Tenon has announced the release of iTools 8, a new version of their web hosting control panel software. iTools, an Apache Dashboard, simplifies and automates Apache configuration, saving webmasters time and money. With iTools, a Mac OS X desktop or server system becomes a professional web hosting platform that simultaneously empowers customers and lowers support costs.
iTools 8 is a web site management system for small to medium-sized web hosting providers that own or rent a dedicated server, and for large service providers who may wish to bundle iTools into their offerings. iTools is ideal for the professional hosting of multiple company web sites on a single server – it shortens the time and lessens the expertise needed to deploy new sites. With iTools you can automate hosting tasks and delegate administration. Sub-administrators can manage their own name or IP-based web sites and view their own logs, without compromising the privacy of the multi-server machine. iTools’s secure, domain-specific , browser-based Apache administration, using a 6th generation suite of tools, makes Apache on Mac OS X, the easiest Apache in the world to administer.
Jay Menna, President & CTO of Macminicolo.net (http://www.macminicolo.net) says in the press release, “iTools on the Mac mini has made web hosting on a private server a reasonable choice for millions of businesses. With the new features of iTools 8, Tenon has made it possible for small ISPs, web designers and technology consultants to have the resources of much larger companies. While industry is buzzing with virtual private servers, the iTools/Mac mini solution leapfrogs them with actual private servers.”
The new iTools 8, includes Apache 2.0.54, considered the best Apache version available, the latest proFTPD with TLS/SSL support, enhanced DNS management, enhanced sub-administration, and a suite of pre-packaged, pre-configured open-source applications for blogs, discussion boards, photo albums, and more. In addition, iTools 8 includes the ability to disable and enable a web site with one click, for customers in arrears, the ability to hand-tailor a default web site template to make setting
up similar sites easy and fast, optional use of encryption during browser-based configuration sessions, the flexibility to restart various server daemons either manually or automatically upon configuration changes, FastCGI support, extensive log viewing options on a virtual host-by-virtual host basis, and an automatic system update facility both for iTools updates and updates to add-on packages.
iTools lets you manage your Apache web sites via a sophisticated, in-depth, browser-based GUI that includes URL rewriting, URL redirects, MIME type and Apache handler editing, setting up SSL, along with a host of other Apache-specific settings. You can also manage cron jobs (to automatically perform administration tasks at pre-set intervals), administer MySQL databases via phpMyAdmin, and set up WebDAV for collaborative web development. Embedded on-line help and the technical resources of Tenon give you the assistance you need to transform your desktop or server Mac OS X machine into a professional hosting business.
iTools 8 is $349. A companion mail server and list server, Post.Office, is available in special iTools bundles. Upgrades for existing iTools customers are $249. iTools can be used with Tiger (Mac OS X 10.4), Panther (Mac OS X 10.3) or Jaguar (Mac OS X 10.2) and works equally well on Mac OS X ‘client’ or Mac OS X Server.
More info here.
Wonderful, I recent got iTools now I have to fork out and additional $249. to stay current. That is the NATURE (MDN Magic Word) of the beast.
Why would you buy iTools instead of OS X Server?
Well, now I know why Apple changed the name of their iTools to .Mac four or five years ago…