If you're a business trying to develop a web presence, you've likely seen the terms "dedicated web hosting" and " web hosting" everywhere. In this post, we'll go over the differences between managed web hosting and an (unmanaged) dedicated server.
What Is Managed Web Hosting?
Managed web hosting is when a hosting company leases you a dedicated server but manages the server themselves. The company controls your server, performs software and hardware maintenance, offers security, keeps track of activity, and looks after backup services.
Though both managed web hosting and dedicated web hosting involve a dedicated server, with dedicated web hosting you manage the server yourself. With managed web hosting, on the other hand, the hosting service provider looks after server management with proactive assistance and necessary update notices.
Unlike virtual or shared hosting, which involves several users on a single server, managed web hosting gives you a unique server just for you. Managed web hosting resembles shared or virtual hosting because the web hosting company manages your server. An important distinction with managed web hosting is that the IT personnel taking care of your server need to understand a bit about your business and how it uses server resources.
What Does "Managed" Mean?
With managed web hosting, the hosting service provider sets up the server and takes care of day-to-day operations 24/7. They troubleshoot technical issues, deal with software updates, deal with security, and more. A good deal goes into the management and maintenance of a server and managed web hosting takes care of this.
Important Considerations
As expected, managed web hosting is generally more costly than devoted web hosting. When you pay for managed web hosting, you pay for 24/7 IT support from the web hosting provider.
Your IT department will be a major factor to consider in the decision about whether to use managed web hosting. Server management is a never-ending job that involves many different areas of expertise, including architecture, configuration management, monitoring, backup technology, security, and more. Because it's a huge reason server management is a 24/7 task, it's worth emphasizing the need for security twice. Is your IT staff sufficient enough to safeguard your server at all times?
Even if they do have the expertise to manage a server, it's also essential to consider their capacity. Is your team big enough to do their regular jobs with round-the-clock server management added to their requirements?
The Takeaway
Managed web hosting is very different from dedicated web hosting. If you require a server that is guaranteed to not fail, it would be worth paying a little more for a managed server than hiring an entire IT department or overworking your existing one.
If you decide that a managed server sounds like a better fit for your business, make sure to check out our large selection of managed dedicated servers or contact us if you still have any questions.
