A common question for companies’ IT management is what is the best hosting solution level for their websites, intranets, and other internal or customer facing applications. While many solutions with their rationale exist, it all comes down to size of the company, popularity of the site, primary functions, data and access security and policy, along with their growth.
As the bulk of industry knows these days, a solid web presence is vital to survive in the business world. As a result, companies need to source solutions that excel in handling all website processes because of the business impact they have. Here, again is the quandary of choosing either a dedicated server (host) or managed hosting.
First, we’ll define.
Dedicated Hosting: This is a form of web hosting in which a company opts to own or lease an entire server housed in an off-site datacenter dedicated solely to its uses, and not sharing it with anyone else, such as in a shared hosting (or cloud) environment. With dedicated hosting, the company must possess technical knowledge, and perform all system administration and management activities on the server either directly or remotely.
Managed Hosting: This is a form of web hosting in which a company opts to own or lease an entire server, housed in an off-site datacenter dedicated solely to its uses, and not sharing it with anyone else, such as in a shared hosting (or cloud) environment – BUT this equipment is fully managed by the hosting service provider. With that, the provider renders full control over the hardware, software, maintenance, security, monitoring and backup services, etc. This option is most ideal for companies that do not have adequate in-house IT staff necessary to maintain its equipment or manage the systems and applications.
Second, we’ll evaluate cost difference.
Managed hosting is more expensive than dedicated hosting, but it has quite the potential to lower down the costs that are essential in helping a company maintain its overall IT infrastructure. For instance, having the servers managed by the data center facility can free up requirements related to the company’s IT staff and/or other means of physical resources. With this, companies can save in the long run on such expenses, and something even more precious than money – TIME. A great array of time consuming activities can be moved onto the ‘shoulders’ of the host server/data center and companies can spend more of its time focusing on other (money-making) areas.
Third, we’ll decide what type of hosting suits what type of company
For companies that have mission critical server needs, but do not have the in-house staff necessary to maintain these servers, managed hosting is clearly the best solution. While it may seem initially more expensive, it is definitely the more cost-effective way of deploying and managing IT resources (servers, routers, etc.) rather than hiring and managing staff to do the job. Another plus of utilizing managed hosting, instead of hiring a staff, is that the provider typically delivers a higher quality, more consistent level of service than the actual client can deliver themselves.
For companies who desire freedom to utilize more of their resources to increasing internal and external business development applications and minimize resources for controlling routine administrative and maintenance tasks, then dedicated hosting may be the better option.
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