Brendon and I were fretting over how difficult it is for us to maintain all the various websites we have to keep up with and wishing we could simply install a portal site like DotNetNuke to make this easier for us.  The problem is that I purchased the cheapest web hosting package out there – DiscountASP.net.  SQL Server is available to us, but it’s not free.  I’m cheap, and Brendon is even cheaper than I am, so you know we didn’t want to spend any extra money.  So Brendon had a great idea – see if we could parlay our function as the Atlanta .Net Regular Guys – the glue that helps hold the Atlanta .Net development community together – into a discount on the SQL Server price (which is ordinarily only more $10 a month).

I sent an e-mail to the sales department at DiscountASP.Net asking if we could get a discount on the SQL Server package in exchange for some advertising on our site.  The sales person who received my e-mail took a quick look at the site and noticed that we are associated with the Atlanta .Net User Group.  He asked me what we were all about.  I gave him what I felt was an excellent explanation of the Atlanta .Net Regular Guys, which he promptly forwarded on to the VP of Marketing at DiscountASP.Net

I was quickly contacted by a Mr Eto who asked me for a little more information about the ADNRG (Atlanta .Net Regular Guys) and came back with an offer that was even better than I expected!  Not only did we get a great deal on the SQL Server addition to our account, Mr Eto said that DiscountASP.Net is an avid supporter of the .Net user community.  We might be getting some swag to give out at the User Groups, including some free hosting plans!  That’s awesome! 

I have some marketing material from them, but I want to tell you quickly about my personal experience with DiscountASP.Net.  When Brendon and I decided to move our site and blog to our own web host and stop leaching off of Michael Earls, we looked at several providers that were recommended to us.  We went with DiscountASP.Net because their plan was the lowest cost around.  Between the two final contenders, I saved nearly $100 by going with DiscountASP.Net for a year pre-paid.  We’ve been impressed with the speed of the servers – we both have commented that other sites that we know are hosted by the other hosting service we considered and both Brendon and I think that those other sites are slower.  We like the speed and the cost!  Win-win!

<warning – marketing blurb from DiscountASP.Net>

 DiscountASP.NET is a Microsoft Certified Partner that focuses on offering the best value in ASP.NET web hosting and SQL hosting. DiscountASP.NET provides affordable, reliable, fast, secure, and feature-rich Microsoft ASP.NET hosting. Features include: FREE ASP.NET Components, .NET Framework, MS SQL, Access, ASP.NET Web Based Control Panel, VS.NET support and more.

</warning>

— Matt Ranlett