Getting the Most From Your Managed Provider

Just like any business partnership, you want the relationship between your company and managed hosting provider to be on good terms.  Unfortunately, getting one to respond to important issues isn’t always as easy you would like it to be.  This is due in large part to the automated nature of web hosting technology that has taken away some of the personalization.  Even if your provider is lacking in a few areas, there are ways to grab their attention and place it on the needs of your business.

Report all Problems

Even when minor service issues arise, always alert the provider of what’s going on.  If they are failing to meet the needs of your business in any way, let them know in a polite yet firm manner.  Although problems do occur every now and then, the provider may not be aware that anything is wrong.  By letting your voice be heard, you can better assure that all issues will be addressed in a timely fashion.

Test Their Response Time

The best way to learn how a provider will act in crunch time is to put them through the ringer with a few tests.  Send an email or give them a call every now and then with questions or comments.  If you find that a company isn’t helpful or doesn’t respond at all, its definitely a sign that you need to move on to a new service.

Get on Their Good Side

Forming a close relationship with a support team member is never a bad idea.  This could be a technician, sales representative or another employee you have easy access to.  After finding someone you are comfortable with, ask them if they would be willing to become your regular contact for resolving any issues that appear.  If one person doesn’t agree, move on to the next until you find someone willing to help out.  The faster problems are resolved, the quicker you can stop worrying about them and get back to business.

Purchase a Short-term Contract

This is a great leverage move that will increase your likelihood of receiving top notch service.  For obvious reasons, a managed hosting provider would much rather lock you into a long-term agreement and may even offer incentives to encourage the act.  When signing on for a short-term contract over a 12 or 18 month period, the company is likely to view your service needs as a priority, especially when your renewal date approaches.

Purchase a Per-item Plan

Predefined packages are good for some business but useless for a company that doesn’t require those additional services.  This is an easy way to keep the relationship with your provider on good terms as they can concentrate on specific tasks that will benefit your company while other key essentials can be handled in-house.

Get a New Provider

Just as with any relationship, there is no point in putting effort into a host that has no chance of working out for you.  If all your efforts of establishing a solid, trusting partnership with the provider falls through, count your losses and look into moving to another host.  Staying in an unhealthy relationship will only hurt your business in the long run.

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Dec 27, 2008 : Managed Hosting No responses yet

Managed Hosting or Colocation? - How to Decide

Managed hosting describes an arrangement where a web hosting company “manages” and provides everything needed to run your website.  This includes the server and network hardware, the software for building the site and managing email, an internet connection, upgrades, backups and so forth.  In this situation, all you really have to do is design the web pages and promote the site.

The Faces of Managed Hosting

The scenario above pretty much describes your shared web hosting account, an arrangement where several customers share a single server and all its resources at one time.  With shared hosting, the provider handles all the technical aspects behind the scenes.  Dedicated hosting is the alternative, a service which is most often used to described managed hosting.  With a dedicated server, you essentially have the entire machine all to yourself.  In most cases, you have enough disk space and bandwidth to host multiple sites and generally have a greater level of control over the server itself, the aspect that distinguishes it the most from shared hosting.  While there are different types of shared and dedicated plans such as VPS and reseller accounts, all of them are basically just different variations of managed hosting.

Colocation

Colocation however, is in a completely different arena.  With this arrangement, you purchase your own server, network equipment, software and all other needed elements needed to run your online business.  Though it shares similarities with the managed dedicated server environment, you are responsible for setting up the hardware and configuring the software.  A colocation host commonly does note provide these components, and often, they do not dictate what can or cannot be purchased, leaving you free to choose the items best suited for your needs.  After getting the equipment together, it is installed in the provider’s data facility, a task the company often assists with.  You get an adequate power supply for the equipment, multiple IP addresses dedicated to your business and an uplink that enables your network equipment to be connected to the internet.  A reliable colocation provider runs a tight infrastructure, keeping their data center staffed 24/7 with redundant systems to prevent overheating, theft or damage and keep the operation going in case of a power failure.  Most companies offer basic support but you are primarily responsible for keeping up the hardware and your applications.  Because of this, you are typically allowed 24-hour access to make upgrades and repairs whenever they are needed.

In short, the colocation host provides you with a facility to store your equipment, which they are responsible for maintaining.  Their job is to make sure the physical storage, power and bandwidth you are provided is not compromised.

Managed hosting is a great option for an individual or company that needs to rely on a web host.  Colocation can be viewed as do it yourself hosting as you are essentially your own provider, simply “co-locating” your operation to someone else’s data center.  This solution is designed for those who have outgrown a shared or dedicated server yet aren’t equipped to host their online business from the home or office.

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Dec 02, 2008 : Managed Hosting No responses yet

Introduction to Managed Hosting

Managed hosting describes a situation where a provider handles the administrative tasks of a web server.  Although it may also describe the arrangement with a shared host, managed hosting generally refers to a server solution for individuals looking to turn over the management functions of their network operation to another company.  This may include maintenance of the server, storage, bandwidth, software applications and other associated components.  Many companies choose this type of hosting because of tighter security and better reliability as some managed providers offer an uptime guarantee of 100%.  As several businesses aren’t physically able to maintain the technical aspects of their operation, the managed hosting provider steps up with a fully equipped data center and quality support to offer a higher level of service.

Managed Hosting Fees

Just like any other form of hosting, managed hosting comes at a monthly fee and offers numerous benefits to the customer.  Though more expensive on first glance, it spares a company of spending money on the necessary software and hardware required to host their own internet business.  The aspect of managed hosting can be compared to outsourcing the IT-related services of a business to another company.  It is also similar in some aspects to colocation hosting.

Who Should Consider Managed Hosting?

While shared hosting is suited for the small business, managed hosting is suited for larger organizations that require a dedicated server.  This solution gives them to opportunity to focus on the core of the business opposed to spending extra time and resources managing the technical aspects.  Apart from not having to worry about server maintenance and software installations, managed hosting also comes with tighter security.  The dedicated server alone frees you from the traffic and stability issues associated with shared hosting and the managed host can better assure that the operation runs efficiently.  When considering the backing of an experienced technical support staff, a reliable uptime and infrastructure at a fixed cost, managed hosting offers excellent value for your dollar.

Similar to other types of hosting, the managed environment extends into a wide variety of service options.  Some of this includes additional security products and database administration tools along with fully managed SQL hosting services.  The basic essentials in regard to server management consists of administering stored files, database support, internet connectivity, load balancing as well as monitoring and reporting of the server.  Naturally, the hosting company is also responsible for the physical maintenance and security.  Furthermore, some companies provide software-related services for an additional fee.   This may include implementing anti-virus solutions along with firewalls and intrusions detection systems.  Since you have a large say in what goes on the server, managed hosting is the perfect choice for someone who desires control over the server but needs a fully managed service to do so.

Managed hosting offers numerous benefits but is not the solution for everyone.  This type of service is more suited for someone that needs to hand over the server maintenance to experts while focusing on the essentials of their business. More importantly, its designed for the business able to consistently fork over the monthly expenses required for such a solution.

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Nov 19, 2008 : Managed Hosting No responses yet

Advantages and Disadvantages of Colocation

The term colocation (co-location) is increasingly being used in the web hosting industry.  So what’s the big idea?  It’s simple - convenience, less maintenance and more control over your web server’s configurations.  By storing your system in a large, well maintained facility, you can gain access to greater transfer and other features that would ordinarily be far too expensive to manage in the typical office setting.

As it often goes with most things, there is an upside and a downside to colocation hosting.  In this article we will overview this popular service and try to determine if the positives outweigh the negatives.

Advantages

The biggest advantage of colocation is the cost of bandwidth and associated resources.  Most of these facilities maintain redundant systems and multiple backbones to enable incredibly fast internet connections.  This offers a vast amount of potential bandwidth at a price that is generally determined by the actual amount used.  In most cases, the monthly fee for a colocation service is significantly cheaper than a dedicated Tier 1 line.

Unlike the managed environment, you actually own all the hardware and software components in the data center.  If the server becomes insufficient for your company’s growth, you can then visit the colocation facility and make the needed upgrades.  The luxury of installing your own software frees you of the predefined set of applications provided by a conventional web host.  If you feel that your business requires Windows NT instead of the Linux operating system, simply purchase the software and install it on your server.

Another benefit of colocation hosting is that such providers usually offer better protection against power outages.  Redundant backup generators, power sources and internet backbones help companies offer uptime guarantees of 99% and higher.  Colocation providers often keep an inventory of spare components on hand along with a team of professionals capable of making timely replacements.

Disadvantages

The biggest drawback to colocation is perhaps that a center that’s both reliable and convenient is hard to find.  If you have a staff of your own to manage the systems, you want to find a facility that is relatively close to your business to reduce travel time when upgrades need to be made.  Colocation centers are often located in bigger cities in the vicinity of major network hubs.  This is a factor that somewhat limits geographic options.

The most obvious disadvantage is that colocation is more expensive that managed hosting.  This is attributed to the cost of purchasing or leasing software and hardware components along with the actual space you’re renting.  Additional fees may also apply when your staff needs to perform maintenance.

Is Colocation the Move for You?

Even a small business that experiences a high volume of traffic can survive with managed hosting.  With the right company, this solution can be affordable and reliable.  A larger corporation might find it more cost-efficient to move their in-house operation to an offsite data center, preferably with an experienced IT staff and a well designed facility.  For a number of mid-level businesses, colocation is a solution that compromises between leasing a dedicated server and owning a costly data facility.

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Nov 03, 2008 : Colocation Hosting No responses yet

The Guide to Managed Hosting

Although managed hosting could describe the service offered by a shared host, it mainly pertains to a variety of management services supplied to a dedicated server customer.  The type of services ranges widely between different providers but you can generally expect three standard levels:  full management, standard management and self management.

Full Management

In this arrangement, the managed host relieves you of all the tasks associated with maintaining your website.  This includes administering, updating and monitoring the server, software installations and upgrades, etc.  Full management usually comes with numerous service options such as around-the-clock technical support via phone and email.

Standard Management

A company that offers standard management generally provides server administering, updating and monitoring, but some level of service may not come as quickly or as often as a full managed arrangement.  Service options may also be limited, mainly technical support.  In this scenario, you might be referred to online self-help resources or required to pay for additional support.

Self Management

Self management essentially describes the underlying concept of a dedicated server with little to no managed support.  This type of plan calls for you to have a high level of technical expertise in order to maintain the operation.  The provider may offer a few services, but you are generally required for software installations, configurations and other associated tasks.  Technical support is often limited or provided at an additional cost.

The Benefits of Managed Hosting

Assuming that the provider is responsible for handling the majority of the hosting service, the biggest advantage of managed hosting is the high level of service.  As the customer does not have to worry about installing software and maintaining the server, they are left free to focus on promotions and the core of the business.  Over time, this solution can result in tremendous cost saving for small to medium sized businesses.  Similar to dedicated hosting, you are required to pay a much higher price up front, costs which are attributed to the installation, deployment and maintenance of the server and its associated components.  Savings can be enjoyed as the company is likely to spend less capital on repairs and IT staff.

Another benefit of managed hosting is the high level of technical support that is available.  Similar to shared host, the managed provider offers a physically secured infrastructure consisting of state of the art servers, backup power sources, climate controls, constant monitoring, security mechanisms, increased bandwidth and reliable uptime guarantees.  With all that goes into the process, it would be relatively expensive and demanding for most businesses to duplicate this kind of data center on its own grounds.

Conclusion

The managed hosting service is the most popular form of web hosting today.  As businesses continue to grow, they are experiencing high volumes of traffic and deploying demanding web-based services.  While there are many advantages, not all businesses are equipped or need to use a managed hosting service.  The large company however, is able to find relief from what would otherwise be a number of expensive and complex tasks.

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Oct 24, 2008 : Managed Hosting No responses yet