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Rackspace Offers "Point and Click" Control Panel Co-developed Plesk(tm) Control Panel Allows Easy Administration of Linux and Unix Servers SAN ANTONIO - September 24, 2001 - Rackspace Managed Hosting, a leading provider of managed hosting services, today announced the release of Plesk Server Administrator(tm) (PSA) Version 2.0, a multi-platform, Web based software tool that greatly increases the productivity of Linux and Unix administrators. Using the PSA from Plesk(tm) Inc., even non-technical personnel can perform a variety of common server administration tasks, such as creating new email accounts and managing domains - all with point and click simplicity. The new product brings an ease of use to the Linux and Unix server administrator once only possible on the Microsoft platform. Beyond basic administration of a single domain, the PSA product allows service companies, particularly virtual hosters and web designers, to deliver faster and easier service to their clients by sharing server management with them. Server owners can redistribute authority for different tasks to their customers using the PSA's three levels of Web server administration. The Admin Level sets all supervisory rights and privileges for the server. The Reseller Client Level will allow Rackspace's virtual hosting customers to create hosting preferences for multiple domains and set limits at the domain level, as well as set up value-added services - such as domain registration - for their customers. The Domain Owner Level will give domain owners on virtual servers more freedom to manage their domains, enabling them to create e-mail accounts, use FTP services and administer domain SSL certificates. The PSA enables all of these features while erasing the risk of mis-configuring a server because of a command-line typo. "This is something that our customers have been requesting, and we have responded," said Graham Weston, chief executive officer of Rackspace. "Working with the leaders in the field of automated Web hosting software has allowed us to offer a first-class tool that will make our customers' lives easier. This interface reduces the complexity of server administration so that anyone can do it in a snap. Our customers will now be able to spend less time configuring their servers and more time using them." Plesk worked closely with Rackspace in developing the product. As the industry's leading Linux host (more than 2500 Linux servers under management), Rackspace had strong customer insights on developing the perfect panel for easy administration. Rackspace is a premier launch partner for the product, and Plesk will continue to rely on Rackspace feedback for product improvements. "Rackspace is an expert in the Linux market," said Dmitri Simonenko, chairman of Plesk. "Their insight helped to evolve the product to where it is today. We are confident that this 2.0 version will help speed the adoption of Linux as it provides a superior cost proposition, greater reliability, and now, ease-of-use rivaling or exceeding that of other operating systems. We are very pleased to have had the opportunity to work with Rackspace on the development of this product. They have always been a strong partner, and this product is a testament to that relationship." About Rackspace Managed Hosting Rackspace Managed Hosting provides its customers with full-service managed hosting solutions, including state-of-the-art data centers, customized servers, burstable connectivity, server software and 24 x 7 fanatical support of all hardware and core software. With Rackspace's SmoothScaling capabilities, e-businesses can add bandwidth, advanced services, or server capacity on demand. Monthly fees range from $300 to $50,000 per month, depending on the complexity required. Founded in 1998, with locations in Texas and London, the company manages thousands of servers for customers in more than 60 countries. Rackspace was recently selected by the editors of Web Hosting Magazine as the Top Choice in the Dedicated/Colocation category in the publication's Best Host Competition. Rackspace has also been named The Top Dedicated Server Company in Web Server List's Hosting Awards and voted The Top Dedicated Server Host by WebHostMagazine.com. For more information, visit www.rackspace.com, or call 800-961-2888.