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Gocompare.com was launched in November 2006 and has grown significantly since its launch and the site now handles tens of thousands of quotes daily. Fortunately, their previous experience meant that they'd already identified a superb hosting provider in the shape of Rackspace®, which enabled them to be up and running in a very short time frame. 

Gocompare.com compares motor, home, motorbike and van insurance and also breakdown cover. Its instant, online comparisons are based on a wide range of cover selected by the user (using a five star rating process) and not just the cost.

Gocompare.com was launched in November 2006. It was the brainchild of Hayley Parsons, the co-founder of Confused.com. The site is the first of the new generation ‘Comparison 2.0’ websites, providing a far greater focus on actual product features and benefits comparison, rather than simply quoting the cheapest price. The Gocompare.com site boasts significant technological advances over the original aggregator services and now provides a detailed and guaranteed quote rather than just an estimate. Gocompare.com has grown significantly since its launch and the site now handles tens of thousands of quotes daily.

Dan Cassell is the IT Director at Gocompare.com. “We knew that our business model was a significant advance over any other comparison site and we were very aware that to be successful we had to offer a really great online customer experience that was intuitive, quick and easy.”

He added, “Fortunately, our previous experience meant that we had already identified a superb hosting provider in the shape of Rackspace®, which has enabled us to be up and running in a very short time frame.”
Vast reservoir of knowledge

Dan revealed, “With Rackspace as our hosting Partner we were incredibly fortunate to be able to tap in to a vast reservoir of knowledge and experience that allowed us to get set up and ready for the market using limited IT development. We have learnt a huge amount from the support team at Rackspace in areas previously outside our own skill sets, and have benefited from their incredible Fanatical Support®. Having such an array of specialists on hand for advice and direction is very comforting and a big step along the path to guaranteeing success.”

Technical challenge
Dan went on to say, “Running a highly popular comparison site can be exceedingly challenging from a technology viewpoint. It is particularly difficult to predict user demand and calculate appropriate bandwidth requirements to meet a sudden rush for quotes.”

“A TV campaign can mean huge demand peaks are generated that rapidly outstrip our bandwidth allocation. Fortunately, unlike many hosting providers, Rackspace does not have a restrictive policy on bandwidth usage, and it is possible to burst the limits on a short term basis with no penalty, or agree higher limits if the natural trend is upward. The same reasonable approach applies to our managed backup, where the huge volume of quotes being generated through the site and requiring online storage means the regular addition of new servers - sometimes in a hurry, though this appears not to worry the support team at all. Working with Rackspace is truly a partnership and I would recommend them to any company looking for the utmost reliability combined with real enthusiasm. “

Focus on People
Dan summed up, “We chose Rackspace because of their focus on people and consistently high level of customer support, much like our own philosophy. It is so good to work with positive people, and for me that’s everyone at Rackspace.”

Doug Loewe is Managing Director at Rackspace. “I am utterly delighted that Gocompare.com chose Rackspace as their hosting partner. We have shown our capability in this rapidly growing sector and we are very confident that we are becoming the industry hosting partner of choice.”

For a rapid insurance quote where you can compare the prices and the features of every policy you simply need to visit www.gocompare.com

For the ultimate hosting experience simply call Rackspace on 0800 988 0100 or visit the website at www.rackspace.co.uk

Gocompare.com is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.