[Editor: this post has been edited for errors since it was published]
Either the web hosting rates in Uganda are falling, or someone is undercutting the competition. Regardless, small businesses in Uganda may now have an affordable way to get on online.
Node Six, an Elemental Edge company, is offering some compelling web hosting packages for personal and professional accounts that range from 5,000 to 20,000 shillings. That is a monthly rate of between $3 and $12. The low prices are in line with the company's mission to bring the Internet within the reach of most Ugandans—and by "most Ugandans" I mean those with a job that pays a living wage—both financially and technologically:
Node Six, About us
Capitalism with a social cause. Sounds like the sort of thing Google might support.
How does Node Six compare with western web hosting companies?
Considering that U.S. web hosting companies like Hostgator charge less than $8 a month for lots of gigs in bandwidth and storage, Node Six's packagages may not seem all that attractive. But context is crucial here. According to the Daily Monitor's report on Internet access ahead of the upcoming Common Wealth Heads of Government Meeting, the services of the local ISPs cost a great deal more than those offered by Node Six. For instance:
But before entering into an agreement with Node Six, there is one thing to note. The webspace on offer is tiny–no more than 100MB. That is simply no good for any company that expects to do a bulk of its business online.
It is unlikely though that Node Six is going after that segment of the market. By offering a free domain name and blog with no hosting fees, the company is positioning itself to profit from an increasing demand for internet access among Uganda's entrepreneurs. Its allure is simple: all the thrills; none of the hassle.
The next step
As attractive as these packages are, eventually Node Six's customers will demand more of the company. Scalable content management systems (CMSs) are all the rage among web developers in Europe and North America and it will not be long before they are popular in Uganda too. By providing free installations of an open source CMS like Joomla! or Drupal the company could win over a number of big accounts. (East African Buiness Week and the FDC sites already use Joomla!)
For now though, Node Six is proving that it is possible to offer internet access at affordable rates. Undoubtedly other companies will follow. After all, Uganda is the land of commercial copycats. Which is why paying some attention to web design is a nice touch. It inspires confidence in a country where people are always on the alert for swindlers.
Comments
web hosting vs. internet service
It looks like you're comparing the cost of web hosting to the cost of internet service/connectivity. I agree that Node Six is providing an awesome deal, but it's not quite the same thing -- ISPs like UTL and Bushnet offer access to the internet, while Node Six is only offering space to host a web site. You'd still have to go somewhere -- a cafe or something -- to actually get online, which would up your costs.
Just my two cents. Still, thanks for the heads up on a great company.
Correction appreciated
Thanks Jackfruity. I muddled up the two different services. I have changed the title of the post.
Regarding the services offered by ISPs, many of them so offer web hosting, but as part of a larger business package for corporations. I think we are now going to see more web hosting companies coming into the market, offering cheaper packages to companies that do not want everything UTL and the like have to offer. This market segmentation will not really hurt the ISPs, since web hosting companies are their clients too.
From Node Six
Hi,
I'm Benge Solomon King , founder of Node Six and Elemental Edge.
I was just going through our web stats this morning when I noticed an external link from this site. I followed it through and landed here.
First of all, very many thanks for highlighting the services we offer, and rather extensively talking about our company. I must admit I'm very impressed at the in depth analysis you've done of our firm. However, I'd like to point out a few things, and I hope I don't turn this into blatant self-promotion :) edit as your feel neccessary.
1. Like Jackfruity(nice!) said, we do not offer ISP services, although it's part of our long term vision. We simply offer hosting and web development services at the moment.
2. Yes, we do not compare very favourably with international hosting companies simply because we're still in startup phase, we began as a solution for our clients who needed hosting, but didn't want the hassle involved.
On a global scale, we do not have the resources at the moment to offer all those huge packages they have. One, server costs can be insane, and there's no point in investing a few thousand dollars without analysing your market. But we're heading up, and as I write this, we've upgraded all our packages.
Two, there's a very nasty habit in the industry called over-selling, where a firm promises you 300GB of space and 10,000GB of bandwidth, yet the server you are sharing with 1,000 other guys has a maximum capacity of 1TB (1,000GB) of space and even less band width. If you do the math, you'll realise all the space they are promising you is just hype, they are counting on the fact that NO ONE ever uses all their resources.
On the other hand, we prefer to provide resources we can actually manage and account for, hence our slightly lower package offerings.
Plus, less than 10 of our 100+ clients have ever exceeded their resources, and one really hit the roof, stanbic bank during it's IPO, but we adjusted at no cost because it was seasonal.
3. We actually offer CMS services, based on Joomla branded as Node Six Site Manager, and we've deployed it for major clients including dfcu bank (www.dfcugroup.com).
And lastly, speaking of attention to web-design, check out our new look (as I write this I'm finalising the database installation). I believe it reflects our current position and also our long term vision. It also has info on our new packages, since the response has been very positive.
Once again, many thanks for the props. And if you feel this comment is a little too long or too commercial :D just edit as you see fit.
Oh yeah, I read blogs like crazy, so consider yourself blog-rolled out our (new) corporate blog, and link direct to www.nodesix.com please, all old links will return 404 errors.
cheers.
small steps
Hi Benge,
thanks for your comments. There is nothing like getting it from the horse's mouth.
I made an error with the confusion between ISPs and hosting; I have since corrected that.
Your packages are great for a small company. I think by pointing out how they differ from those of companies in developed countries, your prospective customers abroad will have a chance to adjust their expectations.
Great to know you are offering Joomla! Are you looking at making other open source CMSs available?
I love the new look!! I am starting a series on CSS and web standards with the guys at PencilCase Studios. I hope you will be back to comment on that.
Follow up
Hello Mr. Editor,
Thanks for the followup and approval.
Currently we only offer Joomla as a CMS because we want to be able to do one CMS really well. And right now Joomla offers us the flexibility in programming, management, usability and support that we require. Plus i also like to focus on doing one thing really well before you spread out a bit, it helps us provide a solid product/solution to our clients.
We're big on CSS right now. So let me know if I can help with your new series. The entire team at Node Six periodically goes through CSS training almost one a weekly basis. We're also making the gradual transition to table-less designs, but cross-browser compatibility is still a major pain in the neck.
Cheers once again, and keep up the good work. We're looking to see if we can support bloggers better, so ideas are welcome.
Peace
Brilliant!
I appreciate node six' attempt to reach out to society, at such overwhelminglyaffordable prices. I consider it an enriching inventory and I myself look forward to being a part of it. Do reach out to small scale enterprises and local businesses in and out of town. Way to go!