Managed Web Hosting - An Option Worth Considering for Your Business
For those unfamiliar with technical online terminology like ‘web hosting’, it may be difficult to fully grasp its importance and understand how it affects companies conducting business on the World Wide Web. Web hosting basically refers to the particular service which enables your website to be accessible through the Internet.
What is a web host?
A web host is a business which provides server space, web services and file maintenance for websites which do not possess their own web server. A number of Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) like America Online, provide subscribing users with a tiny server space to host their own personal web pages. However, there are other commercial ISPs who charge fees for utilization of server space depending on how complex the site being hosted, is.
What are the elements of managed web hosting?
Managed web hosting, in simple terms, is when the web hosting provider takes over complete server operations, so that you can focus your time, effort and energy on other core areas of your business. If you feel you do not have sufficient knowledge required for setting up and administering your server space, managed web hosting is the ideal solution for you. It will also be needed if you feel that your site is going to be very popular and if your in-house IT team will not be able to do justice to the performance needs of your website.
What are the main reasons for using managed web hosting?
Managed web hosting is required by individuals and organizations alike to take care of most of the hands-on IT work that has to be done in order to maintain optimum levels of server performance. The 2 main reasons why it is highly sought after, are:
- **The personnel do not have adequate IT knowledge - **If the staff and management of your organization do not have in-depth IT knowledge, managed web hosting will allow you to focus your energies on your business while still extracting high performance from web hosting.
- Time limitations -Your personnel may not have adequate time on their hands to see to server administration efficiently.Moreover, they will not be able to as good a job as professional web hosting services providers. Hence, using managed web hosting by external experts becomes a whole lot more convenient.
What are the services included in managed web hosting?
The services that are generally included in a regular managed web hosting package are:
- upgrading of hardware and software
- auditing of security
- troubleshooting services
- on-call maintenance
- monitoring of servers
- backup/ retrieval services
- setting up of control panels
- installation of software
When you connect with a managed service provider for web hosting, you need to know which of the above is included in the chosen package and then make a decision, depending on your requirements.
What are the advantages of managed web hosting?
Managed web hosting is undoubtedly costly, but it has plenty of benefits as well. Some of these benefits are:
- **Frees up IT bandwidth **- It enables your own IT staff to focus on more important tasks, as the experts are looking after managed web hosting.
- Better cost of operations- Handling web hosting on your own can turn out to be a costly affair. Since web hosts usually obtain favorable bulk rates for hardware and software, server space and bandwidth, it becomes less expensive to opt for their services.
- Totally secure- The web host will ensure your website is 100% secure and will guarantee good results, due to the availability of high-end technology at their own data center.
- Cost efficient- Having a 24/7 IT team to monitor servers could turn out to be very expensive. Hence, it is better to hire the services of a managed web host who can deal with any IT issues, especially those which occur after working hours.
Managed web hosting provides great value for money and you can rest easy knowing that all your server-related issues will be dealt with by professionals. Whether you opt for a package or specific services based on your immediatr requirement, dealing with a reliable web hosting service provider often provides a high return on investment. When you consider the immense benefits a company accrues from a managed web hosting services provider, you will find that the value derived from this service more than justifies the cost involved.