Direction

Time had come whereby maintenance of 1000s of domains in USA servers were getting more and more tedious. Also the local Internet Datacentres in Singapore started coming out. It was a headache to decide whether to continue with our existing facilities or to start new facilities in Singapore. Singapore Web Hosting and Malaysia Web Hosting

Critical Mass Reached

After struggling for about a year and having reached 1000 domains hosting. I had to make to critical decision to hire another support staff as I am starting to feel that I am unable to cope with the rapid growth. This was a proud moment but also a stressful moment, a staff means a mouth to feed and I want to offer my staff a career path which was still difficult at that point in 8 to Infinity.
Singapore Web Hosting

Working 24/7

During those early days, I work non-stop, breakfast, lunch, dinner all roll into one. Time has no relevancy, just work , work , work. I have to be thankful for the Technopark. It is a very secure place with 24 hours security guards. A 24 hour coffee shop just opposite for my coffee. 6 cups of coffee is my norm. Starting a business is tough, if I can relive my life again, I don't think I want to start up a business : ). Singapore Web Hosting

My First Real Office

Before that I was working part time from home. My first office was at Technopark @ Chai Chee. The Technopark has an advantage that it has offices ranging from small size (a few tables) to huge offices. My first office has enough space for 4 tables and a few cabinets.

Though small it had a very cosy and warm feeling unlike in huge offices. This is the place I started to "really" build up our hosting company. Singapore Web Hosting

Best of Both Worlds

I decided to step out and run the web hosting business full time. There is a lot of our clients who are very supportive of us. Can't let them down.

My decision was to work full time on my web hosting business, while working towards my phD part time so that I do not lose touch with either my business or with technology. Seems to me, the Best of Both Worlds, till now it still seemed to be : ). Singapore Web Hosting

Tough Decision

Two years after formation of 8 to Infinity, the tough decision finally set in. I can't continue running the hosting business part time as it is growing too rapidly. But my real love is in Research and Development. My aim in life is to be a good research scientist, not to enter the Hosting Business as a full time job. Singapore Web Hosting

Planting a seed......

After registering the business, for the next 2 years. I didn't really do much, but my affliates grow, my reseller pay checks get bigger. My own web business grow, not much efforts in advertising. I didn't know how the clients found me. I registered the business under my brother's office where I work in R & D, this business is only part time. But it grew for the two years till my brother could not handle even the enquiries. Plant a seed and the sapling sprout out on its own with nature's sunlight and water.

A lot of people was asking what's my secret for getting the business growing. I could not really answer, luck seemed to be with me......Singapore Web Hosting

Setting up a Business

As the hosting business grow, I decided to setup a business for this and 8 to Infinity is borned on the 2 Nov 1997. Compared to now, the registration previously was more complicated. You can basically register a business online now. At that time you need to go down personally, flip through a thick old book for your company's category and so on. Really envy the current batch of enterpreneurs with all the ease and funding available.

Our only assets at that time was Pentium 100, which I disabled the downloading of graphics so that it loads faster, an external modem , I think it is Boca brand and a phone line to connect to the Internet and lots of determination. Singapore Web Hosting

One Step at a Time

As my reseller accounts and Singapore agents increases, my pay cheques increased till I could actually start getting my own server space and host my own clients. My reseller accounts are catered to high end users. I felt that there is a growing demand for budget web hosting. I start setting up my own reseller accounts and selling at a budget pricing, I remember my first package was 2 mb web space costing S$10 a month.

The Web Hosting industry was still new, I added in features like formmail, counters into my accounts which proved to be hot selling. The servers are in USA, but this was the time when the bad mouthing started of our company being a fly by night. Of our servers being hosted on a 56kbps modems at my flat. One issue was I never lived in a flat before and never had servers at home. Till now, some old timers were still asking if I started out of my flat.

To be frank, at that time, I do not have the technical skills to setup and maintain a server in the 1st place. Basically all were done by my partner in USA. Singapore Web Hosting