Pagely vs SADDL

We help startups scale WordPress.

Pagely created the Managed WordPress hosting space in 2009, and has been providing secure and reliable WP hosting services to companies like Facebook and NGINX with a focus on:

Performance: Opcode caching, full page caching, optimized PHP and Database setups are essentially platform defaults now instead of the customer trying to figure it out on their own with a mix of plugins and research. More sensible resource balancing on shared setups (old shared hosting providers were notorious for overselling). Collectively these things have made WordPress dramatically faster (vs. a default install) in most use cases.

Security: Some level of malware/file scanning, hardened OS installs, least-privileged access, web application firewalls and DDoS mitigation may be defaults at most Managed WordPress providers now. You don’t hear about widespread security issues as we did in say the 2008-2011 period. Those that come up are mitigated quickly by the Core team (or the respective plugin author) and aided by rapidly deployed patches or firewall rules by the Managed hosts.

Tooling: Automating installs, code updates, and backups along with staging and deployment workflows enabled development teams to work faster and create more complex yet stable sites on WordPress.

Support: More knowledgeable support technicians that understand WordPress to a higher degree than a generic web host. Some providers are better than others but all seem to at least make an attempt to specialize in the unique support requirements of WordPress. Here at Pagely we take great pride in our quality over quantity approach to support ensuring that every agent is not only deeply skilled in WordPress but proficient in the core technical skills of DevOps and deployment management allowing them to address any performance or security issue that may arise.

What’s next for Pagely?
It’s odd to look at the landscape, this $1 Billion-channel we created (and of course others helped to grow) and reflect on where we fit in the picture going forward. For us, it’s fairly simple – do more of the things that have made us successful thus far: Investing in our people and focusing on the customer. It’s a recipe that wins over the long term.

SADDL is a mobile application that combines fitness and skill-based gaming

SADDL is a mobile fitness application that combines the world of skill-based gaming with stationary exercise bikes—users can win prize money while getting fit. The application collects data from the bike via Bluetooth (power, cadence) and translates it to a racing environment on screen where users compete with one another from their respective locations. As fitness equipment has developed to become compatible with apps, the evolution of “connected” exercise experiences—to hardware and to community—has become possible. Initially available on the Keiser M3i and Echelon Smart Connect bike platforms, SADDL provides the users with a multitude of racing options: public racing competition, challenges with friends, and a training feature. In both challenges and public events, SADDL operates as an asynchronous racing platform to accommodate different time zones and varying fitness schedules.

Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada