For quite some time now SiteGround’s unique server setup has allowed our customers to use 4 different PHP versions – 4.4.7, 5.0.5, 5.1.6 and 5.2.5. on one and the same hosting account. Needless to say, our customers loved this feature. And there were three serious reasons for this:

1. No hassle with older applications when a new PHP version is released

In terms of backward compatibility, the implementation of 4 PHP versions on one server was a small technical miracle. It saved a lot of hassle to regular users in cases when the applications they used needed serious code modifications or complex upgrades to work with the next stable PHP version. With our setup they did not have to do anything to keep their sites running, as they just continued to use the older PHP version, while the other users on the same server could still use the newer PHP.

2. Different PHP in each subfolder

Another great option for our customers was the fact that they could have different PHP versions in one and the same account under different subfolders. This way you could run your main website on PHP 5.2.5 and at the same time have an older application running on PHP 4.4.7 in a subfolder.

3.Test code on different PHP versions

The availability of different PHP versions on one account was also loved by web developers because they could test their code on several PHP versions without having to purchase several hosting accounts on different servers just for testing purposes.

New PHP versions available now

Given that most hosting companies offer only one PHP version per server, having 4 PHP versions on one and the same account already gave us a serious edge over the competition. However, we like to spoil our customers even more! Now we decided to up the ante a little and offer 7 (that’s right, seven) different PHP versions that each and every account on our shared servers can use. Along with the new PHP versions we’ve added, we have also upgraded and improved the previous ones:

• PHP 4.4.9
• PHP 5.0.5
• PHP 5.1.6
• PHP 5.2.9
• PHP 5.2.9 + Suhosin patch
• PHP 5.3.0
• PHP 6.0.0

As you can probably see, we’ve upgraded PHP 4.4.7 to 4.4.9 and PHP 5.2.5 to 5.2.9. The new PHP versions are 5.3.0 and 6.0.0. All PHP versions now come with IMAP SSL support (useful if you want to connect your application to GMail for example).

Since security has always been one of our top priorities, we decided to add a special PHP version that has been patched with the Suhosin advanced protection system. Basically, Suhosin protects your applications from many known vulnerabilities (bufferoverflows, remote URL inclusion, format string vulnerabilities and many more). See a list of Suhosin’s features.

Another thing worth mentioning is the support for PHP 6. Although it is still in development, there’s no doubt that soon this PHP version will be widely used. PHP developers will certainly appreciate the option to test their work on the latest PHP branch. Of course, you don’t need to be a PHP developer to use PHP 6. As we all know, some people just like using the latest software available. In any case, we’ve done our best to make sure you are not caught unprepared

As I mentioned above, all 7 PHP versions are already available on all SiteGround shared hosting servers. If you are a SiteGround customer, you can check them right away:
Learn how to switch different PHP versions on your account

And if you are not a SiteGround customer, you can check our website and sign up for an account at any time:
Sign up for a hosting account with 7 PHP versions

Hristo
Product Development – Technical

SiteGround has been providing Joomla hosting since Joomla CMS appeared and many of our customers started to use it for creating and managing their websites. After so many years of experience in Joomla hosting we now have a big number of resources that make using this great application even easier. Many of these resources are available to all Joomla users, no matter if they are hosted by us or not.

Start your Joomla website in minutes!

Our Joomla customers enjoy an improved single-click Joomla installation system. With it they can install a Joomla with a several templates and a sample text created by SiteGround in less than a minute. With our system even people without technical knowledge can create and maintain successful Joomla websites without having to spend thousands for developers and designers.

Choose your website design!

Our devoted team of designers has created the Largest Joomla Templates Gallery on the Internet. We have designed a broad range of templates that will serve even the most demanding users. And the best part is that all templates are free to use even if you are not a SiteGround customer.

Learn how to use Joomla!

The SiteGround support team has created comprehensive Joomla Tutorial that covers the most common Joomla-related topics – from installation and configuration to more advanced topics like the How to create a Joomla template tutorial. We have prepared video tutorials to make it easier for you to learn and become a Joomla pro! In addition, if you don’t find what you are looking for, you can search for it in our Knowledge Base that has hundreds of Joomla-related articles!

Get Joomla knowledge from our experts!

As we have thousands of customers that use Joomla our supporters and server administrators are among the best Joomla experts in the hosting industry. Our servers are especially set up so that Joomla and all its popular addons function in the best possible way. We are also sharing our Joomla knowledge both with clients and anyone else interested on the special Joomla section of our forum. You don’t even have to be a SiteGround customer to receive some friendly advice from our team!

We believe that everyone should be able to create a website without having to spend many hours reading technical documentation. Joomla is a great tool and we do everything to make it easy for our customers to start using it and to help others learn how to use it!

Tina
Marketing Specialist

As Halloween is getting near we went through the pictures from the last year SiteGround wild costume party and we remembered the great fun we had! Someone from the support team joked how great it would be if this year we can invite one of the funniest customers Mr. Jones, whose tickets have always been written with a great sense of humor, and see what costume he will choose. At first we laughed but after a while it stroke me that there is a place, where we can really invite all our friends and see how original they get. This place is our Facebook page, where we organized a Halloween Photo contest.

Halloween photo contest is now open!

You can now show us how original you get and how much fun you can have. Upload your scary, funny and unique Halloween photos on our Facebook page. You can start today by showing us your favorite moments from past Halloween celebrations. Later you can also add your 2009 Halloween adventures.

Go to contest page and upload Halloween photos

Win great prizes and free hosting

Share your Halloween spirit with us and we will give you a great treat. The best pictures will get one of the big prizes and all participants, whose pictures capture the audience, will receive free hosting from SiteGround. Just upload your best Halloween moments and you will compete for one of the following great prizes:

• Sony CyberShot digital camera
• Digital 7 inch photo frame
• Free hosting for all popular pictures

Bring your friends

The contest is open for anyone that has a Facebook account. You can invite your friends to participate in the contest themselves or vote for your pictures. Just remind them to click on the “become a fan” link on the SiteGround page.

Lilyana Yakimova
Marketing Manager