Softlayer Review

Softlayer has been around since 2005 and has four data centers strategically placed around the world to best target customers. They take pride on having fast, dedicated server set up time (less than 2 hours!) and is currently based in Plano, Texas.

The Hosting Package

Softlayer’s package starts at $259 a month for the Dual Processor Multi Core Intel server with 256000 MB web space and 2000 GB bandwidth. Their most affordable package is at $159 a month for the Single Processor Multi Core Intel server with 25600 MB storage and 2000 GB bandwidth. The most expensive package costs $499 per month for the Quad Processor Multi Core Intel server with also 256000 MB web disk space and 2000 GB bandwidth.

What’s Great About Softlayer?

• Generally OK performance

Softlayer is one of the widely availed hosting providers out there. Look around the internet and you can see a lot of actual user feedback on hosting forums and chatrooms. This is mainly because they have a pretty good performance over the years. They may not be the most reliable or fastest network out there but they are one of the more consistent ones with a stable enough line up. The steady performance is great for start up web developers that want minimal risk in their operations.

• Fast, dedicated server set up

They take pride in their fast server set up, which in most cases, takes less than 3 hours to finish. If you are in need of a very fast transfer of data from your previous hosting provider, then you will be happy to know that Softlayer does data transfer very fast.

• PCI DSS certified (McAfee certified)

Softlayer is certified by PCI DSS which means it is certified by McAfee to provide secure data storage for your web service. This is very important for web services that deal with shopping carts, e-banking and any other confidential information passing through their system.

What’s Disappointing About Softlayer?

&#10006 Short, 30-second interruptions that are difficult to trace

The one irritating thing about Softlayer is that you are bound to frequently experience short, 30-second service interruptions. Most of the developers would attempt to trace the origin of the error but since it only lasts for 30 seconds, it is very difficult to trace. This can be quite disruptive especially for e-commerce sites where completion of secure forms are a norm.

&#10006 Expensive!

Softlayer’s packages are a bit too expensive! There are a lot of cheaper alternatives out there although Softlayer has already built a following over the years. Their performance has been decreasing over the years and there are a lot of reports of bursts in network performance followed by several days of sluggish experience.

The Bottom Line

Softlayer still remains to be one of the most preferred solutions providers out there due to their track record and strong brand recall. There is no big harm if you go with them, especially if you can afford them and are ok with the short service disruptions from time to time.