| Sales | 0208 045 4945 | 0800 458 4545 |
| Support | 0208 045 4944 | 0800 230 0032 |
| Sales | 0208 045 4945 | 0800 458 4545 |
| Support | 0208 045 4944 | 0800 230 0032 |
"The world's media uses our website to stay informed on not just the Sale Sharks but premiership Rugby," says media manager, Dave Swanton. "And with 60,000 active members, we're committed to delivering the net's best rugby club resource."
Shark's chief executive James Jennings sees online communication as a crucial link between the club and the fans. "Our supporters are fanatical about rugby and they love the website," he enthuses. "They expect it to be constantly up-to-date with the latest news and results. It is imperative it is always available, even at two in the morning. They won't accept anything less."
The Sharks needed a server solution that is always a step ahead of the rapidly growing club and fan base. The club needed a reliable solution for their internet community to cater for fans, press and shoppers alike. Their profile was growing quickly and they looked to UKFast to provide a scalable hosting solution which would keep their website and online shop up and running 24 hours a day 365 days a year. UKFast also foresaw the potential issue of bandwidth problems. The site has periods of extreme business - such as matchdays - and The Sharks required a solution which would cope with massive peaks in traffic.
"We have been hosted by UKFast for almost 10 years, and I can't remember a single glitch. On the rare occasions we have needed their support, I have to say they are absolutely awesome. Reliability is everything for us as a period of downtime would invariably costs the club a considerable amount of loss of earnings, plus it is such a widely used resource I shudder to think what would happen if it were unavailable!" said Nathan Bombrys, Sale Sharks' commercial director. "We've had no downtime and our visitor experience is incredibly fast delivering content to our eager fans in an instant. We have launched seven news sites whilst being a UKFast client and they have been there holding our hands every step of the way. Each site just gets busier and busier, but performance always remains constant."
A dedicated server offers a level of reliability which cannot be obtained through shared hosting solutions. UKFast's robust network links its Manchester data centre to London, delivering the highest level of failover in the industry today.
Online ticketing and merchandise have now been in place for a number of seasons. The success of the team and the website have given seed to a vibrant online community that often tests the power of the GraphiteRack hosting servers that lie behind it.
Nathan Bombrys cites the flexible relationship as one of UKFast key qualities. "Weekends bring significantly heavy traffic and a good win can increase users by 1,000 per cent. Fans read match reports, check league tables and are often inspired to book their next tickets or browse the shop at the same time. The guys at UKFast take all this into account. The tech team monitor and predict our bandwidth so we are never in danger of overloading the server. At Twickenham in May 2006, UKFast were with us, in the crowd and the office. When the final whistle blew, our web server was ready for the onslaught. This kind of personal service is typical of UKFast's customer care."
The two teams have worked together to develop the Sharks online resource. UKFast's MD, Lawrence Jones has always maintained a close relationship with the club and has helped shape its growth over the years by consulting on issues such as online ticket sales and the Sale Sharks online shop. "The management team are a pleasure to work with," says Jones." Brian Kennedy knows how to pick a winning team both on and off the pitch. Over the years I have had the pleasure of working with some incredible people. Niels de Vos, now with UK Athletics, Philippe Saint-Andre ex French International, now with Toulon, and now fellow Welshman Kingsley Jones. I have also been lucky enough to witness some amazing rugby. The current chief executive James Jennings is clearly here to make a tremendous difference along with Nathan and shape the club for the next stage in its growth. Off the field, our solution really helps maximise the web's potential for them. A few seasons ago, they were playing to crowds of three to four thousand but the last few seasons Sale have been enjoying over 10,000 at Edgeley Park and 70% of those tickets are now sold online."
The Sharks online shop has also played a big part in the goal to turn Sale Sharks into a profit making business. Nathan Bombrys commercial director who helped broker the original sharks deal is eager to continue the success. "The website is now a very valuable tool for our business. We take more money over the internet than we ever imagined and UKFast's continual vision gives us the confidence to keep developing this winning formula. Their monthly marketing tips too are priceless."
"It's great also that we are huge fans," says Lawrence Jones. "We have sponsored Charlie Hodgson for almost a decade. We're always there supporting on the sidelines and we take other clients so they can share in the experience. The relationship works so well because we're both passionate, professional, supportive and dynamic in our work."
Dave Swanton is just as positive about the relationship. "The team at UKFast are always there when you need them. Their after sales service is quite simply second to none. I remember the day when Lawrence put his head round the door and said he could help. UKFast's involvement has certainly helped accelerate our success." As well as sponsoring Sale Sharks, UKFast developed and host the main team site www.salesharks.com and their ecommerce site Sale Sharks Shop.
