Managed Server Hosting: What You Need to Know

In the current market scenario, where the competition is at its peak, can the businesses afford to utilize their time and resources on managing the on-premise hardware infrastructure? The answer to this would be a resounding “NO.”

The best option for the business owners to get freedom from all the IT-related hassles and the associated costs is managed server hosting. It is the type of cloud hosting where the server is fully managed by the cloud provider.

From scaling the resources to migrating the data, from installing the business-specific applications to offering technical support, the provider takes care of everything.

Here are some of the factors you should know about managed server hosting, which can prove beneficial to your business.

1. No Burden of CAPEX and OPEX

One of the significant factors responsible for pulling a business down is the costs associated with building and maintaining the IT infrastructure that hosts your software and data. Especially for a company looking to start a business, the costs can be quite intimidating.

Firstly, the businesses have to set up a hardware infrastructure to host the data and business-specific applications. Every application requires different system specification, so you have to build a hardware setup compatible with all the applications. The costs incurred take up most of your budget.

Secondly, after setting up the in-house IT infrastructure, you have to bear the costs of maintaining and upgrading the hardware as per the business requirement. Every hardware equipment has a lifecycle, after which it becomes obsolete.

Managed server hosting reduces the cost of capital as well as operational expenses. After you opt for a managed server hosting provider, all the applications and data are hosted on the remote servers of the providers. They are in charge of providing an optimum environment for your business process. Moreover, it is the responsibility of the provider to maintain and upgrade the hardware.

As your business process is hosted on the hardware of a third-party provider, you do not need to spend on purchasing high-end hardware or upgrading it periodically.

2. Round-The-Clock Support

Hardware means problems. The more complicated the hardware setup, the more issues you will face on a day-to-day basis. No business can surpass the IT issues, no matter how robust IT infrastructure it deploys.

To take care of these IT issues, there is an absolute necessity of a skilled team consisting of technical experts. In this day and age, since all the businesses are reaching for global markets, the business process is alive and functioning for 24 hours a day. Hence, the in-house IT team has to be available 24*7*365, which means more work hours and, consequently, more wages.

No business wants to go through the hassles involved with IT maintenance, where the IT team has to be called for every minute issue.  The managed server hosting provider deploys an IT team which are always at your beck and call for the resolution of all your issues.

Since the IT team is handled by the managed server hosting provider, you do not have to worry about deploying an in-house IT team.

3. Setup, Migration, and Updates

With technological advancements, new and improved hardware and software products are introduced into the market. The businesses have to upgrade their hardware setup regularly to adopt the latest in technology. Moreover, the applications currently used by the businesses must be updated regularly with new software patches.

However, it is not as easy as it seems. The in-house IT team has to be well-equipped to adapt to these changes. Moreover, the data must be migrated to new servers/systems, which can lead to data loss if not handled properly.

With managed server hosting, the provider is responsible for migrating your data from the local setup to their cloud servers. They install the business applications on the cloud and take care of all the software updates and upgrades. As businesses do not have to worry about all these tasks, they can optimize their time and improve productivity.

4. Optimum Security

When it comes to data security, no business can or is willing to compromise. The business process should be kept away from cyberattacks and data breaches, or the businesses can face substantial losses.

You, as a business owner, can create a secure in-house infrastructure for the business process. However, it involves the deployment of high-end firewalls and equipment, which will cost you heavily. Also, you will be responsible for managing and upgrading the security system.

In contrast, the managed server hosting providers already have advanced security systems built for their customers. The managed server hosting providers deploy security methods like multi-factor authentication, Intrusion Detection and Prevention System (IDS & IPS), data encryption, and continuous network monitoring.

You can opt for their services and host your data and applications in their secure cloud infrastructure.

5. Automatic Backup

Keeping in mind the criticality of business-related data, backup has become an essential part of every business process. You just can’t rely on a single piece of hardware to keep your data safe. The data has to be backed up on redundant storage devices. Keeping redundant storage systems on the premises requires extra physical space and electricity.

However, the managed server hosting providers offer automatic backup solutions in which the data is backed up automatically on the redundant servers of the provider. In case of a data loss, you can restore the data instantly.

6. Total Availability

With the competitive nature of the market, every business aims to be at the top of their game and stay ahead of others. For the same, they need access to their business applications and data at all times. Any loss of access to the business process at a crucial time can cause you dearly.

In consideration of this, the managed server hosting providers guarantee an uptime value, which is the minimum duration the business process will be accessible to you. The major providers in the market offer an uptime of as high as 99.99%. It ensures that the business process will be available to you whenever needed.

7. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

Business Continuity is a proactive approach that proves to be very useful in avoiding any crisis situation that can hamper your business process. It involves identification of the risks that can hamper your business process, drafting procedures to prevent them, and training the professionals to handle such situations.

In addition, disaster recovery ensures that your data is safe even in case of a disaster such as floods by replicating your data to multiple geographic locations.

The managed server hosting providers implement a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plan to ensure that all the risks are identified in time, and your data is always protected.

Choose the Right Managed Server Hosting Provider

While manage hosting services have a lot of perks, choosing an incapable hosting provider can be hazardous for your business. Here is a checklist that will help you find the right manager server hosting provider.

• Does the provider have expertise in hosting the applications specific to your business? (Yes/No)
• Does the provider deploy advanced security safeguards as a part of their infrastructure? (Yes/No)
• Does the managed server hosting provider host the applications on high-performance computing servers? (Yes/No)
• Do they implement a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery plan with their services? (Yes/No)
• Do they offer flexible pricing plans to suit your business needs? (Yes/No)
• Do they offer round-the-clock support over all media such as chat, phone and email? (Yes/No)

Need more assistance with managed server hosting services? Get in touch with our Solutions Consultant at +1-855-223-4887.