in parallel is available in the product range models “Smart Web hosting” (CHF 14.90 per month) and “Business Web hosting” (CHF 24.90 per month). Both offers can be tested free of charge for 30 days.

All web hosting now also with 100% SSD (NVMe)

As a leading and innovative hosting provider, Hostpoint is constantly working on upgrading performance and expanding its web hosting product range. In addition to the newly introduced parallel availability of Nginx and Apache in shared hosting, all hosting customers will benefit from even better speeds in the storage infrastructure from now on. Hostpoint is now using 100% NVMe-based solid state disks (SSD) for website data and database queries. This guarantees even better performance and high availability.

Hostpoint, the leading Swiss provider, is now offering the option of...

Hostpoint, the leading Swiss provider, is now offering the option of signing domains with DNSSEC, enabling the accuracy of DNS information to be verified. It is also supporting the DANE network protocol, which increases security in encrypted data traffic (especially e-mails). By introducing these two security standards, Hostpoint is once again making a key contribution to increasing the security of numerous Swiss customers’ domains and websites.

In digital data traffic, the Domain Name System (DNS) performs a key function. Through a hierarchical query process, it is responsible for resolving memorable domain names (e.g. hostpoint.ch) into IP addresses. Providers are increasingly introducing the DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) security standard to prevent DNS queries from being manipulated and abused. Based on cryptographic signatures, DNSSEC enables both the authenticity and the integrity of DNS information to be verified. Hostpoint is now also supporting DNSSEC.

Hostpoint was one of the first Swiss providers to support DNSSEC for external name servers. Now, Hostpoint is also offering customers the option of signing their domains running on its own name servers with DNSSEC. Customers don’t need to have in-depth prior technical knowledge or create complex configurations to do so. A domain owner can easily activate DNSSEC with one click in his Hostpoint Control Panel. The entire process runs automatically in the background.

In addition to DNSSEC, Hostpoint customers are also benefiting from the protection provided by the DANE network protocol, which is based on DNSSEC and enables the verification of server certificates used in encrypted data exchange (SSL/TLS). DANE therefore increases the security of e-mail traffic in particular.

Digital security – a matter close to Hostpoint’s heart

As Switzerland’s largest web hosting provider and leading domain registrar, Hostpoint is committed to digital security in various fields. That’s why, for several years now, Hostpoint customers have been able to encrypt their websites and domains free of charge with “FreeSSL”, the domain-validated SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt. Hostpoint is also a long-standing and leading member of the Swiss Internet Security Alliance (SISA), which regularly launches various cybersecurity awareness campaigns under the “iBarry” brand.

Hostpoint is one of the first Swiss hosting providers entitled...

Hostpoint is one of the first Swiss hosting providers entitled to bear the “swiss hosting” quality label. This exclusive label issued by swiss made software is intended to distinguish Swiss hosting providers whose registered office and data location is in Switzerland. The aim is to highlight Swiss values as well as the quality of the domestic hosting sector.

The organization swiss made software, which has been awarding Swiss software providers its eponymous quality label since 2007, initially introduced the additional label “hosted in Switzerland” at the end of 2018. Due to strong demand from providers, swiss hosting has now been launched as an independent label. As a leading Swiss web hosting provider, Hostpoint is proud to be among the first companies to bear this exclusive label.

The swiss hosting quality label may only be used by hosting providers that are fully Swiss-owned and whose registered office is in Switzerland. Above all, however, the hosting services must store their data in data processing centers in Switzerland. The aim is to make it clear to private and business customers that their data will not leave Switzerland.

For Hostpoint, Switzerland as a location has always been an extremely important factor in data security and service quality. Not only all its data, but also the entire Hostpoint infrastructure is located in Switzerland. In addition, all Swiss employees work at the Rapperswil-Jona site.

Networking and quality labeling are important for Hostpoint

In addition to the swiss hosting label, Hostpoint earned the trademark-protected SWISS LABEL origin and quality label in 2010. This label qualifies and represents Swiss products and services within Switzerland and abroad. Hostpoint is also a member of the professional business and trade associations Swico, SwissICT as well as the Swiss Internet Security Alliance, which campaigns for greater awareness of cybersecurity in Switzerland with the iBarry brand.

With the launch of “Hostpoint Meet”, leading Swiss provider...

With the launch of “Hostpoint Meet”, leading Swiss provider Hostpoint is offering a simple and completely free solution for video conferences, entirely operated on servers in Switzerland. The application can be used without prior registration or installation, and it protects privacy through encrypted transmission and optional password protection. Hostpoint has launched this service to complement its pre-existing commitments to SMEs, the self-employed and individuals in e-commerce and web design.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, many companies have become reliant on digital and decentralized communication solutions. Video telephony in particular is currently experiencing unprecedented demand. However, many of the services available on the market are fee-based or have data privacy issues. Hostpoint has therefore launched “Hostpoint Meet” to offer a helping hand to the many employees and self-employed who are currently working from home in many areas.

The no-cost, ad-free application is based on Jitsi, an open-source solution. Hostpoint Meet can be opened in the user’s browser via the hostpoint.ch/en/meet website and without prior registration or installation of an app. Data transmission between meeting participants and the servers is encrypted and occurs solely via Hostpoint servers in Switzerland. Unlike other services available on the market, there is no limit to the number of conference participants or the duration of the meeting. Hostpoint Meet’s other convenient and frequently used features include the integrated chat, screen sharing, an optional password protection and background blurring.

In light of the ‘extraordinary situation’ declared by the Swiss Federal Council in mid-March 2020, Hostpoint began to gradually shift its entire operation to working from home at an early stage. The company therefore needed a reliable, simple and, most importantly, secure video conference solution. Over the past few weeks, Hostpoint has had many positive experiences with Hostpoint Meet within the company and has introduced many technical optimizations. Hostpoint is now making this solution available to companies and individuals outside its own business.

Hostpoint is expanding its support for SMEs, the self-employed and private individuals

With the launch of Hostpoint Meet, Hostpoint is expanding its existing portfolio of services for companies and individuals affected by the current crisis. Hostpoint also unveiled attractive special offers for SMEs and individuals using its brand-new e-commerce solution, “Webshop”, on March 30, 2020. For the first six months, all features are free to use when you take out an annual subscription, which can be canceled at any time during this period. This offer was also extended to the popular “Sites” website building kit on April 7, 2020.

Internet service provider Hostpoint launches a brand-new e-commerce...

Internet service provider Hostpoint launches a brand-new e-commerce product called “Webshop”. This new solution lets customers easily set up their own online shop in no time and without any prior knowledge, so they can get started selling their products right away. The new webshop solution is free for the first six months. This is Hostpoint’s way of helping out during this difficult time and, above all, of offering small businesses some relief.

The new e-commerce solution from Hostpoint is called “Webshop”, and is primarily geared toward small businesses and individuals. The new product offers customers a quick, easy and professional solution to help them tap into the Swiss e-commerce market. The goal is to help customers without any prior programming or design knowledge get their own online shop up and running in very little time. Hostpoint takes care of all necessary updates and backups with one of Switzerland’s most reliable, state-of-the-art infrastructures.

The current COVID-19 pandemic is causing serious distress for many small and medium-sized businesses in Switzerland, which is why Hostpoint quickly decided to make changes to its products and services. Customers who have purchased products with a 12-month contract can use Webshop completely free of charge for the first six months and are free to cancel at any time. The remaining six months will not be billed until after the free period has ended. The package for a small online shop (Webshop S) includes up to 1,000 products and 250 GB of web hosting space for CHF 29.00/month from the seventh month. Hostpoint wants to offer SMEs some extra support and do its part to help businesses during this difficult and uncertain time.

A variety of useful features

Shop owners have a variety of design templates to choose from that can be customized in nearly limitless configurations. Content elements can be positioned by simply dragging and dropping them. Adaptive design ensures the site is automatically displayed properly on any device. There are several other helpful features for management and logistics tasks, such as an order and transaction overview and delivery slip templates. The Webshop packages also include up to 500 GB of web hosting storage, unlimited e-mail accounts with 5 GB per account and one free SSL certificate (FreeSSL) issued by “Let’s Encrypt”. Some of the other great features include multi-language support, directly integrated SEO support, social media plug-ins and support for various payment platforms (e.g. PostFinance, PayPal, Stripe, invoice).

Nearly ten years of e-commerce experience

Hostpoint has been offering a similar product for the Swiss e-commerce market since 2011. But the usability, design and features needed a refresh, so the last several months have been spent working intensively with external partners to develop a new solution.

Hostpoint is the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland. It manages more than half a million domain names and has extensive experience in the Swiss e-commerce market. In recent years, it has become apparent that e-commerce is becoming more and more important – particularly for SMEs. Many small companies and retailers in particular are seeking ways to boost their sales via digital channels as well. At the same time, consumers expect to be able to buy practically any product online as well. Hostpoint believes that it is precisely the companies and producers of niche products that have particularly strong potential in the online retail segment.

The year 2019 was once again very successful for Hostpoint, the largest...

The year 2019 was once again very successful for Hostpoint, the largest Swiss web hosting provider and domain registrar. The internet service provider with headquarters in Rapperswil increased its turnover to CHF 21.8 million during the last fiscal year and recorded an increase in managed domains of more than 17 percent.

The internet industry in Switzerland continues to offer great potential for growth and commercial success. Hostpoint has once again demonstrated this with excellent annual results in 2019. Turnover, which has been steadily increasing since the company was founded more than 19 years ago, again grew substantially to CHF 21.8 million last year. This corresponds to an increase in turnover of 9 percent over the previous year.

Positive trends have also been recorded consistently in the various product areas. Hostpoint now hosts more than 270,000 websites, an increase of almost seven percent compared to 2018. Managed domains achieved growth of 17.6 percent. By the end of 2019, Hostpoint hosted over 657,000 domains.

Hostpoint contributes to more digital security

As a leading Swiss web service provider, Hostpoint is committed to various issues concerning digital security. To this end, Hostpoint has been providing customers with the opportunity to encrypt their websites and domains free of charge with the FreeSSL service for several years. The domain-validated SSL certificate from “Let’s Encrypt” has already been activated over a quarter of a million times. As at the end of 2019, Hostpoint had recorded 256,593 FreeSSL encryptions. The free, public certification authority “Let’s Encrypt” is provided by the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG). Hostpoint is proud to have been supporting “Let’s Encrypt” as a sponsor since its inception.

One of the most important factors in Hostpoint’s continued success is its employees. At the company headquarters in Rapperswil-Jona, 70 employees now ensure that the many hosted websites, webshops and domains run smoothly and securely. The Customer Care department alone has 40 people serving customers in four languages 365 days a year.

Reinforcement in communications and marketing

In addition to the pleasing key figures for the 2019 fiscal year, Hostpoint can also report positive news in the personnel area. Since the end of last year, Mauro Landolt has been responsible for communication at Hostpoint. He has assumed various strategic and operational tasks in the areas of corporate communication and marketing and is also the primary contact for media inquiries. Mr Landolt has many years of experience in the agency and corporate spheres and most recently worked in marketing at Elektrizitätswerke des Kantons Zürich, a Swiss energy company. The 34-year-old communication professional has a master’s degree in corporate communications from Kingston University London and speaks fluent English. He is married with one daughter.

Leading web hosting provider and domain registrar Hostpoint is now giving...

Leading web hosting provider and domain registrar Hostpoint is now giving all customers the option of using WhatsApp to contact its Customer Service when they have questions or problems. By introducing this new chat function, Hostpoint is once again setting new standards in the Swiss hosting market when it comes to customer-oriented support.

Previously, when Hostpoint customers were seeking answers to problems or questions, they could contact Hostpoint via conventional means of communication such as telephone or e-mail, or by completing a contact form. They could also call Hostpoint on Skype or else arrange a free, on-site consultation called a Check-in. Contact via WhatsApp chat has now been added to this list. This new function has undergone extensive testing in the Customer Service department in recent months. The experience and feedback collected during this time was very positive. People using the new chat function were quickly impressed by its noticeable increase in efficiency. During the testing phase, the new WhatsApp function was highly regarded by customers and Hostpoint support staff alike. Chatting via WhatsApp is especially suitable for resolving simpler questions or issues, since brief exchanges are typical of this means of communication.

Even closer to customers thanks to small talk

With its unprecedented introduction of WhatsApp as a means of contact in the Swiss hosting industry, Hostpoint has once again underlined its position as the leading Swiss internet service provider. Hostpoint constantly strives to adopt new and innovative solutions, not only in terms of its technical infrastructure but also when supporting customers. “Our customers greatly appreciate our direct, simple support. Using WhatsApp chat gets us even closer to our customers,” explains Marco Bühler, Head of Customer Care at Hostpoint. Top-class customer-oriented advice and support have always been the cornerstones of Hostpoint’s commercial success. Around half of all employees work in support, providing answers to customers’ technical and administrative questions in four languages, 365 days a year. From now on, all Hostpoint customers and interested parties can contact the Support department via WhatsApp. The channel will initially be monitored continuously on weekdays between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm. You can reach Hostpoint Customer Service via WhatsApp at the following URL:

https://wa.me/41844040404

Hostpoint has launched a managed server solution that will guarantee Swiss SMEs...

Hostpoint has launched a managed server solution that will guarantee Swiss SMEs greater flexibility in managing their online presence, an optimized infrastructure for integrating new technologies, and maximum website stability and availability. The Managed Flex Server is based on OpenStack and is compatible with the most common content management systems and developer platforms – a basic requirement for web agencies and developers.

Today’s websites for SMEs are far more than virtual business cards. In many of today’s industries, business is solely web-based, meaning the website is the central sales channel and platform for interacting with customers. The technical infrastructure, which has to be kept up to date for customer-centric online functions like e-commerce and improved request and order processing tools, is becoming more complex all the time. Managing servers, platforms and services is time-consuming and requires sound expertise.

Hostpoint’s new OpenStack-based solution offers maximum flexibility and enables web agencies and developers to deploy new technologies effectively, all while ensuring high performance and availability. Hostpoint handles the management of the server landscape and the platform as well as operation of a range of services. Customers – from SMEs to web agencies – can focus on their core business knowing that Hostpoint is looking after their cloud infrastructure or root server.

Managed hosting and comprehensive support – made in Switzerland

Hostpoint’s current web hosting services cover a wide spectrum of use cases. The range of options was greatly expanded with the Managed Flex Server packages, a complement to services for SMEs as well as web agencies and developers. The solution is fully integrated into Hostpoint’s tried and tested infrastructure, located in Switzerland. All of the popular features are integrated into the Hostpoint Control Panel for efficient management and administration. The Managed Flex Server environment supports the most popular content management systems, such as WordPress, TYPO3, Neos, Drupal, Joomla and Magento. The integration of Redis and Memcached means you can optimize the performance of many CMSs. Along with Apache, the Nginx web server is now available, with countless caching options and the option for clients to freely select the desired web server for each website.

Should you wish to manage certain applications yourself, you can do so with Custom Service Control, which lets customers run their own services. Hostpoint is then able to stop and restart them cleanly when performing maintenance. This means you can run all applications yourself if they are written using one of the supported technologies, such as Java, Ruby, Node.js or Python.

Hostpoint’s unrivaled Switzerland-based support is available to customers round-the-clock, 365 days a year – and with optional service level agreements and Platinum support you can enjoy even faster response times. Customers also benefit from hourly backups during the first 24 hours and backups stored for up to 180 days. Additional benefits include attractive pricing and full GDPR compliance.

Hostpoint Chief Product Officer Claudius Röllin explains: “Website availability is absolutely essential to the business success of SMEs in any industry. The technical infrastructure must deliver maximum stability so that the customers can find what they need and don’t jump ship to go with a competitor. This is where our new service offers the perfect foundation and real added value. At the same time, technologies are rapidly evolving to offer even more customer-friendly features that have to be integrated quickly and easily. This is essential, especially in the case of web agencies and developers. Thanks to Custom Service Control, the customer has full flexibility and can run almost any application they like independently using the services we provide.”

Hostpoint’s Flex Server product is now available in five packages, depending on the scope of services required. You can find more information here:

https://www.hostpoint.ch/en/managed-flex-server/managed-flex-server.html

Hostpoint, the largest Swiss web hosting provider, continued its strong growth...

Hostpoint, the largest Swiss web hosting provider, continued its strong growth trajectory in 2018. Last year the company achieved turnover of CHF 20 million – a 12% increase over the previous year. To keep pace with this sustained growth, Hostpoint moved into a new office in 2018.

Hostpoint is synonymous with customer focus, competence and reliability. In combination with its powerful, intuitive products and services, these attributes continued to inspire our customers in 2018 and helped the web hosting provider crack the CHF 20 million revenue mark (CHF 18 million in 2017). Hostpoint has consolidated its market standing as a leading web hosting provider and further expanded its position as a domain administrator. In 2018, Hostpoint managed 560,000 domains (+12% in comparison with 2017).

Last year, Hostpoint moved into a new, much larger office in the heart of Rapperswil. This new location puts the company in a perfect position to continue moving forward and to write the next chapter in its success story. The site features ultra-modern workspaces as well as meeting and project rooms, and an on-site cafeteria. As an attractive employer in a highly central location in Rapperswil, Hostpoint offers its 60 current employees top working conditions and is still on the lookout for motivated new hires.

A leading position, but development continues

“Our long-term development and prospects make me very confident about the future. As an owner-operated Swiss company, our Swissness will continue to score points on the market,” says Hostpoint CEO Markus Gebert. “Our continued market success is also owing to the passion and persistence with which we develop our services and bring new products to market.”

In this respect, Hostpoint once again made customer security its number one priority in 2018. It was the first Swiss provider to respond to the new security features of the Google Chrome browser and began offering its attractive Business EV SSL certificates for companies. Applicants must undergo exhaustive checks before they receive these certificates, signaling an extra level of trustworthiness and security to website visitors. In addition, over 150,000 websites managed by Hostpoint use the popular free solution from Let’s Encrypt.

Last year, Hostpoint introduced a new integrated solution for comprehensive domain protection – Domain Shield, which combines the Domain Privacy and Domain Guard products. What’s more, Hostpoint offers customers a free data processing agreement (DPA) offering guaranteed GDPR compliance. Last but not least, Hostpoint expanded its customer support offerings. Hostpoint plans to launch more new products in 2019 to further consolidate its role as a top innovator and market leader.

Google is making the internet more secure. Here’s how: websites that aren’t...

Google is making the internet more secure. Here’s how: websites that aren’t encrypted with SSL will be marked as ‘not secure’ in Google Chrome from late July 2018. And Hostpoint is already offering a suitable solution, even before Google has put the change into practice. Hostpoint is offering free Business EV SSL certificates for a year for all company websites. With this unique offer, Hostpoint is once again distinguishing itself as a domestic market leader.

Market leader Google Chrome is expected to disadvantage all websites not encrypted with SSL from July 24. Websites without encryption will be marked as ‘not secure’. Until now, Google Chrome has identified unencrypted websites using a neutral marker. With Chrome 68, July 2018 version, Google will explicitly mark websites not encrypted with SSL as non-secure. By contrast, SSL-encrypted websites will continue to benefit from higher rankings in Google’s search index.

This step will increase online security, which is particularly relevant for business owners. It’s vital that businesses can demonstrably guarantee to their customers that the information being exchanged is secure at all times.

One year’s free Business EV SSL certificate from Hostpoint

As the first provider on the Swiss market, Hostpoint, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland, is responding to Google’s change with an unbeatable offer: business customers who subscribe to a Business EV SSL certificate through Hostpoint will receive an entire year for free (CHF 12/month for the following year for a minimum contract length of two years). The offer applies to both new and existing customers, as well as to companies with external hosting. The Business EV SSL certificate from Hostpoint can be installed simply, at no charge.

“The digital field is developing rapidly and it is becoming ever more important for website operators to guarantee the highest level of security for their customers,” says Claudius Röllin, co-founder and CPO of Hostpoint AG. “We can only offer our customers real added value if we recognize key developments early and respond to them with suitable offers.”

EV SSL certificates are essential for customer trust

While free SSL certificates are sufficient for private website operators, fee-based EV SSL certificates are essential for companies. A professional web presence, with clear indicators of security that visitors recognize at first glance, creates trust. Companies that use these certificates indicate to their visitors that they have undergone a multi-step verification process. The EV SSL certificate also makes the extended validation process visible via the green browser address bar and ensures that the company name is clearly displayed. Increasing numbers of phishing websites are now using SSL certificates that do not include this extended validation process. So it’s a good idea for Swiss SMEs to use Business EV SSL certificates from the start.

Additional information:

Google only wants websites with https from now on. Are you ready?

https://blog.hostpoint.ch/en/2018/07/google-only-wants-websites-with-https-from-now-on/

Hostpoint, the largest Swiss web hosting provider, continued the strong growth...

Hostpoint, the largest Swiss web hosting provider, continued the strong growth trajectory of previous years in 2017. Over the last 12 months, its total turnover increased from CHF 16 to 18 million - a growth of 12.5%. Hostpoint remains the leading Swiss web hosting company, managing half a million domains.

Over the past year, Hostpoint has built on the successes of previous years and has continued to position itself on the Swiss market as a customer-oriented, expert, reliable web hosting provider. Hostpoint further expanded its leading market position in the 2017 business year. By the end of the year, Hostpoint hosted 250,000 websites (up 11.1% on 2016) and managed 500,000 domains (up 16.3% on 2016).

Hostpoint also introduced new products to the market in 2017, with Domain Privacy for .ch domains creating the largest response. Private data such as the residential addresses of .ch domain owners is available in the publicly accessible WHOIS directory. Domain Privacy from Hostpoint enables users to protect this information. Following on from Domain Guard and FreeSSL, the service represents another successful step towards complete protection for Hostpoint customers' personal data.

A new office to keep pace with growth and prepare for the future

As of the beginning of 2018, Hostpoint has also taken on a new geographic position: in order to keep pace with growth, the company has moved to a new office in the center of Rapperswil, reinforcing its commitment to the Rapperswil-Jona region. The new Hostpoint office features ultra-modern workspaces and meeting and project rooms, while the onsite cafeteria and various lounges allow employees to cater for and connect with each other.

‘From the hunt for a suitable site and the various construction activities to the installation of equipment and furnishings, we’ve put a lot of work into our new office over the past year. By doing so, we’ve ensured that it represents our corporate culture and will enable us to continue growing in a sustainable manner,’ says Markus Gebert, CEO of Hostpoint AG. ‘Our new office helps us to position

ourselves as an attractive regional employer, a factor which is crucial for the continuation of Hostpoint’s success story.’

As of the end of November 2017, Hostpoint’s executive directors, Markus Gebert and...

As of the end of November 2017, Hostpoint’s executive directors, Markus Gebert and Claudius Röllin, have acquired co-founder Sandro Bertschinger’s shares. These constitute a third of the total equity. Hostpoint therefore remains owner-operated. Markus Gebert and Claudius Röllin now each own half of the total equity. Bertschinger stepped down from operative business in August 2017 in order to dedicate himself to new projects in the start-up field.

Today, Hostpoint AG, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland, headquarted in Rapperswil-Jona, announces that its co-founders Markus Gebert (Chief Executive Officer) and Claudius Röllin (Chief Product Officer) have acquired co-founder Sandro Bertschinger’s 33% stake as of the end of November. The two co-founders now each own half of Hostpoint’s total equity.

“Hostpoint remains owner-operated. This has always been a central factor in the company’s success. All three co-founders are convinced that this is the best solution for Hostpoint’s further development. Along with the further development of the executive board and the strengthening of the second level of management from August 2017 onwards, this is a key step in meeting the requirements of growth and preparing ourselves for new challenges,” says Markus Gebert, co-founder and CEO of Hostpoint.

In August 2017, the Hostpoint Board of Directors was reorganized as part of the company’s ongoing development. It is now led by a two-person executive board made up of Markus Gebert and Claudius Röllin. Further changes included the strengthening of the second level of management (management team) and the optimization of individual teams and their tasks.

This year, co-founder Sandro Bertschinger stepped down from operative business in order to dedicate himself to new projects in the start-up field, following 16 years of committed work setting up and expanding Hostpoint.

Hostpoint now also offers customers full data protection for their .ch domains. In...

Hostpoint now also offers customers full data protection for their .ch domains. In WHOIS queries, Hostpoint Domain Privacy replaces the customer’s details in the domain registry with those of a neutral provider. This keeps private information under lock and key, effectively protecting the customer against data abuse, spam and stalkers. There are no restrictions whatsoever for the customer, and they can decide for themselves whether to respond to any contact requests received.

It’s usually not very pleasant to receive a phone call and hear a stranger’s voice on the other end offering an unsolicited service or product. Here in Switzerland, it has long been a common practice for private individuals to keep their phone numbers and addresses unlisted in public phone directories for the sake of taking back some control of their privacy. Yet as soon as a person purchases a domain, they must provide personal information that is then easily accessible in public WHOIS directories. This allows third parties to gain access to the names and residential addresses of private individuals, which may open up an avenue for data abuse and more spam, among other things.

Hostpoint, Switzerland’s largest domain provider, now offers this same comprehensive protection for .ch domains – regardless of the owner’s country of residence. With Domain Privacy, the customer’s details in the domain registry are replaced by Swiss Domain Trustee’s details. The company serves as a neutral proxy in order to protect the owner’s private information.

“After offering the service for other domains, including .org and .com, we have now expanded the service to also include .ch domains. The service conceals all of the owner’s personal information from third parties. Our correspondence service passes on any legitimate inquiries to the customer, for example, correspondence from official authorities, media representatives, entrepreneurs and domain purchase offers. Hostpoint acts as a neutral party and leaves it up to the customer to decide which inquiries to respond to,” explains Claudius Röllin, co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Hostpoint. “To complement Domain Guard and FreeSSL, our new data privacy service for .ch domains is yet another innovative addition to the comprehensive service we offer our customers to safeguard their private data.”

Hostpoint Domain Privacy can be used with any .ch domain that is already registered with Hostpoint or after it has been transferred to Hostpoint. Transfers are completed without any service interruption and the first year of Domain Privacy for .ch domains is free for customers when they switch to Hostpoint. In the subsequent year, this effective protection service for your private information costs CHF 12 per domain name.

Hostpoint, the largest webhosting provider in Switzerland, has developed...

Hostpoint, the largest webhosting provider in Switzerland, has developed continuously over time, adapting to new situations – qualities which have allowed it to grow successfully for 16 years as an owner-operated company. In order to prepare itself for future company and market developments, Hostpoint has now adapted its organizational structure.

In order for the leading webhosting provider in Switzerland to continue its success story, the organization must be continually developed. Hostpoint has therefore repeatedly optimized its structure and processes over the years in order to handle its growth and the new challenges it has faced. As of August 2017, Hostpoint’s management will be reorganized as part of this ongoing development. 

From then on, Hostpoint will be headed by a two-person management consisting of co-founder Markus Gebert as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and co-founder Claudius Röllin as Chief Product Officer (CPO). Further changes include the strengthening of the second level of management (management team) and the optimization of individual teams and their tasks. 

The new structures will provide a good foundation for both the company’s current size (60 employees) and for further growth. 

After 16 years of committed work setting up and expanding Hostpoint, co-founder Sandro Bertschinger has decided to dedicate himself to new projects in the startup world. He remains closely linked to the company whose success he was instrumental in shaping. 

Hostpoint remains an owner-operated company with a strategy focused on the long term and a clear commitment to its Rapperswil-Jona location.

Hostpoint AG in Rapperswil-Jona, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland,...

Hostpoint AG in Rapperswil-Jona, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland, looks back on a successful fiscal year 2016. Its turnover increased by 10 percent to CHF 16 million. The company, which celebrated its 15th anniversary last year, continues to make innovation the basis of its long-term growth strategy.

Security, innovation and Swissness are Hostpoint’s top priorities. In fiscal year 2016, the web hosting provider expanded its services significantly, influencing the hosting market through numerous innovations: for example, through hourly snapshots of all web, email and MySQL data, which were held securely for 24 hours, as well as through backups saved for 180 days – something Hostpoint co-founder Sandro Bertschinger describes as “unique in Swiss web hosting”. Hostpoint also uses all-flash memories for databases, has introduced storage clusters with SSD accelerators for websites and email, and offers DDoS-protected infrastructure.

Its Domain Guard service provides its customers with an additional level of security. The guard effectively protects domain names against unauthorized or accidental changes; changes to domains are only possible if permitted by a previously-nominated authorized person.

Along with security, Hostpoint also focuses on high-quality Swiss-based advice and support. Customer inquiries are answered as quickly as possible, seven days a week, a process facilitated by a new customer support center.

The emphasis on growth and value-added services is also visible when it comes to staff: Hostpoint took on six new employees in 2016, bringing the total number to 57. The company has also been training its first apprentices in business IT since last summer.

“Our dedication to top performance and Swiss-quality security is reflected in the figures for 2016,” explains Sandro Bertschinger. Turnover rose by more than 10% compared to the previous year, from CHF 14.5 million to CHF 16 million.

Domain Guard from Hostpoint is a cleverly devised monitoring system that protects...

Domain Guard from Hostpoint is a cleverly devised monitoring system that protects important and valuable domain names against handling errors as well as intentional manipulation. Changes to domain names that are protected by Domain Guard are only executed once a preauthorized group of people have given their approval. This offers effective prevention against careless or deliberate manipulation that might result in the loss of the domain.

Domain names are often inadequately protected against erroneous manipulation or outside attacks. It takes just an instant for one employee to click on a wrong button or two – and there you have it: a major domain name has been canceled. Today, key domains represent an invaluable asset, meaning that if a domain is temporarily deactivated due to a handling error or if the domain name is lost altogether, it can result in a serious financial or reputational risk.

Hostpoint Domain Guard offers a whole range of security features to help you protect your domain names right away. The concept revolves around a team of people who are authorized by the domain owner. Any changes to the domain name must first be confirmed by them. When Hostpoint receives a change request, the members of the group are notified automatically, and only once they have given their express consent will the change be executed. This is an effective way to protect against improper use and manipulation of the domain name.

Hostpoint Domain Guard protects the domain names themselves as well as guards against any changes made to the name server, DNSEC settings or changing of the technical contact. Even the transfer of the domain to another registrar or another owner and the cancellation of the domain first require the approval of all authorized persons.

Hostpoint Domain Guard is available for all domain names that are registered with Hostpoint. It costs CHF 20 annually per domain name – a small price to pay for the enormous damage it can prevent.

Hostpoint, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland, is expanding the...

Hostpoint, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland, is expanding the services included in all of its web hosting packages. Hostpoint customers benefit immediately from five times more storage space, new security features and an unlimited number of mailboxes with 5 GB of storage each – and more. The prices of the Smart and Business packages and the Managed Server range of services remain unchanged despite the new features. Only the Standard package will see a price rise – a first in the 15-year history of Hostpoint – to CHF 12.90 per month.

To meet increasing customer expectations and offer technological advances to customers, Hostpoint is expanding the services included in all of its web hosting packages, including the Standard, Smart and Business web hosting packages and our Managed Server range of services. Hostpoint customers benefit immediately from new features and better performance. Websites now have five times the storage space and customers will continue to have an unlimited number of mailboxes. Moreover, each mailbox has an additional 5 GB of storage and the mailbox storage does not count toward the overall storage quota. That’s a significant expansion of e-mail storage space.

Customers also reap the benefits from investments made in infrastructure and security. Over the past several months, Hostpoint has, for example, completely replaced the entire web server landscape with high-speed brand-name servers that are equipped with Intel high-performance CPUs, plenty of RAM and more. A fast all-flash storage solution for databases and a new storage cluster with SSD acceleration provide for even more speed, reducing website loading times as a result. The new DDoS protection makes the infrastructure less vulnerable to DDoS attacks, and data security is improved even more by the new snapshot feature, which creates an hourly backup of your data for the last 24-hour period. This in addition to regular backups that are now kept for a period of 30 to 180 days.

The numerous additional benefits remain unchanged, including free SSL certificates for added security, as well as free support and detailed advice in four languages. These services have been consistently expanded over many years. Today, almost half of all Hostpoint employees are directly involved in supporting customers to ensure they can get the most out of the products as possible.

“We want to offer our customers the best service and support, and simple solutions from a single source with the most advanced technology. This expansion of services is the result of targeted investments in security, infrastructure and features,” says Markus Gebert, co-founder and CTO at Hostpoint.

All web hosting, Sites, web shop and Managed Server customers will benefit from the increased performance, while the price of Smart and Business web hosting packages and the Managed Server range of services remain unchanged. The same applies to Sites and web shop services. Only the Standard package will see a price rise – a first in the 15-year history of Hostpoint – to CHF 12.90 per month (previously: CHF 9.90). For existing customers, the new price goes into effect upon contract renewal, but no sooner than November 1, 2016.

Hostpoint, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland, turned over more than...

Hostpoint, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland, turned over more than CHF 14.5 million during the last fiscal year. That corresponds to an increase of 24 percent over the previous year.

Hostpoint ends 2015 on a high note. With an increase of 24 percent to CHF 14.5 million, turnover exceeded the previous year’s (CHF 11.7 million) by CHF 2.8 million.

2015 was the year of domain names and FreeSSL

This past year saw the closing of Switch’s end customer business which caused several hundred thousand .ch domain address to find a new home. As the only ICANN-accredited web hosting provider in Switzerland and an official registrar of .swiss domains, Hostpoint played a key role in the launch of the new domain ending .swiss.

The FreeSSL initiative launched by Hostpoint in September also made the company based in Rapperswil an internet pioneer in Switzerland. Hostpoint is the first Swiss web hosting provider to offer its customers free SSL data traffic encryption. Just two months after the launch of FreeSSL, the number of encrypted websites in Switzerland increased by more than 30 percent. Let’s Encrypt was launched later as the next provider to pursue this same goal of making the internet more secure – something that’s very much in the spirit of the FreeSSL initiative. For this reason, Hostpoint has made a substantial contribution to sponsoring this non-profit certification authority.

Fully committed to Switzerland

Hostpoint is fully based in Switzerland, storing its customers' data exclusively on servers located in Switzerland. The company also provides all of its support, development and administration services from Switzerland with 51 full-time employees (10 more than the previous year) at its offices in Rapperswil-Jona.

As of today, almost all names and terms can apply for a .swiss domain. The second...

As of today, almost all names and terms can apply for a .swiss domain. The second registration phase begins today: associations and foundations that are not registered with the Swiss Commercial Register can now also apply for the prestigious domain name. Furthermore, applications for generic names such as hotel.swiss or auto.swiss are also being accepted.

The general availability phase of the Swiss domain ending .swiss was launched this morning, which lifted restrictions on almost all names and terms. The range of potential applicants has also been expanded to include associations and foundations that are not registered with the Swiss Commercial Register alongside registered firms. However, at OFCOM’s request, individuals will continue to be excluded from applying for a .swiss domain. As an official registrar for .swiss domains and the only ICANN-accredited web hosting provider in Switzerland, Hostpoint is processing applications for .swiss domains at https://www.hostpoint.ch/en/domains/swiss.html.

Hotel.swiss, auto.swiss – launch of generic domain names

Today also marks the start of .swiss applications for a particular sector of the industry: generic domain names. Applications for name such as hotel.swiss or auto.swiss can be submitted by associations, professional representations or similar organizations. These names will be subjected to the name allocation agreement and assessed separately by OFCOM, who will verify that the intended online use is in the interest of the applicant organization.

Over 7000 active .swiss domains already

The first big wave of .swiss domain applications that began last year was restricted to registered Swiss companies, trademark owners and cities or municipalities. A total of 7071 .swiss domain applications were approved by OFCOM during this sunrise period.

Over 17,000 websites already use free SSL certificates from Hostpoint to encrypt...

Over 17,000 websites already use free SSL certificates from Hostpoint to encrypt their data traffic. The FreeSSL initiative conducted by Switzerland's largest web hosting provider surpassed all expectations within just weeks of its launch.

At the beginning of October 2015, Hostpoint began offering free SSL certificates for all domain names hosted or registered with Hostpoint. The offering has been a huge success. Over 17,000 websites have already enabled this secure and free encryption for their domains. Data such as personal information or passwords transferred between websites and visitors' web browsers is effectively encrypted using industry-standard SSL/TLS up to 256-bit.

Number of encrypted websites in Switzerland grows by more than 30 percent

The number of encrypted websites in Switzerland has increased rapidly by more than 30 percent since the introduction of FreeSSL (compared to the figure reported in the Netcraft SSL Survey Switzerland September 2015). In other words, Hostpoint’s FreeSSL initiative for a secure Swiss Internet surpassed all expectations. The easy one-click activation procedure in the Hostpoint Control Panel as well as the option to use FreeSSL encryption certificates with other web hosting providers too played a major part in the success of the initiative.

For a more secure Internet

Hostpoint’s FreeSSL initiative and the free option to encrypt data traffic demonstrate the company’s pioneering role on the Swiss Internet. No other Swiss web hosting provider to date has offered its customers the option to encrypt data traffic for free. Let’s Encrypt will soon be the next provider to pursue this same goal of making the Internet more secure – something that’s very much in the spirit of the Hostpoint’s FreeSSL initiative. For this reason, Hostpoint has made a substantial contribution to sponsoring this non-profit certification authority.

Hostpoint, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland, will be taking on its...

Hostpoint, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland, will be taking on its first business IT trainee in August 2016. In this way, the company is playing an active role in the efforts of the ICT sector to foster more new IT talent.

For years Hostpoint has worked to promote new ICT talent, for instance by taking part in Switzerland’s annual Future Day. With its “IT – Go Girls!” (Mädchen, Informatik, los!) program, the web hosting provider gives girls the opportunity to experience the wide range of IT professions with their nearly unlimited possibilities. In August 2016, Hostpoint will also begin training a business IT specialist – after all, trainees offer us potential we can tap into in the future.

Rotating through the company’s various departments will ensure that we shape the trainee into a real IT all-rounder. He or she will develop software as well as work in system administration or support to acquire broad basic training as a business IT specialist. A full-time mentor and specialists from the different departments will accompany the young apprentice throughout the entire traineeship.

“I’m happy that we’re in a position to offer a trainee position this coming year,” says Pascal Schönholzer, Head of Education at Hostpoint. “In this way, we will not only be providing young people the opportunity to make a start in a lucrative industry with a future – we’ll also be fulfilling an important function in society. And on top of this,” Schönholzer adds, “we are taking a big step towards countering the lack of skilled workers in the ICT sector.”

Job ad for Business IT trainee

Hostpoint will now be offering Symantec branded SSL certificates for encrypted...

Hostpoint will now be offering Symantec branded SSL certificates for encrypted communication to its customers for each one of their domains. This ensures effective encryption for data traffic between web browsers and web servers. The FreeSSL initiative from Hostpoint is a milestone in the efforts of Switzerland’s largest web hosting provider to significantly increase internet security.

Hostpoint is the first web-hosting provider in Switzerland to launch free SSL certificates. Hostpoint customers will now benefit from greater security for their websites, with up to 256-bit encryption. The FreeSSL initiative applies to all domain names registered at Hostpoint or hosted on servers by Hostpoint.

Hostpoint is making Switzerland’s Internet secure

With the FreeSSL initiative, Hostpoint is taking on a pioneering role in Switzerland. “With free SSL certificates, we’re making a big leap towards greater security on the internet,” says Markus Gebert, Chief Technical Officer and co-founder of Hostpoint. Security is the top focus for Hostpoint every day. The company is a strong advocate in the field of IT security as well as anti-spam and anti-fraud efforts and is a founding member of the Swiss Internet Security Alliance (SISA).

For website operators, it pays to opt for encrypted communication (indicated by the https:// in the address line) from the outset. Google, for one, has announced that it will reward websites with SSL encryption with a lift in its search results, and browser vendors such as Firefox are also planning to introduce benefits for SSL-secured websites.

Greater security and trust with OV and EV certificates

Companies are still advised to use Organization Validation (OV) or Extended Validation (EV) certificates, which Hostpoint also offers at very competitive prices. Not only these certificates ensure encrypted transfer of confidential data, but they also confirm the identity of the website operator and thus indicate the verified trustworthiness of the site. With the green browser address bar displayed by Extended Validation (EV) certificates, companies signal their credibility to users at first glance.

Strong collaboration with Symantec

With the FreeSSL initiative, Hostpoint relies on “Symantec Secure Site Starter” certificates. The Domain Validated (DV) certificates from Symantec, which are accepted by all common browsers, protect the transmission of confidential data with up to 256-bit encryption – the strongest protection currently available.

.swiss, the new and exclusive internet addresses for Swiss organizations can now be...

.swiss, the new and exclusive internet addresses for Swiss organizations can now be registered with Hostpoint, the largest Swiss web hosting provider. During the sunrise period for .swiss domains that began today, trademark owners, companies and public-sector bodies such as cities and municipalities have the exclusive opportunity to register .swiss domain names until early November 2015.

This morning, the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) opened the registration of .swiss domains. Hostpoint, official registrar for .swiss domains and the only ICANN-accredited web hosting provider in Switzerland, has already submitted the first applications for .swiss domains on behalf of its customers. The prestigious .swiss domains highlight the reputation for quality of the globally-renowned brand of Switzerland on the internet. The ending .swiss is exclusively available to organizations that have a clear connection to Switzerland.

Trademark owners can now apply for .swiss domains

During the sunrise period for .swiss domains between September 7 and November 9, 2015, only terms that are already protected trademarks trademarks (including commercial register entries, among other things) or names for cities and municipalities can be requested. Applicants must also have a registered office in Switzerland. Hostpoint is an officially accredited registrar of .swiss domains and is now accepting registration applications.

Reserve .swiss domains now!

With the beginning of normal operations on January 11, 2016, legal entities can apply for any free domain names. Hostpoint is now accepting requests for this date as well and will submit them to the registry as soon as open registration begins. The cost of CHF 120 incl. VAT per domain/year is only billed to you if the domain name is successfully registered.

.swiss, a new Swiss domain ending, is about to be launched. You will soon be able...

.swiss, a new Swiss domain ending, is about to be launched. You will soon be able to submit your online registration application directly to Hostpoint.

The “sunrise” period runs from September 7 to November 9, 2015. During this time, trademarks registered with the Trademark Clearinghouse, names of public-sector bodies, organizations and legal entities under public law, and terms protected by Swiss trademark law can be preregistered.

The .swiss domain will be available to everyone from January 11, 2016, provided the relevant requirements are met.

So there’s still time. More details will follow on our website.

Hostpoint, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland, continues to show...

Hostpoint, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland, continues to show strong growth: 11.4 % increase in turnover to hit the CHF 11.7 million mark during the last fiscal year. This translates to steady double-digit growth much like in recent years.

Hostpoint, the web hosting provider based in Rapperswil-Jona, increased its turnover during the last fiscal year to CHF 11.7 million, which is an 11.4 % increase over the previous year (CHF 10.5 million). At the end of 2014, Hostpoint was the hosting provider for 200,000 websites and 280,000 domain names.

Hostpoint is fully based in Switzerland, storing its customers' data exclusively on servers located in Switzerland. The company also provides all of its support, development and administration services from Switzerland. In doing so, the company has 41 full-time employees (five more than the previous year) at its offices in Rapperswil-Jona.

Hostpoint – the domain registrar for Switzerland

In 2015, around 800,000 domain names registered with SWITCH will have to be transferred to a new partner. The reason behind this change is Switzerland’s new Ordinance on Internet Domains (OID), which requires SWITCH to relinquish its business for end customers. The Hostpoint transfer tool allows owners of .ch domains to complete the transfer intuitively and free of charge – Hostpoint will fully honor the remaining term of existing contracts.

The Hostpoint Domain Control Panel gives domain owners complete 24/7 control of their domains, without tying them to any specific provider. In the past, external DNS servers always had to be registered with SWITCH. Hostpoint customers can now also set up domain forwarders or use the DNS editor to create name server entries based on their particular needs – free of charge and without any pressure to buy a web hosting package. Thus, domain names registered with Hostpoint can be operated with other web hosting providers as well.

As the only web hosting provider in Switzerland with the esteemed accreditation from ICANN – the top authority for the management of the domain name system – the hosting provider from Rapperswil-Jona also guarantees maximum security in handling domain names.

SWITCH will discontinue its .ch domain business for end customers in 2015. This...

SWITCH will discontinue its .ch domain business for end customers in 2015. This means that around 400,000 domain owners will have to transfer their .ch domain names. Hostpoint is expanding its range of domain name services with the addition of free DNS hosting, domain forwarding and its redesigned Domain Control Panel.

This year, around 800,000 .ch domain names registered with SWITCH will have to be transferred to a new domain partner. The reason behind this change is Switzerland’s new Ordinance on Internet Domains (OID), which requires SWITCH to relinquish its business for end customers. Hostpoint’s transfer tool(https://www.hostpoint.ch/chtransfer) gives domain owners a convenient way to complete the switch in just a few mouse clicks. This means that no time has to be spent entering strings of domain transfer codes. The domain also remains available at all times, even during the transfer.

Included free of charge with every domain: DNS hosting and other useful services

Owners of domain names registered with Hostpoint also benefit from other free services not offered by SWITCH. Every domain registered with Hostpoint can be configured with a customized domain forwarder, and DNS records can be changed with the convenient DNS editor or – as with SWITCH – operated with specific name servers. As one of the few hosting providers in Switzerland, Hostpoint already offers operation and transfer services for .ch domains via DNSSEC (provided that customers operate their own name server). Domain registration includes all of these services, and there is no purchase of a web hosting package necessary.

The redesigned Domain Control Panel from Hostpoint is provided for administration and configuration tasks. This gives domain owners complete control over their domains at all times without tying them to a specific provider. Web and email services can be operated independently of Hostpoint by any hosting provider in the world.

Over 370 country-code domains and all generic top level domains

With over 370 country-code domains (such as .ch, .de or .at) and all generic top level domains (gTLDs like .com or .org as well as new GTLDs like .guru or .sexy), the Hostpoint website (https://www.hostpoint.ch/en/domains/domains.html) offers one of the largest domain registration portfolios in Switzerland.

Customers who choose Hostpoint as their domain name partner benefit not only from the user-friendly Domain Control Panel, but also from free support by phone, email and Skype. As the only web hosting provider in Switzerland with the coveted accreditation from ICANN – the top authority for the management of the domain name system – Hostpoint also guarantees maximum security in handling domain names.

Hostpoint, Switzerland's largest web hosting provider, has launched Logaholic, a...

Hostpoint, Switzerland's largest web hosting provider, has launched Logaholic, a new and useful statistics solution for analyzing visitor traffic and behavior on websites. The advanced cloud solution not only includes visitor analyses, it also combines web analytics tools, conversion rate monitoring and analyses of social interactions – all in a single solution. The Logaholic Basic version gives Hostpoint customers a statistics program that replaces the Awstats software formerly used.

Logaholic from Hostpoint is an advanced cloud solution that lets users do more than just analyze visitor traffic. The main advantage: in addition to data gathered using JavaScript on web pages, Logaholic also uses the log files on its own servers for analytics. By combining the two data streams, Logaholic is able to provide much more precise analyses from a technical perspective when compared to purely JavaScript-based tools like Google Analytics.

Logaholic not only delivers the usual information that other statistics programs do, such as visitor numbers, top pages and linking pages – it also gives users a comprehensive overview of figures for incoming traffic, performance, browser and operating system use and the devices in use, to name just a few metrics. Logaholic also makes it possible to perform comparative tests based on content, times and specific URLs, along with preparing statistics data on Facebook fans, pages and apps. It can also be used as an e-commerce dashboard thanks to the integration of data from online shop software such as OpenCart and ZenCart.

Data stays right where it belongs

Logaholic ensures sensitive data is always found where it belongs. Unlike all externally hosted services, Logaholic does not send any data whatsoever out of the country for analysis. The analyses are performed entirely on Hostpoint’s own servers in Switzerland, guaranteeing data privacy and a high level of support at all times.

Kick back and enjoy software as a service for more dependability

Logaholic is the latest addition to the growing range of software as a service (SaaS) products from Hostpoint. Logaholic is also managed centrally by Hostpoint in the same way as the Sites website toolbox, the E-Commerce Webshop and the rankingCoach SEO trainer. The major advantage of these types of solutions is that customers can fully concentrate on using the software while Hostpoint works in the background to ensure smooth operations, security and updates.

Free for Hostpoint customers

Logaholic is available in Basic, Pro and Commerce versions. The Basic version is free and included in all Hosting packages. It also replaces the now outdated Awstats statistics program. The transition will progress in phases over the next few months. The Pro and Commerce versions give customers the tools they need for more extensive analyses of their website traffic.

Hostpoint responded immediately to the discovery of the Heartbleed SSL security gap...

Hostpoint responded immediately to the discovery of the Heartbleed SSL security gap by updating all systems within a matter of hours. The security of customer data is top priority at Hostpoint, which is why Switzerland's largest web hosting provider is not only replacing its own certificates, but also all customer SSL certificates free of charge

During the night from Monday to Tuesday, April 8, 2014, a serious security gap was discovered in the OpenSSL library, which is used for encrypted connections (SSL), amongst other things. Hostpoint, Switzerland’s largest web hosting provider, responded immediately and initiated the necessary measures. All Hostpoint systems were updated by technicians on Tuesday, just a few hours after the discovery of the software bug.

Due to the nature of this security gap in OpenSSL, however, it cannot be definitively ruled out that security certificates were not compromised by the Heartbleed bug. For this reason, Hostpoint has replaced all certificates for services such as e-mail servers, the Hostpoint Control Panel and webmail.

Customer certificates replaced free of charge

The security of customer data is top priority at Hostpoint, which is why Hostpoint has offered customers free replacement of their SSL certificates as of Tuesday, April 8, 2014. In a second step, the web hosting provider will automatically exchange all customer SSL certificates obtained from Hostpoint directly. This will not entail any additional work for customers. Hostpoint is also in contact with certificate issuers to prepare for the technical implementation for the exchange of several thousand certificates. The company will inform customers directly on the progress in this regard.

Change of password

As a further precautionary measure, Hostpoint recommends that passwords are changed regularly, independent of the current SSL bug.

Until now, search engine optimization was an expensive and complicated endeavor....

Until now, search engine optimization was an expensive and complicated endeavor. Hostpoint recently launched rankingCoach, the new, inexpensive and professional SEO solution for SMEs, available exclusively in Switzerland. rankingCoach is designed so that even beginners can easily optimize their websites step by step, without having to resort to expensive SEO agencies.

If you want to make money with your website, you will discover that there is no way around search engine optimization. After all, people will only find your website if it makes it into the very top search results on Google and other search engines, as that is what generates more page requests and leads to more sales.

Sophisticated search engine optimization even for beginners

rankingCoach, the SEO software from Hostpoint, is available exclusively in Switzerland and makes precision search engine optimization astoundingly easy. The in-depth video tutorials included with the software also allow beginners to use it with no trouble at all. rankingCoach creates a special optimization strategy specifically tailored to the website you want to optimize.

rankingCoach analyzes the search engine ranking of the websites you are optimizing, monitors keywords, and generates visibility analyses. What’s more, task lists and tutorials show the user which actions need to be taken to optimize the websites. The software monitors the successes that are achieved and constantly analyzes the progress of the optimization. Automatic reporting features show current trends and fluctuations in addition to tracking the rankings of competitors in search results.

Inexpensive with no ties to web hosting providers

Hostpoint’s rankingCoach eliminates the need for pricey SEO agencies. Thanks to the inexpensive cloud-based software, even beginners can achieve professional search optimization results. Designed as a cloud application, Hostpoint rankingCoach has no ties to web hosting providers. This means that rankingCoach can be used for any website – regardless of who is hosting the website.

Available only from Hostpoint

Hostpoint, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland, currently offers rankingCoach exclusively in Switzerland and in a version specifically designed for the Swiss market. “Thanks to this exclusive partnership, we can now also offer Swiss customers an SEO application that has won the German IT Innovation Award,” says Yvann Knapp, COO of Hostpoint. “rankingCoach gives our customers a powerful solution for setting themselves apart from their online competition and increasing the number of visitors. In other words, it’s a recipe for success.”

rankingCoach is currently available in German only. Other languages will follow.

Hostpoint, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland, turned over more than...

Hostpoint, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland, turned over more than CHF 10 million during the last fiscal year. Compared to the previous year, turnover increased by 10.5 percent, totaling CHF 10.5 million.

The web hosting provider Hostpoint, based in Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland, has grown steadily on its own for many years. During the 2013 fiscal year, turnover increased to CHF 10.5 million, thereby exceeding the CHF 10 million mark for the first time. Compared to the previous year (CHF 9.5 million), this translates to a 10.5 percent increase. At the end of 2013, Hostpoint was the hosting provider for 180,000 websites and 210,000 domain names.

Millions invested in Switzerland as a home base

As a Swiss company, Hostpoint is fully committed to Switzerland as its location of business. This means not only that all customer data is stored in Switzerland on servers belonging to Hostpoint, it also means that Hostpoint continues to invest in its Swiss facilities. Hostpoint provides all of its services from within Switzerland, including support, development and administration. In doing so, the company has 36 full-time employees (six more than the previous year) at its offices in Rapperswil-Jona. To ensure the company is well-equipped to handle additional growth, it has invested CHF 2.8 million in the past 18 months in expanding infrastructure operated exclusively in Switzerland.

ICANN accreditation and its own courses at the Migros Club School

In November 2013, Hostpoint gained the coveted status of ICANN-accredited registrar, making it the first and, to date, only Swiss web hosting provider belonging directly to the small circle of ICANN registrars. The partnership with the Migros Club School, which has existed for many years, has also been expanded. Together with the largest adult education institution in Switzerland, the web hosting provider recently began offering its very own self-designed courses, taught by the instructors at the Club School. In December, the long anticipated new Control Panel was introduced, giving customers a new way to manage their hosting services. Together with the Hostpoint ID, the Control Panel lets customers use a single login to manage multiple hosting accounts, provides convenient domain name administration, and enables the granting of authorizations to other persons and service providers (e.g. web designers or web masters).

A single login for all services and web hosting accounts, access authorizations...

A single login for all services and web hosting accounts, access authorizations with a click of the mouse, and simple contract management. The new Hostpoint Control Panel now offers customers of Switzerland's largest web hosting provider one of the most advanced management tools for web hosting services.

The Control Panel is the centerpiece and one of the most frequently visited pages of any web hosting provider. It is where customers can manage their websites and database settings, configure their domain names, create e-mail addresses and forwarding rules, add databases with a click of the mouse, and download backups of their websites.

Of course, these pages should not just be informative, but, above all, intuitive and accessible from any modern device. The developers attached great importance to these aspects for the new Control Panel, which was developed entirely in-house in Rapperswil-Jona. The final product is impressive: users will not only be excited to discover a modern, intuitive graphical interface for the new Hostpoint Control Panel, but several new features that make managing their hosting services easier and more convenient.

A single login for everything ‒ with the personal Hostpoint ID!

Those who serve several web hosting customers will be especially pleased with the new Hostpoint ID, as it now allows them to manage all Hostpoint services without having to login again for each individual account. Three web hosting accounts, four domain names and two webshops? No problem – with the personal Hostpoint ID, users need just a single login to access all of their services in one place. It couldn’t be more convenient!

Who has permission to do what? Better security through authorizations

Gone are the days when customers had to give their web designers their personal login details. The Hostpoint ID now makes it possible to easily set up authorizations for any web hosting account. The authorizer simply clicks the functions they would like to authorize for the respective person(s). And revoking the authorization is just as easy. The benefits are obvious: login details are kept private, and authorized persons can only access what they actually need. In addition, only the contract holder can access contract and accounting data.

Additional features this year

The range of Hostpoint Control Panel features will be expanded considerably this year. In future, online accounting will be integrated to provide Hostpoint customers with a convenient overview of their account and allow them to change the holder, make payments or cancel services with a simple click of the mouse. In addition, electronic billing and PayNet will soon allow customers to receive and pay their bills directly in the online banking system of their own bank.

Hostpoint, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland, has received...

Hostpoint, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland, has received accreditation as an official registrar from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). This makes Hostpoint the first web hosting provider in Switzerland to become an esteemed ICANN-accredited registrar.

As an officially accredited ICANN registrar, Hostpoint, the largest web hosting provider in Switzerland, can now register domain names with endings including .com, .net., .org, .biz, .info as well as .aero, .asia, .cat, .coop, .jobs, .mobi, .museum, .name, .pro, .tel, .travel and even .xxx – directly and without any intermediary. The benefits are obvious. Processing these new domain name registrations directly through the ICANN-accredited registrar Hostpoint not only speeds up reaction times; it also increases the security and dependability in the administration of domain names.

Multi-phase ICANN audit process

The accreditation of Hostpoint involved a strict multi-phase audit process conducted by ICANN. The financial stability of the applicant and organizational and legal matters, among other factors, were examined. “Being the first web hosting provider in Switzerland to receive the coveted ICANN accreditation shows that we are among the best of the best,” says a delighted Sandro Bertschinger, co-founder and CFO of Hostpoint. “We have reached yet another milestone in setting standards for the best web hosting services in Switzerland,” continued Bertschinger.

Hostpoint, Switzerland’s largest webhosting provider, concluded its 2012 business...

Hostpoint, Switzerland’s largest webhosting provider, concluded its 2012 business year with strong revenue growth. In the last fiscal year, total revenue grew to CHF 9.5 million, representing an increase of approximately 12 percent over the preceding year.

Webhosting provider Hostpoint continued to grow steadily last year. Compared to the preceding year (CHF 8.5 million), revenues increased by a sizeable 12 percent to CHF 9.5 million. At the end of 2012, Hostpoint hosted 165,000 websites and looked after 190,000 domain names.

Personal support – available on the spot

Hostpoint continues to concentrate on successful proximity to its clients. We introduced two new services this year: support via Skype and free on-the-spot advice for Business, web shop, and managed server clients at the Hostpoint offices in Rapperswil-Jona. Both have been very well received and perfectly complement our existing and in-demand phone and e-mail support channels (also available on weekends and holidays). Needless to say, all Hostpoint support services originate in-house and are not rendered through external call centers or from abroad.

1.3 billion e-mails, 90,000 support requests and 17,520 cups of coffee

Last year, Hostpoint clients received a total of 1.35 billion e-mails, of which almost 1.29 billion were identified as spam and sorted accordingly. This means that a large majority of all e-mails, namely 96 percent, were unwanted and had to be filtered out of the data stream to much effort and expense. Our support team answered around 41,000 e-mail inquiries and almost 48,000 phone calls from clients. On their well-deserved breaks, our Hostpoint employees treated themselves to some refreshments –17,520 cups of coffee and 6,935 cups of tea in 2012, to be exact.

Hostpoint, the largest webhosting provider in Switzerland, and PostFinance are...

Hostpoint, the largest webhosting provider in Switzerland, and PostFinance are forming a partnership. Hostpoint web shop clients can take immediate advantage of the seamlessly integrated PostFinance payment services for the perfect e-commerce solution.

Running an online shop of your own is one the most popular business ideas on the Internet. However, ideas alone are not enough; in e-commerce, trouble-free processing of online payments is a critical factor in achieving high customer satisfaction. With the direct integration of PostFinance payment service solutions, Hostpoint web shops enable shop operators to meet all their customers’ requirements. Online purchases can now be paid by computer or smartphone, and the PostFinance payment interface is PCI certified – guaranteeing maximum security. More than 100 connections to banks and acquirers ensure optimal global market coverage.

More than 50 local and international payment types

Hostpoint clients benefit not only through the experience of the largest webhosting provider in Switzerland, but also through the expertise of the number one institution in monetary transactions in Switzerland. The seamless integration of the PostFinance payment interface enables web shop clients to concentrate on their core competencies. From a local shop with one currency and one language, to an international e-commerce offering various languages – the PostFinance e-payment solutions integrated into the Hostpoint web shops support more than 50 local and international types of payment. The payment screen is available in 23 languages.

Hostpoint clients registering before March 31, 2013, will receive a 50 percent discount on the setup charges for the PostFinance payment services.

Yvan Knapp, Hostpoint’s Chief Customer Officer, is looking forward to the partnership: “In PostFinance we have found a well-known and reliable partner, number one in financial transactions in Switzerland. It enables us to provide the perfect single-source solution in the fast growing e-commerce market.”

It’s a scenario many users dread: manually transferring e-mail accounts to a new...

It’s a scenario many users dread: manually transferring e-mail accounts to a new e-mail or webhosting provider. But it can be so much easier – with the new e-mail migration service from Hostpoint and audriga, your e-mails will be transferred to Hostpoint automatically.

Changing the e-mail or webhosting provider causes problems for many users; moving e-mails from one provider to the other requires technical know-how and is time consuming and inconvenient. With the new e-mail migration service offered by Hostpoint in collaboration with the German company audriga, the move to Hostpoint is extremely easy.

It doesn’t matter whether there is one or 50 e-mail accounts with ten or 1,000 e-mails; with this new cloud based service, e-mails migrate on demand, fully automatically and without the necessity of installing any software – no matter how complicated the folder structures are. Users can watch the migration progress on a status page.

This cloud migration service works with any e-mail provider using IMAP or POP3 protocols. Many Swiss e-mail and webhosting providers are already pre-configured, as are many international providers. All folders and e-mails will be transferred to the target account at Hostpoint exactly as they existed at the source account. All mails will be SSL encrypted and transmitted securely.

The new e-mail migration service is available immediately from Hostpoint. New clients receive a voucher for up to five free account transfers depending on their service package. Any additional mailbox moved will cost CHF 12. Hostpoint clients can order the service through their Hostpoint Control Panel directly.

“The automated e-mail migration service enables our clients to transfer their e-mails easily and without manual effort”, says Yvan Knapp, Chief Customer Officer at Hostpoint. “This migration service is another part of our aspiration to deliver the best webhosting services in Switzerland”, he adds.

It is a national first: The largest Swiss webhosting provider presents Hostpoint...

It is a national first: The largest Swiss webhosting provider presents Hostpoint CheckIn, a new service that enables Hostpoint clients to benefit immediately from on-site support in Rapperswil-Jona – directly and personally from our specialists. The icing on the cake? It’s absolutely free!

Our support specialists can solve most problems simply and quickly on the phone or by e-mail. However, sometimes our clients, experienced ones as well new users, have questions that are more difficult to answer over the phone or electronically. Hostpoint CheckIn offers the solution: Business clients, webshop clients, and managed server clients may now take advantage of our free personal support and discuss their questions directly with an expert on the spot at the Hostpoint premises in Rapperswil-Jona. It doesn’t matter whether it is an in-depth introduction to our webshop, an explanation of our Control Panel, or setup of the collaboration solution Open-Xchange, our experts will offer help and advice to clients in offices specially designed for this purpose. And this service is absolutely free!

It’s easy to arrange a CheckIn meeting: just login to your Hostpoint Control Panel and, with just a few clicks, make an appointment for a personal consultation.

Free support now also via Skype

You can now get in touch with our support team on Skype, the Internet telephone service. One click on the Skype icon on the Hostpoint website will connect you with the next available team member. For customers who have Skype installed, such calls are free.

“With Hostpoint CheckIn, support via phone and Skype, and e-mail support, which is also available on weekends and holidays, we offer customers the best and most comprehensive support in the industry,” says Yvan Knapp, Chief Customer Officer at Hostpoint.

The employer rating web portal kununu.com has declared Switzerland’s largest web...

The employer rating web portal kununu.com has declared Switzerland’s largest web hosting provider, Hostpoint, the top employer for women in Switzerland. Equality in the workplace, flexible working hours and the opportunity to work from a home office have made Hostpoint the best Swiss company for women.

In a recent cross-industry analysis to mark International Women’s Day on March 8, 2012, kununu.com ranked companies on the basis of evaluations by employers. The assessment took into account how companies consider the needs of their female employees and whether they offer benefits such as flexible working hours and home work options. Web hosting provider Hostpoint from Rapperswil-Jona achieved a total score of 4.32 points (out of 5) and first place.

Comments Sandro Bertschinger, co-founder of Hostpoint: “I am very pleased that Hostpoint has been chosen best Swiss employer for women. This demonstrates once more that our efforts to increase the satisfaction of our employees is the right way. Gender equality is a key concern for Hostpoint; that this makes us the best Swiss employer for women is a great incentive for further focused consideration of the requirements of our female employees.”

As of February 1, 2012, Thomas Brühwiler will take over as Head of Communication...

As of February 1, 2012, Thomas Brühwiler will take over as Head of Communication for Hostpoint, the largest Swiss webhosting provider. Up to now, Brühwiler has acted as Chief Social Media Officer for Hostpoint; he will continue to be responsible for social media activities in his new position. In his new role as Head of Communication, Brühwiler is the contact person for all media and will coordinate the communications activities for Hostpoint.

42-year-old Brühwiler writes one of the best known weblogs in Switzerland under the name “Blogging Tom”. In addition to his 40-percent workload for Hostpoint, he has up to now also been active as a journalist for the ICT news portals inside-it.ch and inside-channels.ch. From February 1, he will be working fully for Hostpoint, taking over the responsibility for communications at the largest Swiss webhosting provider.

Hostpoint, Switzerland’s largest webhosting provider, concluded its 2011 business...

Hostpoint, Switzerland’s largest webhosting provider, concluded its 2011 business year with strong revenue growth. During the last 12 months, total revenues increased to CHF 8.5 million; this equates to an increase of 6.25 percent over the preceding year (CHF 8 million). The new sales record coincides with Hostpoint’s 10-year anniversary.

Primarily responsible for last year‘s strong growth is the Managed Servers portfolio which was designed for discerning clients and launched at the end of 2009. Another important contributing factor are the cloud-based web shops which became part of the product portfolio in 2011. The company from Rapperswil-Jona also recorded growth in the traditional webhosting business. Hostpoint now looks after 150,000 websites and 170,000 domains.

Comments Sandro Bertschinger, Hostpoint’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO): “I am very pleased that we were able to grow strongly through our own efforts in our tenth year. Our progress in general, and especially in the areas of Managed Servers and e-Commerce, demonstrates the attractiveness of our products and is proof of their suitability for our clients.”

Build your own website intuitively and with no programming skills. Today, the...

Build your own website intuitively and with no programming skills. Today, the largest webhosting provider in Switzerland launches Hostpoint SITES, an intuitive and powerful cloud-based building set for the creation of websites – without much effort, and with no programming skills or web design knowledge required!

Editable templates and many practical widgets facilitating the integration of Facebook and Twitter and videos from YouTube and Co. ensure a distinctive and individual look for any website put together with SITES. The basic version of Hostpoint SITES is available with the webhosting packages SMART and BUSINESS – and at no cost.

Whether it is for private use, a club or a company, this innovative solution enables clients to create their own website easily and efficiently. It also makes the integration of sophisticated functions very simple: features such as contact forms, photo albums, calendars of events, or even online shops can be inserted by using the drag & drop feature and will be functional immediately. Even an image database, which makes pictures available for a distinct web appearance, and a practical file manager are included in the price, thus giving results that meet the latest standards. Best of all: the many options for customization offered by Hostpoint SITES ensure the websites are not recognizable as “building set sites”, as is the case with many competing products.

And much more

Together with Hostpoint SITES, clients will receive a complete webhosting package, including up to 75 GB storage space, an unlimited number of e-mail addresses, and many other features that come with Hostpoint webhosting.

*Some functions are available only with the full version of Hostpoint SITES *

Doing business online is becoming affordable and easy, thanks to Hostpoint. Today,...

Doing business online is becoming affordable and easy, thanks to Hostpoint. Today, the largest webhosting provider in Switzerland launches its powerful e-commerce cloud service platform, and offers the powerful ePages online shops for a quick and easy start in e-commerce. The basic Webshop version (LIMITED) is even included in the webhosting package at no extra cost.

The three Webshop versions made available by Hostpoint meet any online merchant’s needs; e-commerce novices as well as professionals, such as mail-order shops or agencies, will be able to cover their requirements. More than 100 shop design templates are available to choose from; they can easily be replaced by your own design if desired. Depending on the version, the Webshop may be operated in four languages and can manage up to 100 currencies. The Webshops are well equipped for the handling of payments by being linked with service providers such as PayPal, Saferpay and others. Security is of course essential, and is provided by SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption of all data transmitted.

In addition to their standard functions, the Webshops boast many other features, including the integration of online portals and marketplaces, compatibility with commonly used payment methods and logistics providers, as well as various marketing and design tools. Webshops hosted by Hostpoint in Switzerland will of course meet all country-specific data protection regulations.

The employment of ePages technology provides Hostpoint customers with a mature and established product that can be used to sell not only goods, but also services. A car rental company can accept reservations for cars, or the customers of a hairdresser can easily book appointments through the hair salon’s Webshop.

Anyone interested can test the Webshop free of charge, and without any obligation, for 30 days. Customers who decide to go with the free Webshop, included in the SMART and BUSINESS hosting packages, can upgrade their shop at any later point in time.

Identity theft, online fraud, or the interception of personal data; online...

Identity theft, online fraud, or the interception of personal data; online consumers are increasingly worried about their Internet security. Hostpoint is the largest Swiss web hosting provider and the only Symantec SSL Gold Partner in the web hosting category. As such, Hostpoint now offers a wide range of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) security solutions by Symantec, a global leader in Internet security. Swiss SSL clients can now receive the VeriSign Trust Seal and the VeriSign Secure Site SSL, as well as Secure Site SSL EV digital certificates, from one source, and also have a competent local contact regarding encrypted internet data traffic on hand.

As part of the agreement with the VeriSign Authentication Service – announced in November 2010 – which today is part of Symantec, Hostpoint now offers additional certificates in addition to the already available VeriSign Trust Seal. As a Gold Partner, Hostpoint offers SSL certificates Secure Site SSL and Secure Site SSL EV by Symantec, both designed to meet the highest security standards. These certificates not only allow safe and encrypted data transmission via the Internet, but also assure customers of their security by providing smart add-on services while they browse, log on, or shop online.

VeriSign Secure Site SSL EV guarantees the highest security for website operators and their customers by utilizing encryption up to 256-bit key strength and very strong identity verification. Together with the VeriSign Trust Seal, the daily search of the website for malware and the Seal-in-Search technology (the VeriSign seal for search results), it conveys high confidence in the security of the website for customers. This trustworthiness can easily be recognized by the color of the browser address bar, which turns green with the use of VeriSign Secure Site SSL EV.

VeriSign Secure Site SSL also offers 256-bit encryption. Furthermore, the Trust Seal is recognized by most global users; it guarantees legitimate and secure transactions. The commitment to security is shown to visitors by the daily website search for malware. Also available are the following security solutions for price-conscious clients: SSL Premium, True Business ID, and True Business ID EV by GeoTrust, a Symantec subsidiary.

The partnering of Hostpoint with Symantec, a global leader in security solutions, is another milestone in the history of Hostpoint. The largest Swiss web hosting provider will expand its existing range of services this year with more innovative solutions in the areas of e-commerce, domain names and web hosting.

Hostpoint, the leading web hosting provider in Switzerland, is participating in the...

Hostpoint, the leading web hosting provider in Switzerland, is participating in the World IPv6 Day on June 8, 2011, and will therefore be operating its website https://www.hostpoint.ch with both IPv4 and IPv6 on this day. The objective of World IPv6 Day, which was initiated by the Internet Society, is to prepare web services for the Internet Protocol version 6 and, therefore, accelerate the transition from the classic IPv4 to the successor protocol IPv6. This global test run, in which many prominent Internet service providers such as Google, Facebook, Yahoo and Akamai are participating, is the largest test run that has been completed to date for the new Internet Protocol IPv6.

The introduction of IPv6, which is the largest migration in the history of the Internet, is needed as the last remaining IPv4 Internet addresses, of which there were originally around 4.3 billion, will be assigned over the next few months. With IPv6, approximately 340 sextillion new IP addresses will become available. More than enough to support the rapid growth of the Internet. During the 24-hour, global IPv6 Day, it is hoped that potential bottlenecks can be revealed as well as weaknesses related to the so-called dual-stack operation, which refers to the simultaneous operation of IPv4 and IPv6.

The Hostpoint network has already been prepared for IPv6. To ensure everything runs smoothly, network components such as routers and L3 switches were updated with Ipv6 capable software some time ago and the edge and core Cisco routers were configured accordingly. What’s more, the Hostpoint website http://ipv6.hostpoint.ch, which can only be accessed using Ipv6, has been online for quite some time already.

What will change for users?

Internet users can actually just sit back and relax. The conversion on the client side will initially only affect the Internet access service providers, who will need to upgrade the Internet modems that they have provided for utilization with IPv6 or, alternatively, replace these with new IPv6-capable models. Another option is provided by the so-called “tunnel mechanism”, which enables IPv4 devices to be connected to IPv6 networks.

However, although pretty much all common operating systems have been equipped to support Ipv6, old firmware may cause some problems, an issue that may also affect the routers used at home. The Internet Society estimates that around 0.5 percent of all Internet users worldwide could be affected by “IPv6-brokenness”. The reason for this relates to an incorrect implementation of Ipv6 in the operating system. The system is tricked into believing that it has an Ipv6 connection, which it doesn’t really have. The computer therefore tries to open a page that has been configured for IPv6, although it is not capable of communicating with the IPv4 successor.

IPv6?

In order to be able to communicate via the Internet, devices such as servers and routers, and also computers, laptops and smartphones, need so-called IP (Internet Protocol) addresses. However, the number of remaining IPv4 addresses is already relatively low, which means a migration to Ipv6 is essential. With around 340 sextillion addresses, IPv6 provides a great deal more unique IP addresses than IPv4 (ca. 4.29 billion), thereby ensuring that the Internet can continue to grow without any problems.

Hostpoint, Switzerland’s leading webhosting provider, is celebrating its 10th year...

Hostpoint, Switzerland’s leading webhosting provider, is celebrating its 10th year of existence. The company, originally founded by three passionate internet fans, has continued to grow steadily and now supports roughly 130,000 websites and 150,000 domain names. That makes it Switzerland’s largest webhosting provider. On the occasion of the anniversary, Hostpoint is rolling out a complete redesign of its internet site.

All good things are simple: That includes love, food – and the business concept that Hostpoint founders Sandro Bertschinger, Claudius Röllin and Markus Gebert formulated in 2001 to revolutionize the market: Webhosting for everyone! Ten years later, the company’s staff of 30 works from the company’s headquarters in Rapperswil-Jona to support 130,000 websites and 150,000 domains. The company went public in 2005 and now features household names like Swiss Post, Migros, Phonak, Diners Club and Hero, yet still views its many private customers as the foundation of its success. 2010 was a record year for Hostpoint, Switzerland’s largest webhosting provider, with 8 million francs in sales.

Fresh, new internet site

Right on time for the 10-year anniversary, Hostpoint’s internet pages have received a complete redesign. The new layout underscores the modern, young image of the team and offers up even better navigation options for visitors. The new content structure helps both private and business customers find the perfect package for their needs, quickly and simply. Beyond its webhosting, managed server and groupware products, Hostpoint is also better able to provide information about the broad palette of domain endings available for registration.

Hostpoint will be supplementing its existing offerings in the current year with more innovative solutions in the area of e-commerce, security, domain names and hosting.

Hostpoint, the largest hosting provider in Switzerland, and VeriSign’s...

Hostpoint, the largest hosting provider in Switzerland, and VeriSign’s authentication service, now part of Symantec, today announced their latest collaboration. As the first, and currently only, SSL Gold partner in webhosting in Switzerland, Hostpoint will offer all VeriSign SSL products over the coming months. The first will be the VeriSign Trust Seal from Hostpoint, which quickly identifies malware on websites.

Beginning today, the Switch Foundation will block .ch domains contaminated with malware (malicious software) within 24 hours. In the event of malicious websites, Switch will contact the owner and request that the problem is resolved. If the owner does not react, Switch will remove the domain from the network after 24 hours.

To prevent the unpleasant experience of a blocked domain and the resulting damage to image and profits, Hostpoint now offers the proactive VeriSign Trust Seal solution. The VeriSign Trust Seal from Hostpoint provides temporary protection against malware and creates additional trust in website visitors.

Overview of the most important functions of the VeriSign Trust Seal:

&middot Protection of the website and its visitors from malware (malicious software). The malware scan examines the website each day and prevents the internet site from being blacklisted by search engines or visitor’s computers from being infected. If this should nonetheless happen, the website operator will be immediately informed to enable a fast response.

&middot The VeriSign Trust Seal informs all visitors that VeriSign has verified the identity of the website operator and that the website has passed the daily malware scans. The VeriSign Trust Seal on a website creates trust, credibility and loyalty.

&middot Confirmed identity. Authentication is a proven procedure which demonstrates to each visitor that VeriSign has confirmed the identity of the website operator and that it corresponds to the legal owner or operator.

The VeriSign Trust Seal from Hostpoint therefore effectively protects both websites and their visitors against malware and prevents them from being blocked by Switch.

Hostpoint is the first, and currently only, VeriSign Authentication Service Partner in Switzerland.

Hostpoint is the first, and currently only, SSL Gold partner for webhosting in Switzerland. For the first time, it gives Swiss SSL clients a local contact when handling their encrypted data exchanges over the internet.

Beginning in the coming months, Hostpoint will offer all VeriSign SSL products in Switzerland. This includes the Secure Site and Secure Site EV Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates as well as the VeriSign Trust Seal, available beginning today.

Hostpoint now offers managed server options for the websites of companies that...

Hostpoint now offers managed server options for the websites of companies that don’t want to leave anything to chance. The high-availability, high-performance servers are extremely secure and nevertheless easy to use.

For many small and medium-sized companies, websites are the focus and hub of all communication. It is thus essential that websites are available round the clock. Every second that the server is offline is a missed opportunity to impress potential customers or to sell something. Hostpoint has therefore introduced a new service for websites that need to be online 365 days a year, 24 hours a day: the managed server. A managed server is the alternative for all SMEs that set great store by the availability, performance and security of their website but do not want to or cannot afford to invest anything in infrastructure. There’s also no need for them to maintain hardware or update software – Hostpoint takes care of it all.

Exclusive, first-class platinum support

A managed server from Hostpoint is available for as little as 590 francs per month. Web and e-mail data are stored on a failsafe storage cluster. Another feature that doesn’t normally come as standard in this price segment: The SLA (Service Level Agreement) is included in the subscription charges, offering guaranteed availability and guaranteed reaction times. And in the unlikely event that something doesn’t go quite right, Hostpoint’s experts will answer questions in no time at all and solve problems immediately – exclusive platinum service is part of the all-round service for managed server customers at Hostpoint.

On January 1, 2010 Tom Brühwiler assumed the newly created post of Chief Social...

On January 1, 2010 Tom Brühwiler assumed the newly created post of Chief Social Media Officer (CSMO) at the hosting company Hostpoint, which is based in Rapperswil-Jona. He will be responsible for the company’s social media activities in future.

The team at Switzerland’s leading hosting provider has gained an experienced social media pro in Tom Brühwiler. He has run the well-known weblog “BloggingTom” for around five years now and thus has excellent knowledge of the social media sector. The acquisition of the 40-year-old is indicative of Hostpoint’s increased commitment to social media channels, which are becoming more and more important. Brühwiler will be responsible for planning and carrying out all activities in the social media area at Hostpoint.

Claudius Röllin, CMO of Hostpoint: “By means of various activities in the social media area, we aim to communicate more directly and more intensively with our customers in future.”

Hostpoint originally started by offering low-cost storage space for websites. The...

Hostpoint originally started by offering low-cost storage space for websites. The leading Swiss hosting provider has now however optimized and expanded its service offering. The result: more storage space, security and services for less money.

Security has a calming effect. Above all with regard to website hosting, as customers do not want to have to bother with the technical details. The most important aspect is knowing that your website data is being well looked after, can be accessed at any time and is integrated into a service package that meets your specific needs. Hostpoint now has two new servers for those who expect even more.

“Smart Server” is a new offer that provides 50 GB of storage space for CHF 14.90 a month, allows 50 domain names to be used and can manage 50 databases. The attractive price/performance ratio is geared, above all, towards customers who want to expand their web presence, and for whom security is just as important as good support.

Professional is now called Business

The service package for businesses with complex and comprehensive websites has also been redesigned. The former “Professional Server” has been renamed “Business Server” and now offers 100 GB of storage space for CHF 24.90 a month. In addition to 100 domains and 100 MySQL databases, this service package also includes exclusive Gold Support for prioritized assistance.

The number of employees in the Hostpoint support team was doubled during the second...

The number of employees in the Hostpoint support team was doubled during the second half of 2008, allowing it to offer unique, first-rate customer support. Hostpoint also relocated to new, larger premises in Rapperswil-Jona at the beginning of March. 30 full-time employees currently work in the new Hostpoint office, which can accommodate up to 70 employees, if required. The largest hosting provider in Switzerland is therefore well equipped for further growth.

With its new employees, Hostpoint is setting new standards in the area of customer service. Telephone calls are generally answered within a couple of seconds and e-mail queries within a very short period of time, both with a very high level of quality.

This has enabled the Hostpoint support team, which is managed by Yvan Knapp (former Head of Webhosting at Swisscom) who is responsible for customer services, to satisfy the demands of today’s fast-moving world. As a result of the strong customer growth over the past few years, the number of e-mail and telephone support requests received by Hostpoint has increased greatly.

Yvan Knapp, CCO of Hostpoint: “We are proud and satisfied with the fact that we can offer personal, customer-oriented, low-cost support to our clients. We are convinced that customer service is one of the most important criteria for customers, when choosing a hosting provider, in addition to the range of products. Furthermore, our new location has allowed us to create the perfect working environment for our motivated employees.”

SWITCH, the administrator of Internet domains in Switzerland and Liechtenstein,...

SWITCH, the administrator of Internet domains in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, will in future only activate domains once payment is received. Hosting provider Hostpoint, which can also register domains, will continue to activate them immediately.

From March 1 it may take several days before you can use your new domain after you have registered with SWITCH because the largest administrator of domain names will only activate them after the entire bill has been settled, as per the new SWITCH registration contract.

While subscribers who pay by credit card or Paypal will not be affected, those who pay by invoice may have a wait of up to ten days between registration and activation.

Hosting provider Hostpoint is not following this procedure. Anyone registering their domain with Switzerland’s largest provider can use it straight away and pay later.

Sandro Bertschinger, CFO of Hostpoint: “We aim to provide our customers with simple and friendly hosting. Which is why you can register your domain with us and get it online in no time at all. Our experience with this method is good and we no reason to change payment modalities.”

Hostpoint concluded 2008 very successfully once again. Sales rose by 1 million, up...

Hostpoint concluded 2008 very successfully once again. Sales rose by 1 million, up to 7.5 million. The figures on the customers' side also promise optimism: The number of hosted websites amounted to 100,000 at the end of 2008, with 115,000 domain names.

The healthy growth of Hostpoint continues unabated and of its own accord. Sales were once again increased by an impressive 1 million Swiss francs, up to 7.5 million, the new in-house programmed hosting software was completely integrated and the launch of the groupware Hostpoint Xchange ran smoothly, it has proved entirely effective and is actively used by many SMEs.

“We are extremely happy with the year just ended and we look to the future with great optimism,” says Sandro Bertschinger, CFO of Hostpoint. The completed introduction or our own internal hosting solution gives us great potential for the future. For that reason we will also be establishing our first subsidiary abroad this year. Details will follow shortly. Furthermore we will be moving within Rapperswil-Jona in the spring, as we already need more space again."

The hosting provider Hostpoint is offering the groupware Hostpoint Xchange as a...

The hosting provider Hostpoint is offering the groupware Hostpoint Xchange as a software as a service product, thus considerably easing the workload on SMEs.

Hostpoint Xchange simplifies the communication in teams and makes collaboration more efficient. To this end, Hostpoint Xchange links e-mail, calendar contacts and task management through intelligent document management in an integrated application. As a result, joint tasks with addresses, data, documents and schedules from all locations are made easier.

All data are clearly laid out and can be quickly and comfortably processed, using the intuitive web client. Company-relevant documents are centrally stored and updated and are thus made available to all authorised employees at all times. Through synchronization with Microsoft Outlook, even end-users at home or on the move have access to all important information.

“The expansion into groupware gives our customers real added-value. With Hostpoint Xchange, small and medium-sized enterprises are able to improve their teamwork, without having to invest in hardware, software licenses and technical know-how“, explains Yvan Knapp, CCO of Hostpoint AG. “Thanks to software as a service, they benefit from a comprehensive service and the latest innovations for one price, which is considerably lower than it would cost to purchase comparable groupware.“

Hostpoint offers the customer an inclusive service, by providing its customers with storage and backup facilities, and ensures up-to-date spam and virus protection services at all times. Additional groupware functions can be released in just a few simple steps. The costs of this service range from CHF 7 to CHF 9 per month and per account. The prerequisite for this service is a monthly subscription to a Hostpoint SH server from CHF 9.90 per month.

Hosting provider Hostpoint has now launched French, Italian and English versions of...

Hosting provider Hostpoint has now launched French, Italian and English versions of its website, customer control panel and the popular Web-o-mat.

According to CFO Sandro Bertschinger, the successful company based in Rapperswil-Jona will now offer existing and future customers in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino its services in their languages, as already enjoyed by German-speaking Swiss for some time. Hostpoint is also set for launch in some European countries, prompting it to provide all its major tools in several languages.

As well as the website, this will now include the Control Panel that customers can use to change website setting, and the popular Web-o-mat, a software program used to make websites.

Bertschinger: “With a multilingual Switzerland and our long-term international planning in view, it was only natural to offer all our tools in several languages right now.”

The Hostpoint engineering team has developed a PHP website accelerator. It allows...

The Hostpoint engineering team has developed a PHP website accelerator. It allows websites based on PHP scripts to run decisively quicker.

Normal HTML sites also benefit from the PHP website accelerator, since it reduces server load. Hostpoint even offers a php.ini editor for technically savvy customers, who prefer a control panel to make settings and adjustments.

Claudius Röllin, CMO at Hostpoint, says of the software: “We are very proud to be able to offer this new PHP tool. Once again, we have taken the initiative and developed a new solution. All PHP scripts are now decisively quicker. This is particularly noticeable for larger PHP projects like Typo3, Joomla, Gallery2, WordPress, phpBB, MediaWiki etc.”

Hostpoint cancelled its contract with Saferpay last month and is now working with...

Hostpoint cancelled its contract with Saferpay last month and is now working with the credit card services provider, Datatrans. The change for Hostpoint customers is free of charge and simple.

Up until now, the payment connections of Hostpoint’s “commerce” hosting customers were handled via Saferpay. Datatrans took over responsibility for this function on May 1, 2008. The move for Hostpoint customers who are still with Saferpay is voluntary and completely free of charge.

Sandro Bertschinger, Hostpoint CFO commented: “With Datatrans we have the support of a new, competent, fast and flexible partner. Furthermore, Datatrans has a wide range of payment methods and an extremely high level of security. Datatrans therefore provides the reliability that we have been looking for for a long time.”

Yvan Knapp (33) takes up his post as CCO (Chief Customer Officer) with the...

Yvan Knapp (33) takes up his post as CCO (Chief Customer Officer) with the Rapperswil-Jona-based hosting-company as of 1 April 2008, where he will establish and lead the new support organisation. Hostpoint is thus reacting to the increased demands in the support sector. Knapp was previously jointly responsible for the establishment of the hosting sector at Swisscom subsidiary Bluewin.

The arrival of Yvan Knapp sees the combination of an experienced business and IT manager with the leading hosting services provider from Rapperswil-Jona. Since 1999, he has made a significant contribution to the successful establishment and development of the Bluewin HostCenter at Swisscom. At Hostpoint, he will head the support organisation and be an important mainstay for the three proprietors Röllin, Bertschinger and Gebert. The current CCO and co-owner of Hostpoint, Claudius Röllin, will in future devote more of his time to his specialisms in sales and new markets.

“We are extremely happy to have acquired the services of Yvan Knapp,” says Sandro Bertschinger, CFO of Hostpoint. “We are killing two birds with one stone. On the one hand we have in him a proven and experienced manager for our support organisation. We can also benefit from his many years of product management experience in order to make even better services available to our customers. On the other hand, Claudius Röllin will be able to concentrate on his strategic strengths in future. He will analyse new markets for us, promote sales, develop products or assist me in marketing matters.”

Once again, Hostpoint concluded 2007 very successfully. Turnover rose by 1.5...

Once again, Hostpoint concluded 2007 very successfully. Turnover rose by 1.5 million to 6.5 million, the integration of the new hosting customers from Sunrise was successfully completed, the cooperative venture with Google is flourishing and at the end of 2007 the webmail from Open-Xchange was introduced.

The healthy growth of Hostpoint continues unabated. Turnover has once again seen a marked increase, up by 1.5 million to 6.5 million Swiss francs, the new in-house programmed hosting software has already more than proved its worth, the former Sunrise customers have been happily integrated into the Hostpoint family and the number of customers has also been increased from 10,000 to 55,000.

“We are extremely happy with the year that just ended and we look to the future with great optimism,” says Sandro Bertschinger, CFO of Hostpoint. “The first half of 2008 will see the introduction of the Open-Xchange groupware, and if everything goes according to plan, we will be taking our first tentative steps in French-speaking Switzerland this year. As of 1 April, we are also acquiring a powerful Swiss managerial personality from a major hosting provider at Rapperswil, who will also provide extra reinforcement for our support department.

Hostpoint Webmail is now available to Hostpoint's 250,000 users with immediate...

Hostpoint Webmail is now available to Hostpoint's 250,000 users with immediate effect, replacing Mail2Web. Thanks to innovative AJAX technology from Open-Xchange, Hostpoint customers can now process their e-mails more quickly and conveniently without any additional cost.

AJAX stands for “Asynchronous JavaScript and XML”, and denotes a concept for asynchronous data transfer between server and browser. It means that an HTTP inquiry can be carried out within an HTML page without having to reload the entire page. The effects of this are extremely beneficial for the user. There is now much faster e-mail recovery, even with large mailboxes, a modern layout, a very innovative calendar/diary and a neat storage space indicator – to mention only a few of the advantages.

Claudius Röllin, CCO von Hostpoint, says, “The introduction of the new webmail, based on AJAX technology, delivers genuine added value to our customers. With the webmail from Open-Xchange you can manage your digital correspondence just as quickly and effectively as with an installed desktop solution – and at the same time you are many times more flexible and faster.”

An Internet connection to the Open-Xchange server is necessary to use the web front-end, but it offers access to all information irrespective of the computer being used. Ideal, for example, for quickly re-editing company e-mails from your workstation at home in the evening.

With Hostpoint webmail the individual functions are no longer controlled by means of menus but via the panel that displays the most important functions at a glance in every module.

All groupware will then be available by the middle of the year

By the middle of the year, Hostpoint customers will be able, for a fee, to activate the additional groupware functions in just a few steps. With the Internet-based groupware, Hostpoint wants to attract primarily small and medium-sized businesses that have previously used antiquated groupware within their firms, if any at all. For these Hostpoint offers a comprehensive service by undertaking the storage and backup of all data for its customers and ensuring continuously-updated spam and virus protection.