Double ISPA 2015 Win!

Last night we attended the 2015 ISPA awards (also known as the ‘UK internet oscars’) and we are delighted to announce we walked away with 2 ISPA’s! For the 3rd  year in a row we topped the Customer Choice Award , as voted for by customers of the companies nominated, so a massive thanks to every …

Why ecommerce websites need newsletter functionality

For many businesses, it’s not the number of hits that generate sales, but the number of people who subscribe to their newsletter. Even if sites have a significant amount of traffic, most people will visit a website only once. Subscribers, on the other hand, sign up because they like what they see and want to …

Latest Symantec Threat Report highlights need for internet security

Symantec has published the latest version of its internet security threat report, entitled “Cybercrime: New Tricks of the Trade”. You can download it for free, provided you fill in your contact details. What it shows is that the time between a threat becoming known, and criminals using it to trawl the internet for weaknesses in …

What to look for in next-generation firewalls

Like everything in technology, firewalls – that essential electronic barrier between your computers and the many dangers of the wild cyber-world – are constantly evolving and new versions are being developed all the time, including so-called next-generation editions. Here’s our guide on what to look for in the newest firewalls out there to give you …

Why you should be outsourcing your servers to the cloud

Not yet outsourcing your servers to the cloud? Consider these huge benefits of trusting this essential part of your IT infrastructure to a dedicated, industry-leading organisation. Security Whether cloud-based or not, your systems are vulnerable to internet security breaches. At catalyst2 we have network and server teams constantly managing and maintaining all elements of security and performance …

Why you should replace your Windows 2003 servers

Windows Server 2003 is finally approaching the end of its Extended Support period. This means that from 14th July 2015, Windows will no longer be issuing patches, security fixes, or updates for Windows Server 2003. Since they announced the end of the system back in 2010, many businesses have been moving away from legacy servers, …

How far are we from a formal global internet security pact?

Rising levels of hacking in recent years is stoking fears of more widespread damage to come but discussions about creating an international internet security agreement have only really just begun. Officials admit that with the fast-evolving nature of technology and the internet, it’s a race to stay ahead of the latest developments. Speaking at a …

What the new Google SEO changes mean for you

Today Google has launched its latest changes to the SEO algorithm, which decides where your website will appear in search rankings. The latest update is a response to the increasing popularity of web browsing from mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets, and for e-commerce hosting sites this traffic can have a huge impact …

Nominated for four ISPA Awards!

ISPA has unveiled the shortlist for the 2015 ISPA Awards with 44 firms announced across 15 categories. catalyst2 has nominated for four ISPA awards. The catalyst2 team are delighted to have been nominated for Best Business Customer Service, Best Consumer Customer Service, Best Shared Hosting and Customer Choice Award.  ISPA Secretary General Nick Lansman said “Congratulations to all those shortlisted …

Load testing websites and why it is important

One of the most important (and perhaps one of the most overlooked) aspects of web development is the ability to load test a site. Load testing used to be a straightforward exercise to make certain that a site or web app could handle multiple loads of users, and has since evolved to become a vital …