Why Managed Server Hosting Services Are Vital for Any E-Business

E-business is a hugely significant sector of an economy, with billions of dollars of trading done every year across the world. Getting a slice of that prosperous pie is the main motivation behind either setting up a business on the world wide web or establishing a website as an added branch of business operations. In either case, managed server hosting services can be hugely beneficial. The importance of dedicated server centres and colocation centres is undisputed, because of the technical demands that come with beginning an e-business. And being so important, a range of service options and packages has been devised to suit the budgets of businesses of various sizes, from the availability of shared hosting services to cheap dedicated servers.

Each option, of course, provides different advantages while the technical aspects that can be so confusing to the lay person are amply covered. Some of these aspects relate to memory space or even the specific tier that the network is working on. These can have definite influence over the actual cost of the service, with IP transit between internet network providers, for example, coming with a charge. This is in contrast with IP peering between networks, which is free of charge.

However, the aspect for a business owner to consider is which specific type of server hosting service should be chosen. Amongst the most common to choose are dedicated hosting, managed hosting and shared hosting.

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting is as its title suggests, with the server used shared by a number of client companies. This is ideal for a small e-business that is only starting up and demands little from its server. Because this particular type of service sees more than one client paying for the same single server, operating system and resources, the cost is quite low, which is good news for any start-up e-business. However, while the costs are low, capabilities are very limited meaning that very little can be expected from it. Security can be a serious issue, with the stability offered by this option also in doubt.

Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated hosting is much more reliable, with the server rented exclusively available to one client. The obvious advantage is that all of its capabilities are at the disposal of one business, meaning greater memory, the internet connection is not shared and there is no clash of interests on the operating system. Also, it is possible to add specific software and programming to the server to provide the type of technical capabilities that enhance the website options or online business services. However, the key advantage to this hosting option is the stability that it offers. For any e-business that has gained a foothold on the world wide web, this is an important aspect with the technical needs of the business increased due to growing demand from online customers. Managed Hosting The third common hosting option is the managed hosting service. This service is specifically devised to provide a variety of added extras such as 24 hour monitoring, full maintenance, and system upgrades, amongst others.

These types of extras are essential for a growing e-business. After all, it becomes imperative that, as a thriving e-business develops, it does not loose its advantage in the market place. Any technical problems, therefore, need to be resolved as close to immediately as possible, while security aspects need to protect the data on the server from any kind of corruption.

Availing of fully managed server hosting services means that charges are higher than with the two alternatives above. What is more, the service provider offers a client a greater priority rating. This normally means that the reaction time to any emergency is faster and monitoring services are more regular and detailed. Technical issues, such as IP transit efficiency, are also better.

The availability of a full range of hosting services means that every business, regardless of its budget, can have access to the internet. And while cheap dedicated servers have advantages over the shared equivalent, the fully managed option is arguably the best of all to choose. However, even the more expensive service packages, which can include the use of several servers, mirroring and maintenance for each, are within the grasp of most modestly successful e-businesses.