Rackspace to Host Major League Gaming Web site and National Gaming Circuit

Business Wire, Oct 31, 2006

MLG Infrastructure Relies on Rackspace's New Media Expertise

SAN ANTONIO -- Rackspace Managed Hosting[TM], a leading global provider of managed hosting services, today announced an agreement with Major League Gaming (MLG), the world's first professional video game league, to provide managed Web hosting services for the league's Web site, mlgpro.com, as well as the Web-based software that runs the national professional video game circuit. As the home for high-capacity online media and digital hosting needs, Rackspace adds Major League Gaming to a portfolio of new media customers including Atari, Ensemble Studios, iGames (www.iGames.org) and GameTrust.

Previously hosted at a regional managed hosting provider, MLG required an enterprise-class infrastructure and global hosting provider with digital media expertise that was capable of scaling in sync with their substantial growth and expanding Web-based applications. Rackspace's 100 percent network uptime guarantee and 24/7 live support will also be instrumental as USA Networks broadcasts MLG's national championship series across the country beginning in November.

"We have hundreds of thousands of registered users who want their MLG content on demand, so we've got a lot riding on the availability of our infrastructure," said Paul Sullivan, vice president of product development, Major League Gaming. "Rackspace has been essential in prescribing the appropriate technology architecture for our expanding IT needs. Their technical expertise and 100 percent network uptime guarantee have been instrumental as we prepare for a global expansion of our league."

"Major League Gaming has entrusted Rackspace to develop and manage their infrastructure to run a mission-critical broadband business that requires 100 percent uptime and incredible scalability to meet the demands of their users," said Glenn Reinus, senior vice president of worldwide sales, Rackspace Managed Hosting. "Uptime is critical for these sophisticated Web applications, and we believe that, with Rackspace's Zero-Downtime Network[TM] and Fanatical Support[TM], MLG will enjoy a world-class gaming environment to showcase their ground-breaking media online and at their national competitions."

MLG's site and competition infrastructure are hosted and powered by Rackspace via a service platform designed specifically for customers desiring the flexibility to customize a hosting environment that reflects their specific needs while retaining control over their Web applications. Rackspace Managed(SM) offers MLG comprehensive managed security, performance-enhancing gear, managed backup and advanced database services on a heterogeneous environment comprised of multiple Dell Power Edge servers running both Red Hat Linux Enterprise Server and a MySQL database and Windows Server 2003 and a Microsoft SQL database.

MLG's National Championship competition takes place in Las Vegas, NV, beginning November 18th. MLG's seven-city "Boost Mobile Major League Gaming Pro Circuit" will be aired on USA Networks beginning November 11th.

About Rackspace Managed Hosting

A recognized leader in the global managed hosting market, Rackspace Managed Hosting is a world-class service organization delivering enterprise-level Web infrastructure and managed services to businesses of all sizes. Serving more than 10,000 customers across seven data centers worldwide, Rackspace integrates the industry's best technologies for each customer need and delivers it as a service via the company's award-winning Fanatical Support[TM]. Through trusted partnerships with its customers, Rackspace serves as an extension of their IT department, enabling customers to focus on their core business. Founded in 1998, Rackspace has grown more than 50 percent a year since the company's inception. For more information, please visit www.rackspace.com, or call 800-961-2888.