subject: Managed Hosting - What Does It Mean To You? [print this page] If you're thinking about starting your own business, or even if you've been established for quite some time, a web presence is essential to survival and growth in today's economic environment. Most people have replaced cable with the Internet as their leading source of news and entertainment, and it stands to reason that this commitment to advancing technology naturally flows into the business world. Whether you already have a website or not, managed hosting is a type of provision that can greatly enhance the effects of your online presence.
For starters, when using a managed server, sharing with other parties is a thing of the past. What managed hosting means is that you have your very own server, and absolute control over operation and feel. In some cases, you even get access to on-call technicians to help you through any tech issues you may experience. One of the greatest helps through this particular choice is availability to security features.
Managed servers work hard to keep out viruses, trojans, worms, spam, and any other nasty Internet surprise you can think of. Handling these matters on your own without qualified personnel can lead to disaster, and paying your own capable employee to handle the matter means one more expensive addition to the payroll. Opting for managed hosting means you get this protection in the service for a lower monthly fee than what you would be paying otherwise.
Of course, managed hosting is not without its limitations, but those are few and far between. First, if you plan on presenting adult content, you may be out of luck. Many providers avoid these out of both legal and ethical issues. While there is a lucrative and legitimate business in such fields, it often must share the spotlight with shadier representatives, who are not afraid to use viruses, spam, and other black hat tactics to get their names out.
Another issue you may run in to if going with a managed hosting provider is that of copyright violation. You must pay greater attention to the content made available on your site, because display of copy protected materials could result in a ban from the server. And even though your hosting provider likely understands that copyright violation may be done without awareness, they still have an obligation to the copyright owner to avoid infringement.
While managed hosting may have these small limitations, it makes up for them in a big way by offering absolute freedom to produce the site and the original content that you want. With access to open source technology, your site can be up and running in minutes. Furthermore, it can be the face of your business-a face that you are proud to show.
