hostway project management communication

Who we are

• One of the largest global hosting companies

• 13 countries

• 15 datacenters

• 1.4 million hosted websites

• over 600.000 clients worldwide

In Romania we host

But who are WE?

• Lucian Ghinda - Research and Development Manager

• Ioana Hreninciuc - Marketing Manager

• We’re part of a wonderful team and we’re here to tell you about what we do and how we do it

Simple Project Management

We’re talking about

How to put your own ideas into practice

I have an idea

Pre-implementation phases

• Phase 1: I have an idea

• Phase 2: I think of my friends who could love to get involved

• Phase 3: Share information and adjust the initial idea

• Phase 4: We decide when and where to have the project planning

Pre-implementation phases

• Phase 1: I have an idea

• Phase 2: I think of my friends who could love to get involved

• Phase 3: Share information and adjust the initial idea

• Phase 4: We decide when and where to have the project planning

Project Planning

• Vision:

• Provide online presence for anyone.

• Goals:

• Register automatically a domain name .RO

• Install a blog platform on the domain name

• Provide hundreds of themes for customers

Project Planning

• Vision:

• Provide online presence for anyone.

• Goals:

• Register automatically a domain name .RO

• Install a blog platform on the domain name

• Provide hundreds of themes for customers

Project Planning

• Strategies:

• Goal: “Register automatically a domain name .RO”

• Strategy 1: Contact RoTLD to set-up a procedure about domain name registration

• Strategy 2: Create an automatic system to communicate with RoTLD for registering domains

Project Planning

• Strategies:

• Goal: “Register automatically a domain name .RO”

• Strategy 1: Contact RoTLD to set-up a procedure about domain name registration

• Strategy 2: Create an automatic system to communicate with RoTLD for registering domains

Project Planning

• Tasks for Strategy 2:

• 1. Create Database model

• 2. Create Model for communication with RoTLD to support Register and Delete

• 3. Read response from RoTLD using IMAP and save status in database

Project Planning

• Tasks for Strategy 2:

• 1. Create Database model

• 2. Create Model for communication with RoTLD to support Register and Delete

• 3. Read response from RoTLD using IMAP and save status in database

Project Planning

• Finalize planning

• For each strategy:

Who is responsible for this strategy?

What are the estimates for each task?

What are the deadlines for each task?

• After all strategies are covered, create a planning view (GANTT) containing all resources, deadlines and estimates

Project Planning

• Finalize planning

• For each strategy:

Who is responsible for this strategy?

What are the estimates for each task?

What are the deadlines for each task?

• After all strategies are covered, create a planning view (GANTT) containing all resources, deadlines and estimates

ACTION

Thank you

Lucian Ghinda | R&D Manager

How to prove you are THAT smart

We’re talking about

How to make everyone else believe you really

are as good as you think

I have a product. Now what?!

Think about:

• Why would anyone buy it? Is it the best [or at least a good] solution to a problem?

• How will people find out about it?

• Why would they buy IT and not an alternative?

• What will happen to this motivation in the future?

• How can you make people love you and just stick around?

It’s not what you do, it’s

WHY YOU DO IT.

1.

Does it…

• Stand for what you believe in?

• Motivate you to keep learning?

• Help others?

• Say something about the person using it?

• Work?

Excellence!

2.

Choose to:

• Be the best at whatever you’re doing – in any possible way

• Be very different at least under 1 crucial aspect

• Be ready to fight – against the competition, laziness, detractors, or just about anyone trying to hold you down

• Say NO – when you know you won’t perform

• Allow only the best and the brightest at your side

Making it happen…

3.

Case study: Hostway VDS Flexserver

PROs:- High-performance- Latest techology- Good company background

CONs:- Difficult to understand- More expensive- Heavy competition

Solution 1: the safe way

• Media presence – IT and business publications – editorial segment

• Online advertising campaign

• Presence at industry events – NetCamp

• Initiated partnership with Microsoft

Success rate: 30%…we couldn’t make people get it

Solution 2: going direct

• Strong focus on direct contact – reached aprox. 100 agencies

• Intense trial campaign

• Directly explained product features

• Increased focus on relationships and connection with market leaders: Microsoft, bloggers (Refresh.ro, Manafu, Bobby Voicu)

• Lowered cost

Success rate: 70%… people realized it’s cool

Learn to:

• Scout for alternatives to safe ways

• Accept some change on your product or strategy – as long as it doesn’t alter your product or business core

• Not compromise – don’t make your product just like everyone else’s just because you think it would sell that way – remember that it’s not what you do but WHY YOU DO IT

• Do a lot with very little – web 2.0 makes this possible

• Make the right friends

Love is a consequence of the good things you do

for others

4.

Case study: Hostway VDS Flexserver

What we did: - We built trust- We accepted a smaller profit- We gathered feedback and focused on the relevant features- We went to the people that mattered- We invested in startups

What we didn’t do:- We didn’t compromise quality- We didn’t cancel the product- We didn’t stop investing- We didn’t stop researching- We didn’t give up

… or your permanent added value

4.

Invest in:

• The voices that matter – don’t go for the mass but for your niche

• Talent – the people you can help now that will be advocates tomorrow

• Those who promote the same values as you – even if in different fields

• Giving - first offer support before expecting any back

• Supporting your audience – empower those you work for

• Your team – the people most likely to promote you, stick with you and believe in you – the ones that are the most believable because they know the most

There’s no point in doing it… if it isn’t FUN!

5.

Thank you

Ioana Hreninciuc | Marketing Manager

Lucian Ghinda | R&D Manager