Managed Hosting - Are the Features Worth the Cost?
When choosing the right dedicated or VPS server provider for your needs, the most important decision that you must make is whether a managed or unmanaged server is the best option. Managed accounts are commonly more expensive at first glance, but when considering the additional features that are provided, they may actually be the most cost effective choice. It is important to look at all of the features and decide if it is cheaper and easier to provide them yourself, or rely upon the hosting provider.
Simple Daily Management
Managed dedicated hosting provides you will a much higher level of support than the unmanaged counterpart. This includes security monitoring, automatic backups, server configuration, and even software updates. If you are not very technically inclined, then these tasks can quickly consume all of your time, detracting from more profitable activities.
Monitoring
A managed dedicated server will be monitored by the hosting company all day, every day. If a performance issue is found, the issue will be taken care of automatically. With an unmanaged account, not only will you not be notified by the hosting company, but it will be up to you to find the solution and implement it. This assumes that you will be able to quickly diagnose the problem.
Security
It is essential for online businesses to secure all of the information that they collect as well as all of the information related to their website. With a managed dedicated server, your hosting company will ensure that your server is completely secure at all times. This includes utilizing the best security methods as well as updating any software that becomes outdated. In an unmanaged environment all of the security concerns must be addressed by you. This includes constantly updating all of the software that you are using.
Cost Efficient
While managed hosting solutions are often more expensive than their unmanaged counterparts, they still may be more cost efficient. With a managed dedicated server, you are only responsible for paying the monthly fees. However, with an unmanaged account, you will either have to do all of the leg-work yourself (which is very time consuming), or hire someone to do it for you. Unless you are using enough servers to warrant an IT on your payroll, while initially cheaper, unmanaged hosting is not cost efficient.
Technical Support
With unmanaged dedicated server, you will get technical support with hardware problems at best. Any additional support will have to be supplied by you or you can pay hourly fees for support from the hosting company. On the other hand, with managed hosting, you will get technical support whenever you need it. It is included in your monthly package.
Software
With a managed server, all of the critical software will be installed and updated by the hosting service. This saves you time and effort over an unmanaged solution in several ways. The first is with the initial installation. With a managed account, the software will be automatically pre-configured to run efficiently. Additionally, you do not need to spend any time updating the software as new versions are released. Finally, you do not need to spend any time trying to keep an eye out for the latest update, because your hosting service will be doing that for you, in order to ensure that your server is secure.
While a managed dedicated server may seem more expensive upfront, it can prove to be a much wiser option once all of the additional features are taken into consideration. Managed hosting saves you a ton of time and money when compared to the hidden expenses (time, money, or both) of an unmanaged account. Managed hosting will provide you with daily management, additional monitoring, additional security, unlimited technical support, as well as consistent software updates. All of these features will be lacking if you choose an unmanaged hosting account.
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