Web Hosting News – ORLANDO, FL. – Parallels, a global leader in Cloud services enablement and desktop virtualization software, today announced the promotion to CEO of current company President Birger Steen.  Steen has been charged with managing and accelerating the growth Parallels has experienced in recent years.  The profitable company generates more than $100 million in revenue. Parallels founder and outgoing CEO, Serguei Beloussov, will continue his full-time role as Executive Chairman of the Board and Chief Architect driving the company’s strategy and innovation.

The announcement was made by Beloussov during his keynote speech at Parallels Summit 2011, the premier industry event for cloud service providers focused on SMBs and the company’s annual gathering for worldwide partners, customers, employees and other industry leaders.

Steen joined Parallels from Microsoft in September 2010.  Since joining the company, Steen has overseen sales, marketing, product management, and customer support and services.  He has also been integral in working with Beloussov to prepare the company for its next stage of growth. As company president, Steen oversaw the launch of the No. 1 selling and award-winning Parallels Desktop 6 for Mac and the widely adopted Parallels Plesk Panel 10.  Steen was also instrumental in creating a “voice of the customer” program to help align Parallels and its product development more closely with its partners and customers.

“During his six months with Parallels, Birger has proven himself to be an incisive decision-maker and capable leader for all areas of our business,” said Serguei Beloussov, Executive Chairman of the Board. “The Board is confident that Birger, with his global experience and proven track record in building and developing strong partner communities, is the right leader at the right time to help Parallels scale and accelerate our worldwide growth plans.  He will enable Parallels to be the best partner for service providers at an even larger scale and will lead the successful execution of our strategy.”

In his expanded role, Steen will also be responsible for all day-to-day execution including engineering sales, partner relationships, support, marketing and deployment services.  Steen will work to further the company’s leadership in Cloud services enablement and desktop virtualization, where it has 78 percent market share (according to NPD Group1). Parallels is profitable and its financial performance is strong.  In addition to generating more than $100 million in revenue, the company has a six-year 50+ percent CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) with accelerating topline growth.  Parallels is cash flow positive with a gross margin that is greater than 90 percent. The company also has a substantial and recurring predictable revenue stream.

“The talent, energy and innovation I see every day at Parallels is inspiring and I’m proud to be a part of such a unique company,” said Steen.  “I’m laser-focused on serving our customers and enabling our partners to quickly capitalize on the growing opportunities in Cloud services for SMBs worldwide.”

Prior to joining Parallels, Steen was Vice President of Small and Medium Business and Distribution at Microsoft.  He held several other senior positions at the company since joining in 2002. He started his Microsoft career at as General Manager in Norway and then moved on to serve as General Manager and Vice President of Microsoft Russia.  During his tenure there, Microsoft’s revenues from Russia grew tenfold.  Before Microsoft Steen was CEO of Scandinavia Online AB which was listed on the Stockholm and Oslo Stock Exchanges in 2000 under his leadership.  Birger holds a Master of Science in Computer Science and Industrial Engineering from the Norwegian Institute of Technology in Trondheim and earned his MBA from INSEAD in France.

Beloussov will continue to be intimately involved with Parallels full time.  As Executive Chairman of the Board and Chief Architect, he will focus on strategy, innovation, alliances and mergers and acquisitions.

About Parallels
Parallels is a worldwide leader in virtualization and automation software that optimizes computing for consumers, businesses, and Cloud Services Providers across all major hardware, operating systems, and virtualization platforms. Founded in 1999, Parallels is a fast-growing company with more than 800 employees in North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, please visit www.parallels.com.

Tired of web hosts who fail in every regard? Check out www.FindMyHost.com for a list of tested and approved hosts.

Formerly Director of Web Services for Fpweb.net, Brauch will be taking over for Rob LaMear, who will remain CEO of Fpweb.net and take on a more evangelistic role for the company.  As the President, Brauch will focus on company strategy, internal leadership and day-to-day business.

Brauch plans to take Fpweb.net from “good” to “great”, allowing them to stand with companies like Google, Toyota, 37Signals, Freshbooks and Netflix.  “I lie awake at night, mostly due to my 11 month-old crying, but also identifying ways to shake up the way we do things around here,” he said.  “I hate bureaucracy.  I prefer to challenge prevailing assumptions by creating new practical ideas that simplify our processes and prove useful.”

First and foremost, Brauch intends to change the way Fpweb.net does business, by creating a stronger focus on customer service.  “We simply must provide exceptional customer service, be honest and transparent, and treat our employees as we would our most valuable customers,” he stated.  “In doing so, we plan to build a sturdy backbone of customer and employee loyalty upon which our business can grow.”

Brauch comes to the position with over 15 years of consumer Internet experience, with the bulk of his career spent in usability and project management fields.  He brings with him the wealth of knowledge he gained while previously serving companies such as MasterCard Worldwide, The Federal Reserve Bank and Cox Health Systems.

About Fpweb.net
Fpweb.net (www.fpweb.net) provides managed hosting services for SharePoint, Exchange, CRM, Project, PerformancePoint, Office Communications Server and SQL to customers around the world.  Fpweb.net offers shared, semi-dedicated and dedicated server environments to cater to the client’s need for speed, security and control, while cutting IT costs 60%. All hosted services are housed in SAS 70 Type II data centers with PCI, SOX and HIPPA compliance to ensure the highest level of data security. Additionally, each solution is backed 24/7 by expert, U.S.-based service and support. With Fpweb.net’s rapid server deployment, clients can access the infrastructure they need today, without a significant up-front investment. As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, they serve over 5,000 enterprise customers including the NY Yankees, U.S. Air Force and BP Amoco.

Learn more about Microsoft Hosting at FindMyHost.com.

Mr. Spencer succeeds Gabriel Murphy as the company’s CEO. Mr. Murphy will remain President of Aplus.Net and will also take on a more tactical oversight role as the company’s new Chief Strategy Officer. Mr. Murphy played a pivotal role as Aplus.Net’s President and CEO during the company’s ownership transition in 2006, and during its move from California to Kansas in 2007.

Mr. Spencer comes to Aplus.Net directly from a highly successful tenure as President and CEO of Everest Connections, Inc., a Lenexa, Kansas-based cable, telephone, and Internet access provider that thrived in a market dominated by larger competition. Under Mr. Spencer’s leadership, the company grew to more than $60 million in annual revenues and was named as one of the fastest-growing companies in the Kansas City area in 2005 by Ingram’s Magazine and Ernst and Young.

Responsible for developing, overseeing, and guiding the execution of Everest’s business strategy, Mr. Spencer successfully led that company from its origins as a modest start-up into a local industry leader with an enterprise value of more than $175 million. During his time at Everest, the company boasted 20 consecutive quarters of growth in EBITDA, revenue, and customer count. Everest was acquired by California-based SureWest Communications earlier this year.

Prior to his tenure at Everest, Mr. Spencer’s experience encompassed senior sales, marketing and business development positions with AT&T, Global Crossing, GE Capital Communications Services, and Advantech, Inc. — a telecom firm that he also shepherded from a start-up into a significant industry presence.

A Marquette University graduate, Mr. Spencer has also served on several Kansas City-area boards of directors, including The Blue Valley Schools Foundation, Enterprise Center of Johnson County, Broadband Service Providers Association (BSPA), and Midwest Angel Investors.

“We are excited to have Phil join the already-strong Aplus.Net management team,” said Tyler Newton, Chairman of the Board of Aplus.net and General Partner at Catalyst Investors, the majority owner of Aplus.net. “Phil has a successful track record of profitably growing businesses. He is a high-energy, goal-focused leader that will help us grow the business by expanding our customer base and product offering.”

“Aplus.Net has a strong foundation, with a team that has done an outstanding job of building the business into one of North America’s top ten hosting companies,” commented Mr. Spencer. “I am looking forward to helping the organization continue to grow its revenue and expand its product offering. Aplus.Net will continue to be the premier provider of web hosting, online marketing, e-commerce, domain name registration, and web design.”

These changes in Aplus.Net’s management team are effective as of September 15, 2008, according to company representatives.

About Aplus.Net
One of the industry’s longest-running web hosting and Internet services provider, Aplus.Net specializes in helping small businesses build an online customer base with a comprehensive range of services that includes shared hosting, dedicated hosting, web design, online marketing, eCommerce, domain name registration, and more. Aplus.Net has received multiple awards for excellence, including the prestigious CNET Editors’ Choice Award, and has been featured in top U.S. business publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, Black Enterprise, and PC Magazine. For more information about Aplus.Net, please visit http://www.aplus.net.

About Catalyst Investors
Catalyst Investors is a growth private equity fund founded in 2000. Catalyst employs rigorous top-down research to identify investment opportunities in companies and industries that will exhibit strong revenue and margin growth. The firm works in true partnership with talented management teams to build long-term value. Catalyst has consistently achieved superior returns with disciplined risk management and a commitment to investor transparency. The Catalyst team has made more than 50 investments, successfully transitioning from investing in traditional media and communications to newer growth industries such as Internet media, Internet infrastructure and software services. For more information, visit http://www.catalystinvestors.com/.

Find discount dedicated servers, cheap web hosting and affordable windows hosting at FindMyHost.com.