How are they funded, and are they profitable?
I've been using Google Apps for email for 10+ years and I don't want my e-mail provider to die at the whim of some Sand Hill investor's emotions at a bay area house party.
I've been using Google Apps for email for 10+ years and I don't want my e-mail provider to die at the whim of some Sand Hill investor's emotions at a bay area house party.
We're entirely funded by our customers, and fully self-bootstrapped. We have no debts to outside parties.
We have 8 owners, 7 of which work in the business and the 8th is the brother of one of the founders (and only owns a couple of percent).
Source: I'm CEO. Have worked here since 2004, through the Opera acquisition (I moved to Norway for nearly 2 years) and back. We've controlled our growth such that we keep our spending under our income - I know, what a shocking idea in current day!
that history does not assign to me confidence in them as custodian of my emails
I'd recommend trying them out for a bit and just keeping Gmail in your back pocket. May as well decide for yourself than listening to randoms on HN.
I'd rather entrust my mail service to someone who wants to keep running it strongly enough that they'll put their own money down to keep doing it.
The alternatives are mostly investor-owned companies - if this years CEO decides to fuck you over, they can replace any staff who object.