Rackspace Launches UK Startup Programme to Fuel New British Businesses

pan>)--Rackspace,
the open
cloud company, announces plans to launch its Rackspace Startup
Programme in 2013 to provide cloud computing resources to new businesses
driving growth in the UK economy. With a global track record of
partnering with premiere startup accelerators and incubators in the USA
and Australia, the firm now broadens its focus to include the EMEA
region aiming to help power thousands of UK startups to success.
“Since launching in the US two years ago, weve helped over 850 startups
through the programme. Weve also worked with over 100 programme
partners, including some of the top accelerators, universities,
co-working spaces and VCs, and we are thrilled to launch the UK startup
programme”
Since launching in the US two years ago, weve helped over 850 startups
through the programme. Weve also worked with over 100 programme
partners, including some of the top accelerators, universities,
co-working spaces and VCs, and we are thrilled to launch the UK startup
programme, said Taylor Rhodes, Managing Director, International at
Rackspace.
Given the cloud models inherent flexibility and elasticity, the fact
that it requires minimal capital expenditure up front, and its unmatched
ability to scale, its an essential differentiator for many fast growth
businesses. In 2009, nearly 250,000 VAT registered businesses started in
the UK*. This highlights the vast number of startups that could
potentially benefit from cloud services, if they arent already.
Starting as a ten man entrepreneurial venture itself back in 1998,
Rackspace recognises the need to provide fledgling businesses harbouring
great potential the enabling technologies for growth and commercial
success. The Rackspace Startup Programme therefore exists to provide low
cost cloud hosting and support services to startup incubators who have
identified cloud computing as a more efficient route to IT service
delivery.
As a company that likes to refer to information technology as the fifth
business utility, Rackspace views cloud computing as a means of
democratising access to powerful IT resources at every tier of the
business spectrum. As such, the Rackspace Startup Programme has been
engineered from the outset to give incubators an unrivalled opportunity
to drive startup firms towards development, expansion and commercial
success.
Cloud computing services are built around the principles of not only
flexibility and scalability, but automation and self-service too as we
serve customers needs from our local datacentres with additional
service layers all backed up by our world-renowned Fanatical Support,
said Rhodes. Bringing the power of our continuously available cloud
services to the dynamic world of startup business is, to be quite
honest, really exciting. I cant wait to see what happens next.
Rackspace unveiled its Startup Programme at a Boost Your Start-Up
networking event held in the heart of Londons Tech City on 20th
November 2012. The event featured a panel discussion with some of the
most prominent thought leaders in this space, moderated by Robert
Scoble, the worlds pre-eminent blogger and evangelist on technology and
start-ups. Moving forwards, Rackspace expects to work with high profile
accelerators including DreamStake and Springboard, to ensure that
businesses across the UK have access to its Startup Programme.
With a multiplicity of extremely sensitive and highly fluid business
factors to juggle, startups need an IT backbone built around maximum
levels of elasticity, control and automation. We welcome Rackspaces
commitment to providing this through their cloud offering. The
scalability in a pay-as-you-go model is essential for fast-growing
businesses and will be a key business enabler for startups now and in
the future, said Sean Kane, Co-Founder, Springboard.
Rackspace is also offering one start-up team the chance to win a trip to
San Antonio, Texas, plus a 1-on-1 mentoring session with founder and
Chairman, Graham Weston, while theyre there. Entrants must submit a
pitch video for a start-up idea centred around cloud computing by
December 14th for a chance to win. The winners will also receive 3,000
in Rackspace Cloud Hosting.
Notes to editors
*http://www.startups.co.uk/business-startup-trends.html
About Rackspace
Rackspace
Hosting (NYSE: RAX) is the open
cloud company, delivering open technologies and powering more than
197,000 customers worldwide. Rackspace provides its renowned Fanatical
Support across a broad portfolio of IT products, including Public
Cloud, Private Cloud, Hybrid
Hosting and Dedicated
Hosting. The company offers choice, flexibility and freedom from
vendor lock in. Rackspace has been recognised by Bloomberg BusinessWeek
as a Top 100 Performing Technology Company and is featured on Sunday
Times list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. Rackspace was positioned
in the Leaders Quadrant by Gartner Inc. in the 2011 Magic Quadrant for Managed
Hosting. Rackspace EMEA headquarters are in London with offices and data
centers around the world. For more information, visit www.rackspace.co.uk.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve
risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties
materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of
Rackspace Hosting could differ materially from those expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All
statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that
could be deemed forward-looking statements, including any statements
concerning expected development of the Rackspace Startup Programme and
residual benefits from the programme to Rackspace; anticipated
operational and financial benefits from Rackspace Startup Programme; any
statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions
underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions
include the possibility that expected benefits from Rackspace Startup
Programme may not materialize because the programme is not generally
accepted in the marketplace and other risks that are described in
Rackspace Hostings Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2012,
filed with the SEC on November 7, 2012. Except as required by law,
Rackspace Hosting assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking
statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could
differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking
statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Information Source: Business Wire