Making the Move to Managed Hosting for managed web services
For most businesses a standard shared web hosting package will suffice. However, as the traffic to your site grows, or you require the ability to add additional functionality such as customer log-in and product databases, you may need to consider moving to a managed hosting system.
What Is Managed Hosting?
Although the term causes confusion amongst those new to internet architecture, managed hosting simply refers to a hosting service in which a company rents a server in its entirety but the administration and technology is controlled by the host. Managed hosting is attractive to some companies because it enables them to customise the architecture of their own web-space in a way that other hosting packages do not as server space is shared with other companies. There are no restrictions on the content or programming language used, which means that a range of custom-built environments can be constructed which enable bespoke workflows to be implemented. There are also larger tolerances in bandwidth and traffic, making them particularly suitable for very large organisations.
What to Look for in a Managed Host
As part of the managed hosting service, the provider will typically include a full array of technical support. This will include hardware and software design and configuration, maintenance and updating and support and monitoring. Packaging can also include advanced services at additional cost such as back-up and archiving, firewall and intrusion monitoring and virus and DDoS protection. You can find out more about DDoS at https://www.cisco.com/en/US/
Reliability
Network connectivity and reliability are the cornerstones of a successful online business. Any downtime can result in customers and clients navigating elsewhere and taking their business with them. If you want to manage your data then you should think about a managed hostingservice provider whose systems are robust and that can offer a guarantee that their server will be available for a high percentage of the time. This is usually given as a 99.9% guarantee. This is achieved by having multiple arrays of protected servers in which duplicate copies of data are created at regular intervals.
Support
A good managed hosting service will employ a team of trained IT professionals with networking experience to support your company and its hosting needs. They will be available 24/7 and can be directly responsive to individual requirements. Many companies also offer text-based live chat for minor queries, which can speed up the process of support in times of peak demand.
Hardware
Whether your requirements are for online commerce or multimedia streaming, your ability to succeed will be based on the hardware employed by your provider. Not only does hardware need to be able to cope with the demands of traffic and intrusion, but it also needs to be able to offer the flexibility to grow along with your business. Try to choose a provider who is committed to investing in new technology and who takes the time to find out about your organisation and its individual requirements.
