subject: Four Reasons Why Colocation Hosting Doesn't Suit Everyone [print this page] Four Reasons Why Colocation Hosting Doesn't Suit Everyone
It's not difficult to see why colocation hosting seems to be the solution to everyone's server problems. The hosting company can house the server in a properly maintained facility, provide the kind of bandwidth that practically guarantees no speed issues and can brush aside the threat of power failure that blackouts would usually hold. But, in fact, the option is not perfect for everyone.
There are four key reasons why opting to turn to a web-hosting company or to keep a server in-house is more suitable. These relate to necessity, price, demands on time and the level of commitment to the investment that is involved.
1. Necessity -- The most obviously reason is a company's unique requirements. Businesses with little dependency on the internet don't really need to go to the extreme of having a server housed for them. The straight-forward services offered by web-hosting companies would be a much more suitable solution for such businesses.
2. Price -- It would be nice to think that monthly fees for colocation hosting services are set and dependable. However, bandwidth utilization is a factor used to calculate the fee. Should there be an unexpected surge in usage, the fee will rise accordingly. Of course, this is only bad news if the rise in information transfers from your site fails to result in more sales and, therefore, revenue.
3. Time Demands -- It's an age-old adage that time is money, so time spent away from the business can be costly. Because the server is sited away from the office, it means that you'll have to travel to the colocation hosting center to look after any server issues, such as upgrading software. Also, because hosting centers are not so plentiful, you might have to travel quite a distance. This means that for several hours, every few weeks, you'll be away from your own place of business, which is not something that every business can afford.
4. Investment Commitments -- Between buying a server, having it transported it to the center and paying for installation, the initial set-up costs can be high for the average business. If you don't have the expertise yourself, you might also need to hire someone to look after the server. So, even if the monthly costs are reasonable, turning to colocation hosting is an investment that requires commitment, both in terms of money and resources.
Of course, there are many benefits all round to going the colocation route. Company growth should be tailored into the calculations with the future requirements of the business taking precedence over the current situation. Ambitious businesses expect to reach a higher status within a certain period of time, so anticipating and planning for server pressures in advance is prudent.
