National E-Business Solutions Provider Selects BlackMesh for Managed Hosting

HERNDON, Va., -- July 8, 2008 – BlackMesh, Inc., a provider of information technology solutions for small and mid-sized businesses, today announced that CommonPlaces, a developer of e-business solutions, selected the company to host its key customer Web sites, including Greenopolis.com, an educational and collaborative “green” social networking Web site owned by Waste Management, Inc. In addition to hosting Greenopolis.com, CommonPlaces plans to have BlackMesh support its entire portfolio of customers, including Bennett Design Group, the Bath Showcase, Jaguar Print, Fore on 4 and Fix Your Water.

Currently in beta, Greenopolis.com is the first “green” interactive, collaborative, educational Web site designed among individuals, groups, schools and corporations to communicate directly with each other and share opinions and feedback on green initiatives and news, learning materials and products and services.  The site also allows users to search by zip code for eco-friendly businesses and provides access to “Green Games”.  The Greenopolis beta site has already seen tremendous activity and with the recent launch of the main Web site, CommonPlaces expects a significant increase in traffic.  

“With the upcoming launch of Greenopolis.com and expected popularity of the site, we needed a hosting solution that could manage increased activity as well as accommodate the addition of new features to the Web site,” said Erich Beyrant, director of engineering at CommonPlaces. “Our previous provider did not understand our needs and could not deliver the technology and support necessary to meet our expectations. With its scalability and database architecture, BlackMesh has the resources to meet our traffic demands and the proven expertise to handle our future expansion, not only with Greenopolis.com, but with our entire customer base.”

BlackMesh’s hosting solutions provide the necessary database architecture, Web load balancing and security to support the current beta site and provide the ability to quickly and easily scale Greenopolis.com.  CommonPlaces is also able to take advantage of BlackMesh’s unique unlimited service plan, which includes 100 percent uptime on the BlackMesh network, dedicated administrators and 24x7x365 access to personalized support via phone, email or the Web.

In addition to BlackMesh’s technology support and services, CommonPlaces chose the company because it leverages green technologies and methodologies that support the Greenopolis.com philosophy.  BlackMesh uses low power servers to cut the amount of energy needed to keep customer Web sites online, consuming only half the power of traditional servers from a year ago.  In addition, BlackMesh ensures that its physical servers are installed according to the best practices for optimal thermal management so that the flow of air is not counter productive, helping to keep the temperature of the data center low.   

“While many businesses often underestimate the hosting resources necessary to manage and maintain a complex Web site, CommonPlaces is taking the proactive steps to address growth and bandwidth demands,” said Eric Mandel, CEO of BlackMesh. “With BlackMesh’s scalable architecture and personalized service team, CommonPlaces can freely build and expand Greenopolis.com, without worrying about the day-to-day server maintenance.” 

ABOUT COMMONPLACES:

Recently selected as one of the Ten Most Dependable Web Designers of the Northeast by Goldline Research, CommonPlaces offers strategic planning, interactive marketing, website design and development, and web-based application development. With years of experience, CommonPlaces is able to deliver successful e-business solutions and a competitive edge. Our unique strategic approach to building, designing, and promoting web solutions and applications empowers our clients to compete with industry leaders at a fraction of the cost.

ABOUT BLACKMESH:

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Herndon, Va., BlackMesh is a provider of information technology solutions for small and mid-sized businesses. BlackMesh specializes in the design, deployment, and administration of robust, innovative managed hosting and managed services in both off-site and on-site locations. Combining powerful, high-performance technologies with world-class service and support, BlackMesh provides its customers with the tools they need to lower costs, accelerate growth, increase agility, and improve efficiency.  For more information, visit www.blackmesh.com.