20i was named one of the Most Innovative Web Companies For 2023 for their innovation in delivering cutting-edge cloud hosting solutions backed by an expert support team and a commitment to environmental responsibility.
Could you please provide us with a concise overview of your company, including its area of expertise and the range of services it provides?
20i was born out of a vision to redefine the hosting industry, using the latest cloud hosting technology and innovative solutions, all backed by an expert support team. We are committed to constant innovation, and we strive to keep our interfaces elegant, powerful, and user-friendly. Security is paramount to us, which is why we include unique security features in all our packages at no extra cost. We also promise to never cut corners on hardware; we use 100% SSD and trusted, premium hardware to deliver the best possible service to our customers. We’re proud to say that our office is self-sufficient, powered by solar energy. This commitment to green energy extends to our hosting services as well, which are powered by 100% renewable energy. We also take immense pride in our customer service. Our support team consists of passionate techies who truly love helping our clients. Available day and night, our team is always ready to assist whenever needed. In a nutshell, at 20i we strive to provide superior, independent hosting services that blend cutting-edge technology, exceptional customer service, and a commitment to environmental responsibility.
What sets your company apart in terms of innovation and uniqueness? Please elaborate on the key initiatives to foster innovation within your organization.
We believe cloud server management shouldn’t have to be a nightmare or for the few, so we’ve worked hard to open up the power of this technology to everyone. Through our Managed Hosting platform and custom-built control panel, My20i, anyone can build, deploy and manage their sites and apps with lightning-fast, multi-platform cloud hosting across 20iCloud, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud. That means just one simple but powerful UI for all your servers, apps/sites, databases, backups, security, DNS & email. Our unlimited reseller hosting is powered by our proprietary autoscaling cloud hosting technology, to ensure all our resellers’ sites are blazing-fast and ultra-reliable. The reseller platform is 100% powered by renewable energy too, which means all our resellers’ sites are as well, a great selling feature for their business. Customers can also choose to host their websites on either UK or US-based servers.
Please highlight some notable awards, achievements, recognitions, and valuable client feedback that you believe holds significance for your company.
We’re lucky to have some really passionate customers who love what we do, and that’s thanks to our hard-working support team and reliable technology. Our reviews on Trustpilot and G2 put us at the top of their web hosting categories. We’ve been rated as a top-tier WordPress host by Review Signal for the past 2 years, which is a great achievement.
How do you see the company and the industry in the future ahead?
We believe the future of hosting will continue to become increasingly cloud-based, but with a focus on seamless integration, scalability, and efficiency across multiple platforms. Customers will increasingly expect to be able to manage multiple services from one dashboard, across web hosting, domain names, email, security, and more. This is why we launched our Managed Cloud Hosting platform in 2023, allowing users to easily build, deploy, and manage sites and apps at scale across 20iCloud, GCP, and AWS. Sustainability will also be a critical focus area going forward. In 2022, we transitioned to 100% renewable energy for all our web hosting services. Our headquarters is powered by solar energy. This focus on green energy is an integral part of our commitment to being a sustainable business, and we will continue to explore and adopt more eco-friendly practices.
Please provide a brief overview of the company’s founders and their contributions to both the company and the industry
Jonathan and Tim Brealey are seasoned entrepreneurs and pioneers in the web hosting and domain industry, boasting over 20 years of experience. Their journey began in 1997 when they founded Webfusion, aiming to make the internet more accessible for small businesses. They revolutionized the industry by being the first UK hosting company to offer a control panel, the Virtual Control Panel, that empowered users to manage their website settings and activate email features instantly from one location. In 2000, they launched 123-reg, which is now a market leader in domain name registration in the UK. They significantly drove down the cost of UK domains from around £50 per year to just £2.59 a year, which made owning a domain more affordable for businesses. Their entrepreneurship journey didn’t stop there. In 2004, they founded Heart Internet. The company experienced rapid growth and was named the ‘Fastest Growing Internet Company in the UK’ by Deloitte in 2009, boasting over 6000% growth in just 5 years. In 2016, they launched 20i with Lloyd Cobb, with a vision to break the mold of the hosting industry. Drawing from their two decades of experience, they created a hosting company that offers a range of services, such as Managed Cloud Hosting, a free content delivery network, and a host of WordPress tools. They also took the initiative to power all their web hosting with 100% renewable energy by 2022. Moreover, they launched their first data center in the United States in 2021, giving US customers better access to 20i’s high-performance hosting. Tim, Jonathan, and Lloyd are not only known for developing sophisticated hosting platforms but also for their strong customer service approach. They have built a cohesive team that thrives on delivering outstanding customer satisfaction. The support team provides support around the clock and has direct access to the 20i development team. Underlying their successful ventures are their founding principles, which include giving users the best-possible technologies, constantly innovating, using premium hardware, keeping things simple and user-friendly, prioritizing online security, and maintaining their independence.
Advice to the future leaders who want to make it big in the market.
If you’re looking at entering the web hosting industry, it is essential to understand the market dynamics. Carry out research to understand what your target audience demands, what challenges they face, and what they expect from a hosting service. Observing competitors and analyzing what makes them thrive or struggle can be immensely insightful. Rather than spreading oneself too thin, you should consider specializing in a niche. The web hosting market is very competitive with some large companies, so concentrating on a particular segment or offering unique services, such as eco-friendly hosting or security-centric solutions, one can carve out a distinct space in the market. Customer support is another cornerstone and the big reason why people stay and recommend you. Your business should endeavor to excel in providing exceptional customer service. Well-trained support staff and immediate response systems, such as AI-driven chatbots, can greatly enhance customer satisfaction. Furthermore, making support accessible through multiple channels, such as chat, email, and phone, adds to the convenience for customers. Branding goes beyond just logos and taglines. It encompasses the values, customer interactions, and the overall experience that customers associate with your business. Building a robust brand identity that resonates with your audience can play a critical role in positioning yourself as a leader in the market.
