How and why was Apache created?
The Apache project evolved from its beginnings as an outgrowth of the NCSA httpd project to its current status as one of the fastest, most efficient, and most functional web servers in existence.

Why the name "Apache?"
A cute name which stuck. Apache is "A PAtCHy server." It was based on some existing code and a series of "patch files."

For many developers, it is also a reverent connotation to the Native American Indian tribe of Apache, well-known for their superior skills in warfare strategy and inexhaustible endurance. For more information on the Apache Nation, we suggest searching Google, Northernlight, or AllTheWeb.

OK, so how does Apache compare to other servers?
Apache has been shown to be substantially faster, more stable, and more feature-full than many other web servers. Although certain commercial servers have claimed to surpass Apache's speed (it has not been demonstrated that any of these "benchmarks" are a good way of measuring WWW server speed at any rate), we feel that it is better to have a mostly-fast free server than an extremely-fast server that costs thousands of dollars. Apache is run on sites that get millions of hits per day, and they have experienced no performance difficulties.

How thoroughly tested is Apache?
Apache is run on over 6 million Internet servers (as of February 2000). It has been tested thoroughly by both developers and users. The Apache Group maintains rigorous standards before releasing new versions of their server, and our server runs without a hitch on over one half of all WWW servers available on the Internet. When bugs do show up, we release patches and new versions as soon as they are available.

What are the future plans for Apache?

AWARDS
ServerWatch 1999 Hall of Fame
"Apache remains the king of Web servers .. Apache's overall security, performance, and robustness are unquestionable -- many of the most accessed sites in the world run Apache or Apache derivatives."

Seybold Editors' Choice Award 1998
Apache "has gained a stellar reputation not only for its unbeatable price (free) and public source code, but for its features and reliability."

ServerWatch 1998 Hall of Fame
"Apache remains the king of web servers despite intense efforts by Microsoft and Netscape to gain dominance in the market. In fact, the latest Netcraft surveys indicate that the freeware Apache is widening its lead over the rest of the field. Apache users have come to rely on the server's rock-solid reliability, outstanding performance, and rich set of features."

ServerWatch Server Showcase
"... Apache 1.3.0 has been selected as this week's [17 June 1998] Server Showcase. ... While only the best servers are even reviewed by ServerWatch, only the very best of the best are honored with the Server Showcase award."

NewMedia Magazine 1998 Hyper Award
"This public domain server is continually being updated by a volunteer force of developers and is one of the fastest and most stable available for UNIX servers. To let programmers get right to the root of tough problems, it ships with source code. With sites like Yahoo running Apache, its scalability is unquestionable. The price is certainly right, and since it's been recently ported to Windows NT, the Apache fan club can only get bigger."

Network Magazine 1998 Product of the Year (Membership required)
"... There seemed to be a forgone conclusion that the proliferation of server choices would quickly narrow itself to one or two from the heavy hitters. ... The free Apache Web Server has confounded nearly every pundit's projection since it was introduced in December 1995. ... The result? A robust, stable, extremely inexpensive,and constantly upgraded product that dominated the web server market a year after its introduction and which continues that domination to this day."

C|Net Award for Internet Excellence
"Part of Apache's charm is that it costs nothing and that its source code is freely available for anyone to take and customize or extend. Of course, free wouldn't count for much if the software didn't work, but the Apache Project has built a stable, speedy Web server that runs on almost all flavors of Unix, OS/2, and even Windows."