Features and Ease of Use
The enterprise-level web hosting services provided by Ricoh include dedicated servers, virtual private servers, cloud hosting, managed hosting, email hosting and backup services. They also provide website solutions such as website design, pay-per-click marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO). While they do not explicitly offer shared hosting, they do offer public cloud hosting.
As standard, Ricoh’s hosting plans enjoy the following features:
- 99.95% uptime guarantee
- Backup service available as an add-on
- ISO 27001:2013
- Tier III datacenters
- 24/7 technical support
Ricoh provides top-class services to large businesses and enterprises. Their servers are all housed in Tier III data centers, which means 99.98% uptime plus backup power feeds, diverse network paths, and diesel generators. Whilst Tier III offers more than enough reliability and security for most large businesses, Tier IV would be preferable for enterprise-level companies.
Unlike many other companies, Ricoh does not outsource their servers or resell other providers’ servers. They own and operate their own data centers in Kolkata, and they provide 24/7 on-site technical support in the event of any issue with the hardware.
I really like Ricoh’s flexibility. Although they have preconfigured plans, I found that I could customize my package in a multitude of ways. I had the choice of ten operating systems, four control panels, various memory sizes and storage options, and much more besides.
Pricing and Support
Prices are very competitive when compared to both local and international companies. I’d like to see prices provided in currencies other than Indian rupees to make life simpler for their overseas customers.
Upon checkout, I was able to choose monthly, quarterly or semi-annual payments, but – unusually – the price did not reduce when I chose a longer term. Compared with other companies, the billing terms are quite strict. There is also no free trial, no free plan, no money-back guarantee, and they have no refund policy under any circumstances.
I must admit to being a little disappointed with the customer service. Although they advertise 24/7/365 customer service, on several occasions I found myself waiting for a live chat operator. On the plus side, they always followed up and answered my questions in full.
Live chat is not the sole method of contact available. They also provide an Indian telephone number, an international toll-free number, multiple email addresses, and several active social media channels. Additionally, they offer a comprehensive knowledge base that covers a wide range of useful topics.
