Host General, a Chicago-based web hosting provider, has announced new cut-rate reseller plans geared towards individuals vending bulk hard drive and bandwidth space online.

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Host General, an accessible and economical web host available online at http://www.HostGeneral.com, has publicized a new series of discounted monthly plans tailored towards resellers. Host General provides its customers with competitive pricing in addition to a slew of tech-based bonuses. The domain host’s new reseller web hosting plans are advertised to start as low as $19.95.

Reseller hosting is a type of web hosting in which an individual purchases a large amount of hard drive and bandwidth space and then utilizes it to store third party websites. The reseller purchases the space in bulk at a wholesale price and can then sell space to affiliates for a profit. Resellers typically operate as web developers or systems integrators that promote dependable web hosting as an added business incentive.

Reselling is a fast web hosting option for entrepreneurs who wish to establish a brand, as most packages allow for tailored pricing structures and customized control panels. To succeed, organizations must maintain a web presence and cannot do so on their own without adequate space. On a practical level, resellers do not have to be technologically inclined. Typically, a data center operator is responsible for sustaining a network’s infrastructure and hardware; a reseller’s position is thereby reduced to maintaining a customer base and marketing. Reseller web hosting services are popular ventures due to a consistent supply and demand.

Host General is now offering several monthly and yearly reseller web hosting plans. The first package is for beginner resellers who wish to start with the basics. The Streamline Plan is $19.95 per month and includes 100 GB storage, 1,000 GB bandwidth, ClientExec access and a static IP address. The Bump Up WHMCS Plan, meanwhile, is priced at $34.95 per month and includes 200 GB Storage, 2,000 GB Bandwidth, ClientExec or WHMCS services and a static IP address.

The final two reseller plans are designed to especially target web hosting providers that are interested in maximizing their reselling potential. The Bigger Bandwidth and Mega Storage Plan is now $49.95 per month and offers 300 GB storage, 3,000 GB Bandwidth, ClientExec or WHMCS services and a static IP address. The Master Hosting plan is just $79.95 per month and has 500 GB storage, 4,000 GB Bandwidth, Client Exec or WHMCS services and a static IP address. All four plans come with a free Merchant Account that allows for easy credit card payments online.

Host General seeks to present customers not only with reliable web hosting, but also comprehensive services. Its network is built with over 20 upstream providers that deliver High Availability from data centers across Chicago, Houston, Montreal and Toronto. Reliable power and HVAC infrastructure is present at all locations. State-of-the-art environmental/fire protection systems as well as round-the-clock security also work to keep customer information safe. In the event of a computer malfunction, an onsite spare parts inventory allows for quick replacements.

Staff is available 24/7 to address web hosting plan questions at http://HostGeneral.com or 1-888-221-HOST. Customers can subscribe to Host General’s blog at http://www.HostGeneralBlog.com, follow the company on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Host_General, and like the web hosting provider on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/HostGeneral.

Googles battle with Apple continues, and this week the website
iFixit conducted a teardown of the new Nexus 7 tablet and found it to be more repairable than Apples iPad.

The site, which regularly takes apart high-tech and potentially expensive gizmos and gadgets, noted that the Nexus shell came apart quite easily, allowing it to be opened and serviced. The Nexus could be repaired, and thus have its life extended, the site concluded.

The naming of the device isnt lost on science fiction fans, who may remember that in the film Blade Runner, the android villains were Nexus 6 models, with a limited lifespan. Depending on which of the many cuts of the film you trust, it is possible that Rick Deckard — played by Harrison Ford — could be a Nexus 7, with a longer, even unknown, lifespan.

While were not keen on speculating how much all the components cost — they differ in price depending on the manufacturers negotiations with component suppliers — I can tell you this: The Nexus 7 doesnt really skimp on the internal construction when compared to other tablets, iFixit spokesperson Miroslav Djuric told the E-Commerce Times. It does have some cost-savers — such as no rear camera, just like the Kindle Fire — but for the most part, it rivals its competitors in terms of features, and it doesnt make structural internal compromises to achieve the (US)$200 price point.

Googles Tablet Goals

The company that started out in the search business has entered other arenas very successfully, and the Nexus 7 is just the latest example. That success sometimes has come at a cost, though — or at least the absence of huge profits out of the gate. In fact, this tablet could be an example of trying to capture the market while simply not losing a ton of money.

Whether Google/Asus is making money, losing money, or breaking even is only truly known by folks within those companies, added Djuric. However its my opinion that if theyre making money, its probably not a huge amount per unit.

However, making money isnt as important as capturing the market, and Google knows this as well as any company.

At Google, they tend to do the product first and figure out the revenue later, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. They should get a percentage off of app sales and clearly will get money from the ads consumed with the device. But they dont have the retail engine Amazon has, so much of the revenue for this device will be developed over time.

Google Targets: Apple or Amazon

The other big question is whether Google is looking to gain headway into the market against Apple with its iPad, or against Amazon with its own Kindle Fire tablets. Or could it be testing the water?

These devices — the Fire and the Nexus 7 — are portals, and both firms have destination sites that generate money, Enderle told the E-Commerce Times. Googles is their search window and app store — at least for paid apps, which havent been a strength yet. It likely anticipates a more robust retail back end over time, or fees to other firms online properties.

So, could Google hope to offer the same selection of multimedia and physical goods sales as Kindle Fire? Or could the company look to generate revenue from apps and advertising? Or a combination of the above?

Yes, and it can with folks that build clients for the platform, said Enderle.

These could include such firms as Netflix and Slacker — but the trick, Enderle added, will be monetizing it.

But then that is always the trick with Google, he noted. This develop first, monetize later approach common to the dot-com era has its risks, but as long as they sell at or above cost their risks are minor. Even with robust sales, it is unlikely this device can hurt margins that much unless they dont sell.

However, there are problems with the at-cost, revenue later model, including the fact there really is no marketing budget, which means that except for the initial buzz, a product could suffer against better-funded offerings from Amazon and Apple.

Cheap helps, said Enderle, but you still have to market the device, and at-cost doesnt toss off cash for marketing.