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Managed Hosting Update: How Well Are You Managing?
If you are responsible for the performance of a high-traffic Web site, you no doubt need
to be operating in a reliable, dedicated server environment. In order to be
reliable, the dedicated server or cluster you are renting must be properly
managed whether you do it in-house or outsource. This would include management
of hardware, operating systems, applications, E-commerce, security, data
backup, disaster recovery, reporting, monitoring, database management, Virtual
Private Networks (VPN), connectivity, bandwidth and load balancing. It’s a lot
to stay on top of 24/7/365. Managed Hosting means your dedicated hosting
provider is not only renting you servers but is also providing system
administration for some or all of these management issues.
All things considered, it’s really hard to find a downside to professional Managed Hosting
services if you choose a good provider. To begin with, Managed Hosting can be
extremely cost effective and a good value for small to medium sized businesses
with a busy or rapidly growing Web site. By turning over responsibility for
system administration to your Managed Hosting provider, you avoid the need for
costly internal resources such as a highly skilled IT staff. Of course, how you
determine the value of managed services may depend on how quickly and
efficiently your Managed Host responds to your needs and support issues. Slow
response wouldn’t be any better – and may be worse – than being short staffed
internally during times of heavy administration needs. It’s safe to say that a
good Managed Host will be in tune with how mission critical their job is and
knows that technical support – not just technology – is the most important
thing they can deliver for their customers.
The biggest advantage of Managed Hosting may be the flexibility it allows businesses to have over their Web site operation costs. Keep that in mind as you choose or negotiate terms of service with your provider. Make sure the plan you are getting is competitive – do some intelligent comparison shopping before you sign up. The cost of Managed Hosting varies greatly depending on what you need so here are some of the main choices that will need to be made:
· Operating System (Unix, Linux, Windows NT, etc.) and System Type
· Server hardware options such as CPU, Memory, backup, number of IP addresses, bandwidth
· Software Configurations such as SSL, MySQL/PHP and control panels
· Firewall and Security Options
· Number of VPN users
How well a prospective Managed Host helps you figure out exactly what you’ll need
may be a good indication of how responsive they will be down the road. Also, ask
your prospective Managed Host for details on their connectivity and up-time track
record. Is their Network Operations Center (NOC) in the USA? The answer needs to be
“yes” if you want the fastest, most reliable connection. What about money back
guarantees – do they offer any on their services?
If you aren’t sure what you need, how do you know if it’s the right time for Managed
Hosting? For many companies, the answer lies in how well they are keeping up with
their growing server needs. If you are feeling the need to expand your internal IT
resources, it’s probably a good time to explore your Managed Hosting options. Or
better yet, don’t wait for a bottleneck before you get up to speed on what’s
available to you.
If you are interested in Managed Hosting, you can go to
http://www.comparewebhosts.com/ManagedHosting.asp and browse Managed Hosting
packages offered by today’s leading primary hosting providers.
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