Focus Less on Hosting and More on Your Projects With This Web Host

TL; DR: A developer’s day is full of tasks, some more important than others. With only so many hours in a workday, time constraints and backlog can easily happen. But offloading low-value tasks can help you turn your pipeline around. And Webslice can help you do so by simplifying your server and hosting management. Its cloud containers and soon-to-be-released serverless platform allow teams to run and manage multiple projects in one place while dealing with little technical work. You get all the control over your projects without the time-consuming DevOps.

There are several ways to do a sales pitch. Some people go from door to door, others work a booth at an expo, or they set up in a conference room in the office. But have you ever seen someone give a full pitch while riding a rollercoaster?

Probably not because it sounds impossible or even a bit ludicrous. But I’ve seen it on video. Don’t believe me? Ask the folks at Webslice.

While at CloudFest 2024, a global cloud conference that takes place in an amusement park, Webslice’s Technical Director Quintin Russ summoned his courage and boarded a rollercoaster to discuss the fast and scalable hosting platform.

As the rollercoaster made its ascent, Quintin, slowly and visibly losing his cool, explained how Webslice could help simplify hosting for developers just as the coaster took its climatic nosedive. Just like that, that was Webslice’s first foray into the world — a quite unique and audacious one.

The rollercoaster pitch is only one example of how the Websclice team doesn’t cower easily. If that isn’t enough for you, maybe Webslice’s yearslong journey with serverless development is. Unlike some of its competitors, Webslice took on the challenges that came along the way.

“We discovered a number of complexities along the way. We also noticed a number of other companies that were talking about serverless hosting as loudly as we were sort of dropped off over time. But we’ve stuck with it,” said Max Johns, Head of Digital Marketing at Webslice.

Though still in beta testing, Webslice’s serverless solution is taking on an ambitious ask — elastic PHP-friendly hosting. And the team seeks to deliver on that promise. Webslice also offers cloud containers within its platform for faster performance and less managerial work.

Launched in 2024, Webslice joined sister companies, SiteHost and MyHost, under the SiteTech Group. Focused on developer-friendly cloud hosting, Webslice introduced its cloud containers to the world during the CloudFest 2024.

After years of development, Webslice was ready for launch. The SiteTech Group used its 20-plus years of experience in hosting to bring cloud containers to a larger audience, with a vision to establish an international presence.

“We launched first with the Webslice Containers product which is something that we have been working on since 2016 under another brand back home in New Zealand. So that is a battle hardened, well tested platform that we now operate out of five locations around the world,” said Max.

Creating Webslice allowed the SiteTech Group to bring its robust containerized platform to the world. Its containers have achieved major success since their launch in 2016. So much so that the container platform hosts more than 16,000 websites across the world.

Keeping Up With Developer Needs

“We’ve been keeping the entire platform up to date for everyone. If you spin up a server today or tomorrow, you will be on the exact same platform. It’s been important for us to keep that product not just viable, but to keep it enjoyable and as performative as possible,” said Max.

What makes the Webslice containers so valuable is their flexibility. They enable you to run multiple independent environments with different languages on your own server without interference. You can also manage all those environments from a single console.

“What we’ve also been doing with a containerized platform over time is listening to what developers want and building in those new features. One example that springs to my mind is container cloning and sync,” said Max.

If you want to make changes, you can use Webslice’s container cloning to do so without affecting your live environment. Once you’re done testing, you can sync those changes into your environment.

Webslice is all about simplifying life for busy developers. This is why it keeps its platform constantly updated. Max said the team consistently releases new container images and updates PHP, so developers can come into the platform and not worry about PHP upgrades.

“We have a simple cache option available. So if you don’t want to dig into the different ways that caching can speed your site up, there’s a well honed option sitting there waiting for you. That’s another good example of how we want to make it easy for developers,” said Max.

Innovation is in Webslice’s DNA and nothing proves that more than its serverless platform. Built for elastic hosting, Webslice’s serverless platform accomplishes something most serverless solutions don’t — PHP support.

“So what we wanted to do was make it possible to build something that is usable for PHP developers who don’t have all the time in the world to architect their own solutions and make it as easy to use as any other hosting platform, but with a serverless base underneath it,” said Max.

A serverless setup that PHP developers can manage themselves is a rare find. This is why Webslice set out on the journey to create a serverless platform that could be accessible for all developers.

“The reason we focused on PHP is because it felt like the serverless world was being developed with a particular view of the future in mind, but not much of a view of the present. Most of the web is built on PHP,” said Max.

PHP is one of the most used programming languages in the world. So it’s only right that it has tools to accommodate its usage and streamline development. Currently in beta testing, Webslice’s serverless solution will allow PHP teams to scale resources depending on traffic demand. And this capability extends to dynamic sites as well

“There are examples where your sites must be static to work on particular serverless platforms. We wanted to avoid taking things away from PHP developers in order to give them these other serverless features. We want them to have full access to both sides of the coin,” said Max.

Max told us that the Webslice team sought to make all things possible — rather than just a subset of what’s possible — during the development of its serverless platform. You can register for the public beta to test the Webslice platform for yourself and see how far you can go.

“The idea behind Webslice is that whichever platform you go with, they’ll both be equally easy to use and equally well supported by our expert team. The celebration of PHP is where we’re at as well. We believe that the web as it is deserves to have as much fun and shiny new toys as anyone else,” said Max.

The Webslice team has always built solutions from scratch. Its cloud container platform is one of many examples. It’s no different with its serverless platform, although the team does get an assist from AWS.

AWS is the base for the Webslice serverless platform, allowing it to be accessible from locations all over the world.

“The reason for that is because AWS enables all of these features and benefits if you get it right and if you put the hard work in. But a lot of people don’t have the capacity, skill, or time to learn,” said Max.

By creating this platform, Webslice enables teams that can’t build their own solutions with AWS to leverage serverless capabilities. It also makes serverless easy to use, so teams can manage as many projects as they need and only pay for the resources they need.

Max said Webslice encourages and values developer feedback. In fact, the team is looking for public beta testers to improve and complete its serverless development. Everything Webslice does is developer-focused and it seeks to bring the Webslice experience to the globe.

“Being a New Zealand-based company, we like to think of ourselves as a pretty small and distant place. But when you’re selling online, the world doesn’t feel so small after all,” said Max.

“And we’re hoping that we’ll be able to see that 16,000 number [hosted sites] get really big when people around the world discover that there’s a company down here that’s been doing some inventive stuff and has a good pedigree and track record.”