Web Hosting Reviews & Ratings

April 23, 2010

The Cons of Managed Hosting

Managed hosting is an effective and viable option for many businesses. There are numerous advantages that are exceedingly appealing to new customers shopping for the best hosting solution.

Accompanying the many pros of managed hosting are cons that could potentially be a deciding factor for choosing this type of hosting. There are four major disadvantages to managed hosting that could be an important facet in choosing this service. These limitations include price, setup time, the physical environment, trust, and control.

Price - The first and most deciding factor for a client is the price. Managed hosting providers charge high prices for their services. Although this type of hosting would save a small business money from employing extra staff, for basic hosting the price usually isn’t worth it. Unfortunately the costs are significantly more than opting for unmanaged hosting. Often included in this price is a software installation fee.

Setup - Another downside to managed hosting is the initial setup. Getting equipment and software up and running is extremely time-consuming. Although the client doesn’t have to partake in this task, in the business world time is money. Since setup undertakes a great deal of time, the online portion of a client’s business isn’t functional during that period which can be detrimental to sales. Unmanaged shared hosting is a much quicker and easier process.

Physical Environment - A third concern is the condition of the physical environment. The selected managed hosting provider might lack the appropriate physical environment to store the equipment. Over time this can cause serious damage not to mention massive downtime which ultimately effects the operations of the business.

Although the hosting equipment is managed, many problems can still occur. It’s best to have complete trust in the hosting provider and their abilities to keep the servers functional as much as possible. Finding a trustworthy provider takes time and research but is tremendously beneficial in the long run.

Control - The final limitation is the lack of control of the actual hosting. This has proven to be a major unappealing factor to many consumers as they prefer a hands-on approach. By signing up for a managed hosting package, the consumer is giving the provider complete control over all decisions, equipment and software. Although companies allow clients to initially customize, once running, the consumer cannot just change the computing environment on demand.

Depending on the needs of the consumer, managed hosting may not be the right source. There are a few downfalls to managed hosting with price being the largest. Fortunately the pros heavily outweigh the cons making this a practical alternative for many.

Tags: physical environment,  Managed Hosting,  best hosting solution,  unmanaged hosting,  trust