Hostway’s ‘Open for Business’ Promotion Offers Entrepreneurs Free Web Hosting

Chicago, IL—January 30, 2004—Hostway Corporation, a global leader in Web hosting and other managed technology services, today said it would help up to 250 Detroit metro and Ann Arbor area entrepreneurs launch an online business or add an Internet presence to their traditional business by giving them a free year of Web site hosting.

The offer is designed to encourage entrepreneurship and stimulate the growth of new businesses. Hostway is piloting this program in the Detroit and Ann Arbor areas with plans to roll it out to other cities as the year progresses.

Any for-profit business in the Detroit metropolitan or Ann Arbor areas that does not have a Web site and can demonstrate that it is engaged in selling products or services may apply. The offer, worth at least $250 based on Hostway’s current comprehensive Gold Plus hosting package, is available to the first 250 qualified local businesses that sign up, without regard to business category or classification. Businesses must demonstrate they were established after January 1, 2003. The offer expires March 31, 2004.

Hostway’s Gold Plus package offers all of the essential features required to create a site, launch it, and maintained it. Each site hosted under the special offer must include on-screen reference to Hostway as its hosting provider.

"Hostway is giving Detroit and Ann Arbor area start-ups the online equivalent of an ‘open for business’ sign," said John Lee, Hostway’s marketing director. "We strongly believe that every business needs a Web site— especially new businesses— and we’re happy to make it easier than ever for local entrepreneurs to join the Internet revolution through our offer of free hosting services."

Why Detroit and Ann Arbor? Hostway cited U.S. Census statistics placing Detroit among the nation’s top six metropolitan areas for supporting small businesses. Michigan has an active, well-funded Economic Development program to support emerging growth companies and the University of Michigan is a hot bed for entrepreneurs.

Hostway said its "Open for Business" promotion is a good-faith offer to the Detroit and Ann Arbor business communities, and is evidence of its overall commitment to providing a Web hosting experience that takes the complexity out of doing business on the Internet. Businesses also may register an Internet address— or domain name— through Hostway for the nominal fee of $7.95 per year.

To take advantage of this offer, businesses need only go to www.hostway.com/openforbusiness and answer some brief qualifying questions.

"At Hostway, we want to make sure today’s new companies and their customers have access to the newest technology," said Lee. "This offer, and similar promotions in other major cities, is a step toward achieving the larger goal of a Web site for every business in America."