Managed Hosting
Everyone is talking about cloud hosting. It's definitely a tech buzz word, and businesses are taking note. It's not just the data control it offers so much as it's the cost savings you realize through this cheap hosting option. 
Small businesses are typically not ready to dump money into an in-house IT department for dedicated hosting, so cloud hosting offers a great choice for them. Another option to consider: managed hosting!
What Is Managed Hosting?
With managed hosting, the cheap hosting provider leases out servers to its customer. It's like dedicated hosting, except you don't have to worry about all of the IT issues that arise.
Dedicated hosting puts the burden of managing the servers on the business, while managed hosting has the hosting provider taking care of all of the OS, hardware, and application management for their client. The website owner is still granted root or admin access, but the brunt of the IT management is out of their hands, leaving them to running their business!
Why Should I Choose Managed Hosting?
1. Predictable billing. With managed hosting, you know exactly what you are paying each and every month, so there are no surprises for exceeding limits on storage or bandwidth.
2. Scalability with cost savings. Yes, it's a bit more expensive than cloud hosting, but there is less on your plate so in the long run, it is saving you money by allowing you to focus on your business instead of website details and issues. If you find that your needs change, your plan is easily changeable by a simple phone call or email to your service provider!
3. Saving time in due diligence. When you have an IT department, you have to assure that those who are employed are knowledgeable and capable. A lot of time is spent researching the background of those who will be charged with the important job of keeping your system running smoothly. If you choose managed hosting, you only have to research the background of your hosting provider!
4. Saving time overall! Besides not hunting for a full IT staff, you don't need to worry about other issues such as updating software, hiring someone to fix your servers when they aren't working properly, or even backing up your important data. Managed hosting providers take care of all of this for you. Simply rely on their tech support team for any IT needs and issues!
5. Security. As part of your due diligence, you need to research the lengths this provider goes to in order to assure the security of your data. Yes, you want to make sure the proper virus protection and firewalls are in place, but more than that, you want to know how secure the actual data center is. Did you know some providers rely on retina scans, fingerprint scans, and biometrics to limit who can access the actual servers? This may seem like extraordinary measures, but think about it: some of these servers contain extremely sensitive bank data, or social security numbers.
You want to make it virtually impossible for thieves to get their hands on it! It isn't just hackers you need to worry about. At the very least, assure that there is some form of onsite security, both guards and alarms, as well as locking doors. Don't just look at the SSH and RDP protocols, look beyond that. The best part: you aren't responsible for worrying about the safety and security of this data, or the associated costs!
6. Uptime. You don't need to worry about that dreaded moment when your site crashes, keeping an eye on network speeds and other information to ensure things run smoothly. Your provider will likely have something regarding uptime in their service agreement, so be sure to read it carefully. This way, you can see if it meets your needs and makes you comfortable.
Have you considered managed hosting?
