The Company claims that its service based approach to website monitoring is far more effective than using in-house network management or monitoring software. Key to making its service based approach superior is that monitoring is performed sequentially from three geographically disparate international locations at five minute intervals, 24 hours a day. Network management systems, the Company argues, are typically based at a single site and often reside within the same network. As a result, they are unable to simulate a User’s experience and can be oblivious to problems occurring outside the hosting network that affect the visitor experience. For this reason, MyWebAlert suggest that even an Internet Service Provider’s management facilities are inadequate.

In the event of a website failure, MyWebAlert raises alarms by way of an email alert. However, to prevent false alarms that may arise when monitoring from a single site, alerts are only raised when the monitored website fails from at least two locations. As result, the company claims very high levels of accuracy and dependability.

When normal service is resumed a success message is issued and performance data is recorded in the MyWebAlert database in preparation for a monthly report that provides a breakdown of availability and industry average comparisons. A graphical reporting utility enables the data to be included in management reports in an easily digestible form. The company believes the service will enable Users to justify or otherwise hold to account services from their ISP/Hosting Company.

To guard against the increasing threat of websites being targeted for purposes of extortion, vandalism or political gain, MyWebAlert also includes a facility for raising alerts as soon as changes to a website’s content are recorded.

In preparation for the launch of the company, MyWebAlert monitored the websites of FTSE 1000 organisations and found that 43% of websites recorded significant failures during the course of a single month (December 2005) pointing, the company suggests, to a serious problem with the UK’s readiness for the new economy. MyWebAlert is priced at £10 per month.