Congratulations! After a judicious round of user testing, Sunholm Solar has decided that the website you've created for them is ready to be deployed live on the Internet. There's just one catch: Sunholm Solar doesn't want to run its own Web server, and the company executives really don't know what Web hosting company to use. Only a few days remain before the company's planned market launch, so they need to find a Web hosting company fast.

(Review the Scenario Summaries in the You Decide assignments for Weeks 1, 2, and 5 for more information on Sunholm Solar.)

Role

You are an independent Web developer who was hired by Sunholm Solar for the job of designing and building their new website. Now that the site itself is finished, the company has requested that you provide the additional service of recommending a Web hosting company for the site. You are meeting with Sunholm Solar executives to determine their hosting needs, after which you will prepare a memo with your recommendation.

Players

Photo of Hugh Holben

Hugh Holben

President and CEO

Photo of Susan Dalton

Susan Dalton

VP of Marketing

Photo of Janet Mclane

Janet Mclane

CFO

Photo of Steve Garry

Steve Garry

VP of Operations

Deliverable

Given the scenario, your role and the information provided by the key players involved, it is time for you to make a decision. If you are finished reviewing this scenario, check the Your Role/Assignment section below and complete the tasks as instructed. You can return and review this scenario again at any time.

Your Role/Assignment

Research five hosting companies and compare their

· features (FTP versus web upload, Site Builder, etc.);

· prices;

· service level (uptime, database support, PHP/ASP.NET support, and throughput or bandwidth);

· customer support;

· ease of e-commerce integration; and

· SEO support.

In a one- to two-page business memo to your client, compare and contrast the different hosting plans. Choose the best hosting business for your client and explain your choice. You may include a chart, but be sure to describe your recommendations about which of these host plans has the characteristics required to best serve your client’s needs. Are there any plans that are comparable? Are there any that are unsuitable?

Grading Rubric

Category	Points	Description
Five Companies Compared in Memo	10	Web hosting plan features from five companies are compared in the text and in a chart, if appropriate. The report is presented in memo format and addressed to the client company.
Appropriate Level of Detail and Correctness	10	Sufficient details to support your decision as listed above are included and accurate; spelling and grammar are correct, with no more than two typos.
Analysis Appropriate to Business Chosen	10	Analysis supports the hosting company's decision using logic and business sense; details reflect underlying understanding of the needs of the business chosen in the case study.
Total	30

Note

Submit your assignment to the Dropbox, located at the top of this page. For instructions on how to use the Dropbox, read these step-by-step instructions .

(See the Syllabus section "Due Dates for Assignments & Exams" for due dates.)