James Riley
SoftLayer is one of those hosting providers that is simply mind-numbingly awesome. They're the only dedicated server provider I've seen that gives you everything from IP KVM to ethernet control, remote power outlet control, automated OS reloads/changes all through the control panel, all with no tickets. They've automated their processes to make it easier for you to manage your business infrastructure with minimal interaction with their tech team, which frees their techs up to handle the more intricate issues on the network and hardware side of things.
Their network is absolutely top notch. You've got the public network, but aside from that there is a private network - all of your servers and services, whether physical or virtual, whether in Dallas, Seattle, or DC are able to communicate securely on your own private VLAN with no bandwidth charges. I have never seen an unplanned network outage affect services in my entire time working with them, and even planned outages generally are set up so well that services are entirely unaffected.
SoftLayer is definitely not for everyone - to take full advantage of their systems you have to be well versed in server administration. They do offer managed services but it's on a per ticket basis with a $3 fee per ticket, so if you're looking for fully managed they're not for you.
Sside from being extremely well versed in what they're doing, the techs some of the most professional support personnel I've ever had the pleasure of working with. Their responses are quick, to the point, and if there's something that needs clarification they're very good at asking the right questions. If you really need to clarify something and typing it out isn't working they're just a phone call away, but tickets are the preferred method of communication. I've only opened up 45 support tickets since 2006 - and while you may think that's a lot, the majority of it was hardware upgrades and just simple questions about the infrastructure to help me better plan my setup. There have been less than 5 instances where support needed to get involved to get something fixed. Whenever I had a problem, working on it with the tools they provide almost always proved to be successful.
Bottom line: If you want a server that you can manage yourself and have fast, fine grained control over, SoftLayer is the host for you. They're more expensive than the competition, but you get what you pay for. Actually, with SoftLayer I'd say you get far more than you pay for!
The only thing I wish I'd known before becoming a customer was that they existed. I'd been through several hosting companies all with several nightmares. As soon as a friend referred me to SoftLayer, I checked it out and was immediately sold. I will not be taking my business elsewhere - nothing compares.
