The Benefits of Managed Server Hosting

by: Kathryn Dawson

There are many reasons why managed server hosting is the best option for webmasters and other IT workers who control one or more websites. When you have websites, you need to look for ways to host them and keep them secure in a cost effective way. The best way to get the most value for money is through having a dedicated server that is managed by a professional company.

Having a dedicated server is one of the most secure ways you can host your websites. Being dedicated to you alone means that no one else has access to the server. This can result in faster loading times and reduced risk that something will go wrong with your own website as a result of a problem with someone else's. Dedicated servers ensure that no bandwidth, hard drive space, memory or anything else related to your website hosting is shared with anyone else. If your site takes payments of any kind or customer information then this is the minimum lever of server security you should operate.

Not only does renting a dedicated server provide the security levels you need, but it also means your sites are managed by a professional company. This has a huge number of benefits too. Managed dedicated hosting means the company takes care of all maintenance, checks, hardware and upgrades and will alert you to any problems as quickly as possible. This can obviously result in plenty of time saved for you as well as expense. It is by far the most cost effective way to manage a server. The alternatives are colocation which is when you place your very own server into a data centre located nearby. Not only do you then have to take on all the costs of buying and operating your own server, you have to rent space in a data centre and ensure it is being managed if not by you then someone else. It is possible to choose a shared server option however this does not provide the same level of security and can be a risk.

With managed server hosting you don't have to hire or train anyone to look after your server, you don't have to stump up any additional costs for maintenance work or fixtures and fittings needed in the data centre itself. Part of your managed server package will be 24 hour technical support which means that any problems that occur will be rectified quickly, at any time of day or night. This keeps downtime of your sites to an absolute minimum. You will even be able to take this a step further and ensure you have extra monitoring of your network and websites. If something were to go wrong you would be alerted by phone, email or even text message so you could rapidly take action.

Although there is a monthly cost associated with managed server hosting, you save time and money on ongoing management of the server. In the long run this is the best way to host your websites and offers more benefits than choosing colocation or shared hosting. When you have a fully managed server you are free to concentrate on other aspects of your business such as driving it forward and seeking out ways to generate new income. When the server is managed you also get to benefit from an ongoing network monitor that means any problems can be raised immediately and you can be alerted of anything that needs your attention. Having instant alerts in this way is particularly important if your site receives high volumes of traffic or involves cash transactions. Customers and readers of a website will not return if they experience problems with the site or the site is down for any reason.