The last thing a small business that runs a company website or an online store wants is to spend effort, money and time on server management. This is why the best solution for such a business is to choose fully managed hosting services.
Managed hosting means that the hosting company takes care of all your server-related matters. Not only do you rent the needed hardware from the host company, but you also pay the company for managing it. In unmanaged hosting, you only rent the server from your hosting provider, and you are fully responsible for all services and maintenance tasks.
Benefits of Managed Hosting
Managed web hosting offers several advantages to your business.
Server Monitoring
Server monitoring is critical for your business. It is the process of regular scanning of the servers to search for any potential failures and irregularities. System administrators monitor the servers continuously to identify any failure points in order to address them before they become major problems. It is better to prevent a problem rather than deal with its aftermath. And, in this case, the detailed, consistent attention the system admins provide in monitoring the servers helps to guarantee the network availability and good server uptime you want to offer yourself and your clients.
Security
The security of the server is a major priority for any business, and it covers several aspects such as:
- Running security auditing
- Virus scanning
- Spam filtering
- Operating system updates
- Software firewall configuration
Managed Storage
The storage requirements of a business change over time. The amount of space you need now may not be the same you need a few months or years down the line. Balancing these needs requires specific skills and ongoing availability and commitment to give it proper attention. Managed storage involves outsourcing a company’s needs to a managed service provider. This is vital for a business because it helps to reduce costs related to the administering and buying storage services.
Managed Database
A managed database is similar to managed storage, but it requires the experience and expertise of a seasoned database administrator instead of a general systems admin.
A database admin serves as a software and service consultant to design a suitable database system to meet your requirements and needs. Managed hosting providers have database admins who are experienced in MySQL, Oracle and SQL Server, so, as a business, you will find the kind of expertise you need.
Backups
Losing data can be an expensive affair for a company. Thus, it is vital to have a system that regularly backs up, secures and preserves the integrity of your data. According to research, small businesses often lose more than 50 percent of their data due to natural and human-related disasters. With managed services, you will have peace of mind as a business owner when your data is backed up and because your hosting provider has procedures and systems to address such scenarios.
Managed hosting services are not only cheaper to implement for you as a business, but they also help you to address the technical aspects that you as a business may be unable to handle. You may find this service from providers such as Netwrorksolutions.com.
Image credits to Donovan Henneberg-Verity