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The Benefits of Windows Reseller Hosting

Some may ask the question: why choose a Windows hosting package when Linux is much cheaper?  Well, Linux hosting isn’t always the most cost effective solution and the Windows platform has many advantages, benefits that are extended to reseller hosting as well.  This article will introduce you to some of the key benefits of Windows-based reseller hosting and explain why you may want to consider it for your reseller business.

An All-in-One Solution

Although Linux is still a very popular and viable platform, many resellers are switching over to the Microsoft system because it offers exclusive advantages as well support for many open-source technologies.  Windows can be viewed as an all-in-one hosting solution.   Maintaining multiple separate accounts to meet the demand of customer requirements is a thing of the past as this platform makes it possible to host a variety of applications right alongside one another.   This means that you can cater to client who prefers an ASP scripted application and MS SQL back-end database as well as the customer who needs a PHP-based script backed by a MySQL database.  This is something most Linux and Unix-based reseller hosting packages just can’t offer.

Diverse Line of Products and Services

The Windows platform gives you the opportunity to capitalize off a broader range of services.

For example, you can target the Linux audience with the offering of open source technologies like PHP and Perl while still meeting the needs of your Windows customers with ASP, ASP.NET and other Microsoft products.  You can label your hosting packages how you see fit based on the needs of the customers.  Additionally, intuitive Windows-based control panels like Plesk and DotNetNuke give you the ability to enhance your selling points by placing emphasis on the quality and variety you have to offer.  All of these factors increase your chances of enjoying financial success as a reseller.

The Hottest Technologies

Windows reseller hosting provides resellers with the opportunity to leverage the latest innovations available and apply them to their portfolio of services.  Highly sought after managed services such as Microsoft Exchange, ActiveSync, Windows Mobile and Sharepoint greatly boost a reseller’s potential profits as the market for these services has grown tremendously in recent times.  Customers from various industries are increasingly looking to outsource their-IT related needs and the power of Windows hosting and its array of complimenting technologies can enable them to work with greater efficiency while adding to the value of their business.

Conclusion

There are many reasons to consider Windows as your reseller hosting platform of choice.  The system is ideal for seasoned developers and also contorts to less experienced users who are already familiar with the Windows desktop and Microsoft Office environment.  The technologies offered in this setting make it a viable option for clients who simply want to create a personal site or blog as well as those who are looking to make an impact on the business level.  Best of all, Windows reseller hosting allows you to reach out to a wider audience all without losing clients who prefer technologies commonly associated with the Linux platform.

Can You Spot Linux Hosting?

Familiar with the Linux operating system?  When it comes to Linux hosting, you don’t necessarily have to be.  Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to choose a Windows hosting package just because you run a Windows-based PC.   In fact, the operating system installed on your desktop or laptop computer has nothing to do with the web hosting environment you can choose.  Your website data is stored on a web server, giving you the ability to log in and manage your hosting account from any computer with an internet connection.  As far as these aspects go, Linux and Windows hosting are virtually the same.  As platforms are concerned however, these operating systems are two entirely different animals.

Most everyone knows about Windows, the popular Microsoft computer system installed on homes and office PCs world wide.  Linux however, is not as well known in the home setting.  A newer variation of the Unix operating system, Linux has always been more of an academic or network solution.  Both of these platforms make viable options in the web hosting environment but there are some differences that may influence your decision.

Cost and Licensing

The first thing many associate with the Linux system is its status as open-source software.  The system began as a hobbyist project and was released under the GNU General Public License.  As an open-source product, the software and its code can be freely distributed and modified, unlike Windows which is proprietary solution with licenses tied to Microsoft.  What all this basically means is that Linux hosting is usually cheaper than Windows hosting.

Reliability and Performance

Linux has been used in the network server environment for years, much longer than Windows.  The system is known for being stable and highly reliable.  Although the underlying server technologies play a major role, Linux is designed to handle demanding tasks and give you the maximum up time.  In addition, Linux has natural speed, which is enhanced with the aid of the Apache web server, one of its components from the LAMP server configuration.  This gives it the ability to quickly process web pages and applications scripted in complimenting languages such as PHP or CGI.

Open-source Support

The Linux operating system is largely supported by the open-source community.  The wide range of technologies that have been designed to work with the platform all play a significant role in the Linux hosting environment.  The Apache web server, MySQL database system, PHP and Perl server-side programming all integrate seamless with the Linux system.  Many of these technologies can be freely obtained and incorporated into your hosting environment.  Although Windows technologies such as ASP, MS SQL and MS Access generally are not supported, many Linux hosting packages do support Microsoft FrontPage extensions.  This is an attractive feature for someone who is familiar with the Microsoft Office environment.

As long as you pick a reuptable provider, Linux hosting is a choice you simply cannot go wrong with.  This is especially true if you are opting for shared hosting with minimal access to core of the operating system.

Linux and the LAMP

Hence the name, Linux hosting revolves around the Linux platform, an operating system quite similar to Unix.  The system itself was first created in 1991 by a student named Linus Torvalds at the University of Helsinki in Finland.  The system was originally intended to be meant for academic use and as a non-commercial replacement for Minix, a smaller Unix-like system.  Torvald’s goal was to exceed the 16-bit design of Minix and deliver an OS that was more accessible in terms of modification with more lenient redistribution standards.  Torvalds eventually came up with the Linux kernel, the central component of the operating system and the heart of Linux as we know it today.

The Linux operating system is the very core of many web hosting packages, both of the free and premium variety, making it the most common hosting solution on the market.   Released under the GNU GPL, Linux naturally supports a number of open-source technologies, particularly those that make up the LAMP server, a platform that consists of Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP.

Apache

Since we’ve already discussed the Linux system, let’s start with Apache, an essential component of the LAMP and many other server configurations.  Apache is an HTTP web server application and similar to Linux, it is open-source software that can be freely distributed.  The most widely used web server available, Apache currently helps serve the pages for more than half the websites on the World Wide Web.

MySQL

MySQL is a relational database management system used in the LAMP.  This multithreaded, multiuser application operates as a server and allows users to interact with databases through a website.  It allows for the easy storing and quick retrieval of data and also provides back-end support for numerous web-based applications.  MySQL is currently the most popular database system with more than 10 million installations world wide.

PHP

Hypertext Preprocessor or PHP, is the programming language commonly used in the LAMP configuration.  As a server-side scripting technology, PHP is used to create dynamic web pages as well as stand-alone applications.  Both Perl and Python may also be used in the platform as these languages are quite similar to PHP.  There have also been rare instances where Ruby on Rails is used instead of PHP, changing the LAMP acronym to LAMR.  Although these technologies are compatible with Microsoft IIS and Windows, they are all open-source and therefore, primarily used in the Linux environment.

Do You Need Linux Hosting?

Linux hosting makes a viable option for creating a website consisting of static HTML pages or even a feature-rich, interactive site.  The programming languages are what gives this system the ability to create dynamic pages.  In fact, these technologies are the biggest difference between most operating systems as they all share the same basic goal in the web hosting environment.  Understanding this, you should know that Linux works best with its open-source brethren and generally isn’t compatible with Windows-based products such as ASP and ASP.NET.   Therefore, unless you have a preference or require a dedicated server, the operating system is really of no prevalence.

The Pros and Cons of Linux Hosting

As the most popular operating system, almost every personal computer user is familiar with Microsoft Windows.  This system is being increasingly used in the web hosting arena as well.  Although Windows is installed on the machines of many home users, this system has major competition in the hosting environment.  Its major competitor – Linux.

What is Linux?

Linux is an open-source operating system based on the Unix system.  Because the software is usually free or inexpensive, it is the first choice among several web hosts as well as customers who want to save money on hosting.  Aside from cost efficiency, Linux has a reputation for its stability and ability to perform exceptionally under intensive multitasking.  With few licensing fees involved, web hosting companies are able to offer powerful packages at a fraction of the cost.  Those who are familiar with the system will tell you that Linux is one of the most powerful, flexible platforms available.

The Pros

Linux is a main fixture on the web hosting market, even more so than Windows.  The major reason behind the popularity is its open-source nature, which coincides perfectly with the hosting environment.  Linux is compatible with a wide variety of open-source technologies that range from PHP and Perl development languages to CGI scripts and MySQL databases.  Developers are constantly updating and creating new technologies for the Linux platform.  This means you generally have the ability to access the latest upgrades to ensure that you have the latest web hosting technologies fresh with updates and security patches.  With Linux being so widely accepted, finding a web host able to fully support the platform is easier than ever before.

What many users enjoy about Linux is its scalability.  The system is designed in a manner that enables streamlined functionality.  What this means is that you can easily update your site without experiencing much of a hassle at all.  This really comes in handy as your website becomes more popular and starts to grow.  Maintaining a website can be a challenging undertaking but the management tasks are greatly simplified when hosting on the Linux platform.

The Cons

Linux offers numerous advantages but there are a few drawbacks you need to be aware of as well.  Although Linux is a premiere choice for web hosting, Windows is still supported by more developers and manufacturers.  Because of this, it tends to be harder to obtain technical support for the open-source applications and programming languages that are compatible with Linux. Whereas you can easily visit a Microsoft website to get tips on ASP and MS SQL, support for open-source technologies are generally scattered about the web.  The good thing is that a reliable web hosting company will offer support for open-source products or provide direct links to where you can get help.

Linux makes a great option for web hosting but you should always consider your needs first.  If you feel that Microsoft technologies could deliver more benefits, you may want to look into Windows.  In actuality, both systems have advantages and disadvantages so it is all about finding a solution that meets your needs.

The Advantages of Linux Hosting

Choosing a web host is one of the most important decisions you will ever make.  Hopefully, you will select a company that encourages you to stick around for a while.  It is a good rule of thumb to first determine your needs and then get out on the hunt for a web host.  There are several questions that must be answered when looking for service.  Do you want shared or dedicated hosting?  Do you prefer cPanel or the Plesk control panel?  Another decision you will be faced with is what platform you want to host on – Linux or Windows?

What is Linux Hosting?

In web hosting, the Linux operating system enables a server to perform various operations.  For years, Linux has been considered as one of the most stable and reliable platforms in the web hosting environment.  The system offers a level of functionality, flexibility and speed that towers over many competitive platforms.  Because of this, Linux is often a first choice among small businesses and corporations who require web hosting.

With Linux hosting, you will enjoy a number of advantages including the following:

Stability – Traditionally, Linux is known as one the most robust and stable operating systems available.  When hosting on this platform, you typically get exceptional performance along with the maximum uptime.  In fact, there have been documented cases where Linux servers have run for nearly a year without experiencing a single moment of downtime.

Cost Efficiency – As an open-source system, the Linux operating system either comes free or at a very inexpensive price.  This allows the web hosting company to save money on licensing fees and therefore offer a much cheaper service.

Ease of Use – Though considered complex, a Linux-based server is fairly easy to use in the shared hosting environment.  Control panel software and comprehensive management tools allows even non-technical users to excel on a Linux platform.

Considerations

If you prefer the Linux operating system, keep in mind that you may be restricted to certain technologies.  For example, Microsoft products found in a Windows hosting package may not be available on a Linux platform.  Some of these technologies include server-side programming languages such as ASP and ASP.NET as well as databases like MS SQL and MS Access.  For the most part, you can easily find a Linux web hosting plan that supports FrontPage, a web design program developed by Microsoft.  On the other hand, the Linux operating system supports a wide range of technologies to make up for this minor deficiency.  Some of the technologies you will generally have access to are PHP server-side scripts, MySQL databases and a variety of open-source programs.

You really cannot go wrong when choosing a Linux web hosting plan.  Keep in mind that if you want to enjoy all the benefits, you must find a reliable host able to support your needs.  If a company cannot provide you with fast servers, a respectable uptime and responsive technical support, all the power and flexibility of Linux will not mean a thing.