LeaseWeb launches Plesk 12 for bare metal and virtual servers

Plesk 12 is now available in six hosting packages; three from LeaseWeb’s bare metal server offerings and three virtual server packages. Existing LeaseWeb clients can upgrade to Plesk 12 immediately while new global customers will be able to automatically install Plesk 12 after selecting their hosting package. LeaseWeb has expanded its offers with the immediate availability of fully integrated, ready-to-install solutions designed for web professionals. Leveraging the targeted functionality of Plesk 12 editions and the power of LeaseWeb servers, web professionals will have a complete solution that meets their needs. Customers can now access a dedicated webpage to acquire these solutions designed to meet their needs.

Improved security
LeaseWeb values the importance of ensuring a secure and trouble-free experience when adding new Parallels products. Given this, LeaseWeb initiated a comprehensive testing plan for Plesk 12 at an early stage. All configuration options and automatic delivery processes were tested thoroughly by LeaseWeb’s engineers, as well as the compatibility of Plesk 12 with a variety of operating systems, such as CentOS, Debian, and Ubuntu.

During the testing it was obvious that Plesk 12 offered improved functionality, particularly with regards to security. “Plesk 12 features significant security improvements,” said Marc Burkels, LeaseWeb’s Manager of Dedicated Hosting. “Some key security features of Plesk 12 include protection from outgoing spam and protection from e-mail interception. The former enables admins to halt the sending of spam via outgoing e-mail limits. The latter empowers admins to protect users from e-mail interception by malicious users masquerading as legitimate companies —by prohibiting the setup of pre-registered domains.”

“Plesk 12’s security enhancements also offer an innovative IMAP/POP3 alternative via Dovecot and the ability to enable/disable mail service for individual domains,” said Burkels.

The new security features do not end there, however, as Plesk 12 also includes support for Fail2Ban and ModSecurity, both popular third-party security solutions.
“Parallels decision to include support for Fail2Ban for intrusion detection and ModSecurity as a web-application firewall are both exciting new additions to our server packages,” said Burkels. “Our clients can now feel more secure knowing that network attacks can be thwarted by Fail2Ban and flexible security rule sets can be quickly implemented via ModSecurity’s firewall solution.”

LeaseWeb also likes the WordPress enhancements and additions to Parallels’ new product. Specifically, Plesk 12 has introduced support for WordPress Toolkit ? a tool used for WordPress installations that enables users to manage multiple plug-ins, themes, and installations from a single point-of-entry. Security is also implemented for APS-based WordPress installations in the form of security improvement recommendations and can be applied to new or existing WordPress instances.

Putting the focus on the user
The Plesk 12 solution also includes some significant user-centric improvements. “Plesk 11 provided us with a comprehensive set of new user-friendly features and we are pleased to say that Plesk 12 has surpassed its previous benchmarks in this regard,” said Burkels.

“The Plesk 12 team has really spent time on account management and, in this version, server administrators now have access to a robust system designed to facilitate all aspects of site, user, and account management.”

Customer accounts can be moved from one reseller to another and can also be converted to resellers and vice-versa. Admins can now work on behalf of their resellers via troubleshooting-friendly functionality such as custom comments for accounts and Power User Mode, a highly useful feature that, among other things, enables users to manage all their sites from a single screen. The interface is also mobile-friendly, automatically adjusting to the proper screen size for hosting customers and admins alike.

“In the latest versions of Plesk, Parallels has added all kinds of user-friendly features that exceed a shared hosting application and cater to the needs of web developers and less tech-savvy users as well. After seeing the improvements that Plesk 12 brought to the table, we decided that the latest version of the Plesk web control panel should be available to our clients on the day of launch,” said Burkels.

“LeaseWeb has been a Parallels strategic partner for many years,” said John Zanni, Chief Marketing Officer, Parallels. “LeaseWeb’s rapid adoption of new technologies has enabled them to quickly adapt to shifts in the industry resulting in their impressive growth, and Plesk 12 promises to assist LeaseWeb in attracting new customers and serving them more completely, more efficiently and more profitably.”