Ditlev Bredahl
CEO of OnApp
Ditlev is an Internet and hosting industry veteran, with more than 15 years’ experience leading hosting and technology companies. As CEO of OnApp, he has led the company’s dramatic growth from its launch in July 2010 to become the leading provider of cloud management software for hosts. After a few years in roles for the European Parliament, Ditlev moved into the rapidly-growing Internet sector in the mid-1990s. He quickly developed a reputation as an entrepreneur and a specialist in start-up and turnaround scenarios. Before founding OnApp, Ditlev led UK2 Group’s hosting companies as MD and CEO, and spearheaded the launch of VPS.NET, which now operates one of the world’s five largest public clouds.
Ditlev has an MBA in International Business from the European Institute for Public Affairs and Lobbying in Brussels, and a degree in Economics from AAU, Denmark. He was recently listed in the Top 100 most influential technology investors in Europe (The Telegraph/PeerIndex, March 2011). Ditlev is Danish, lives in the UK but travels frequently to speak at events around the world.
About OnApp
OnApp develops the only cloud deployment and management software designed specifically for the hosting industry. Using OnApp, any host can build and manage its own cloud hosting service, with minimal investment and unprecedented speed. OnApp launched the first publicly-available version of its software in July 2010 after two years of development. Less than a year after its launch, OnApp software powers an estimated 50% of the world’s public clouds. OnApp has 60+ staff, 200+ clients and offices in the US and Europe. OnApp is a privately-owned company headquartered in London, UK.
Keynote Speech
So you’re in the hosting business. What’s the big idea?
What’s the difference between “good” and “great” in hosting? You can maximize margins, reduce CPAs, hire the right people, and make your operation run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. That’s all a given, and it’s easy to let these business-as-usual activities take up 100% of your time. Unless you make the effort to step back and really think about what you’re doing, you won’t break out of the mold. You may become good, but you’ll never be great.
Based on more than a decade’s experience running successful hosting companies, Ditlev Bredahl will discuss just what it takes for hosters to stand out from the crowd. In a market where everyone is building the same kind of company, and fighting for market share with much the same kind of product, you need a Big Idea to differentiate and de-commoditize your business. So take your business plan, lock it in a drawer, and think – really think – about what you’re trying to do. What’s your big idea?
