This week, we had the opportunity to speak with Ralph Karseboom, the CEO of
HostSlim1, one of the larger hosting providers in the Netherlands. We discussed how the company evolved, what separates HostSlim from similar Web Hosting providers, and how Ralph envisions the future of the web hosting industry.
What is Hostslim?
We focus on providing high-quality hosting services from our own tier 3 data center inside a telecom & data tower in Lelystad, The Netherlands. From day one, we’ve always centered our business around our clients. By choosing us, you receive and can expect unparalleled support and service levels. HostSlim was founded in late 2008 and has grown into one of the larger hosting providers in the Netherlands, serving over 10.000 clients. HostSlim is a one-stop-shop for all your hosting needs.
Please describe the story behind the company: What sparked the idea, and how has it evolved so far?
HostSlim started back in 2008 where we wanted to make a difference in the Hosting industry. There were some old dinosaurs that were hosting the old way. There were also some big industry leaders that were leaving a whole lot of clients in the dark with bad service, slow support and not a sublime serverpark and network. We wanted to start out as a niche premium quality hosting provider and have now grown to an own datacenter.
What services do you offer?
We offer Web Hosting, reseller hosting, VPS, Dedicated Servers, Streaming & Colocation services.
What separates you from other similar websites/companies?
The main thing that separates us from other similar websites is the personal premium service we offer and the fact that we have our own datacenter and network, not many providers have this.
How do you envision the future of your industry?
The industry is changing very fast. Big industry investors are buying out a lot of smaller hosting firms. We see a lot of change in consolidation currently and are happy to know that we are an independent hosting company without any big corporation ordering us around!
Do you have a special message for our readers in these difficult times?
Covid-19 has made one thing clear; some companies made the transition to online and cloud services way too late (for instance brick and mortar stores) so this will cause a lot of them to get a liquidity crisis. Shops and companies that were prepared to shift things to online are the ones that are currently thriving. Yet, the crisis that’s coming (financially) can be a big blow to any market. But I am glad to see, and hopeful, that a lot of people are resilient and are ready to pull up their sleeves and get to work. That’s how we are going to master this crisis.
