Steel Pixel www.steelpixel.com

Originally I risked taking out a lifetime membership* for my personal web projects. I did this because is was a hosting service that I could benefit from when experimenting with various Web 2.0 projects. Right from the start Steel Pixel were helpful by changing my user name and identifying a routing problem for one of my IP addresses. Although probably not the fastest option for a UK audience, it is a great service at a low cost.

* Lifetime membership was an alternative way to raise money without seeking venture capital. It took the form of a one off payment for lifetime use of the servers, with various sensible restrictions. This does make sense at the money that is required to keep the lifetime service running annually, as it is less than what would be expected by a venture capitalist in return for the equivalent investment.