I remember the first time I saw BlackMesh.

It was DrupalCon North America, 2012. Down the dusty streets of Denver rode a lone figure, dressed in black. Over the howling wind and the gasping breaths of attendees suffering from altitude sickness rang the staccato notes of boot spurs. Shopkeepers rushed to shut doors. Gentlefolk cleared the street and scooped up straggling tots. BlackMesh had rode into town, ready for a showdown.

A Horse of a Different Color

BlackMesh always stood out in the hosting provider crowd. As competitors shifted towards a self-service PaaS model, BlackMesh helped cowpokes with websites that looked a bit different from the rest of the herd. Instead of a web dashboard, BlackMesh let SSH wranglers ride free on their server instance. Where competitors sought to scale support via chat windows and ticketing systems, BlackMesh focused on personal, white-glove service. And when other providers wouldn't dare ride into the storm, BlackMesh was ghost riding in the lightning with FedRamp, HIPAA, and FINRA. Yipee-I-yay.

All of these things made BlackMesh distinct, particularly with the gang of compliance-minded roughriders who braved the DC beltway. Rip-roaring adventures were had. The frontiers of digital compliance were steadily settled under BlackMesh's watchful eye. Then, as quietly as they had rode into Denver, BlackMesh slipped over the horizon into the sunset. What happened to that rider in black?

Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?

In 2017 BlackMesh joined forces with Contegix, a renowned name in managed hosting. Now under the Contegix umbrella, it was time for BlackMesh to take some well-deserved rest outside of the public eye.

That's not to say that BlackMesh retired or went away. Like the rogue who becomes sheriff or the vigilante who reluctantly becomes the town mayor, BlackMesh gave up its notoriety in service of a greater cause. Under the Contegix name lived the dedication and tough-as-dirt determination of BlackMesh, serving customers as it always had. The brand may have left the spotlight, but the spirit was alive and well.

The Hero Returns

Yet a hero's job is never done. Developers still need a lone rider who can help them stare down security audits and lasso compliance requirements. We need someone who can ride in the saddle all day to keep our servers running fast and furious. We need calloused palms that can handle our toughest support requests as gently as they birth a foal.

What Trails Will Lando and BlackMesh Be Riding Together?

BlackMesh is riding back into town, but this time, they have a sidekick. BlackMesh is formally sponsoring Lando's work to help developers everywhere liberate themselves from drudgery.

If BlackMesh is Wyatt Earp, then Lando is Doc Holliday. Quick with a joke and to help a friend in need, we'll be your huckleberry. However, Doc's love for the Dionysian spirits means sometimes he needs a steady hand to back him up. Every sponsorship means more work on Lando, which means more bug fixes, new features, and documentation. This support is particularly important as we head towards Lando 4.0 and some other BIG announcements in the near future.

BlackMesh's support goes beyond sponsoring work on Lando itself. We're also looking forward to using BlackMesh's nearly two decades of experience to help developers overcome tricky problems like compliance, sunsetting legacy applications, and tackling enterprise-scale applications. Look out for new blogposts and more new content coming soon.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your saddle and sign-up to the Lando newsletter below to join us on the ride. Giddy-up!