Interland (Nasdaq: INLD), a leading provider of Web hosting and online services for small and medium-sized businesses, is proud to announce its dedicated hosting offerings were key in helping the 2004 BP MS 150 Houston to Austin Bike Tour to raise an anticipated $10 million. Largely driven by the online giving made possible through Interland's dedicated hosting and professional services, the BP MS 150's Web site this year handled more than 55,000 transactions for revenue that totaled $3 million.
Completed on April 18, the two-day, 180-mile ride from Houston to Austin raises funds to fight the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis, a debilitating disease of the central nervous system. The Bike Tour is an annual rite of spring in which more than 12,000 cyclists participate. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the ride, which has grown into the world's largest two-day non-profit cycling event.
"The rock solid platform, site transparency and Interland's excellent service has allowed our organization to lead the way as far as charity fundraising and bike registration goes," said Mark Neagli, Executive Vice President and COO, Lone Star Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. "There is no question that our Web site has fueled our success and excited our participants - who after all do all the fundraising. Our online presence has allowed us to produce the results we needed to beat our annual goals."
The BP MS 150 site (www.ms150.org) includes flash integrations into e-donate links, which walk supporters through the donation process, giving them information about the riders they are sponsoring, their fellow team members and their fund-raising status. The site is hosted on two Interland dedicated load balanced Web servers and includes various security and stability services, such as regular data backups. This gives the Lone Star Chapter's Web team the technology and flexibility they need to run feature-rich Web with total confidence and control. During this year's event the site handled more than 235,000 unique visitors.
"As people become more technologically savvy and more comfortable online, we are going to see Web fund-raising hit entirely new levels," says Cris Salas, Interland's vice president of dedicated hosting. "It allows people to donate anytime and anywhere -- from their office at lunchtime or at home in the middle of the night. For this reason more non-profit organizations, like businesses, are turning to dedicated hosting solutions that permit them to run the custom and business applications needed to maintain a feature-rich online presence."
With the freedom to make online donations 24x7 also comes the expectation that the site in use has the highest levels of efficiency, reliability and security. "Online donors want a site to be dependable, consistent and readily available," said Neagli of the Lone Star Chapter. "If someone logs on to give money and the site is down or isn't working properly, the fund-raising opportunity is virtually lost."
In addition, Neagli says donors want to know their transactions are secure. Working with Interland, the BP MS 150 Tour organizers have put in place a number of security features including dedicated firewalls and digital certificates, which not only secure the transaction but also provide reassurances to donors that their information is safe.
More Americans are choosing to donate online. According to a recent survey, the average amount of online donations increased by 46 percent from 2002 to 2003. Good news for events like the BP MS 150 because transaction costs associated with online donations are lower, meaning more of the contribution goes to the charity in the end.
About Interland
Interland, Inc. (Nasdaq: INLD) is a leading Web hosting and online services company dedicated to helping small and medium businesses achieve success by providing the knowledge, services and tools to build, manage and promote businesses online. Interland offers a wide selection of online services, including standardized Web hosting, e-commerce, application hosting, and Web site development, marketing and optimization tools. For more information about Interland, please visit www.interland.com, email moreinfo@interland.com or call 1-800-335-1327.
