As the cloud continues to grow and mature, providers are constantly adding web hosting options. The latest trend has been towards hosted dedicated server technology accessed via the cloud. While dedicated server technology is not new, these providers are offering virtualized server space for your business. You are renting dedicated servers for your company’s IT needs. That includes CPU, ram, storage, software, operating system and power supply. The host company provides all of the technical support, hardware, set-up and customer service.
If you’re a top of the line multimillion-dollar company, this arrangement might make sense, but if you’re a small to medium sized business, while there are some advantages to dedicated server technology there are also significant drawbacks to worry about.
Does a Web Hosting Contract Make Sense?
Dedicated server technology does make sense on some level. Performance can be faster than shared hosting and dedicated servers are a bit more secure. As a small to medium sized business, the initial expense of setting up an in-house dedicated server may be cost prohibitive. Working with a third party provider can make dedicated server technology more affordable.
With a web hosting contract third party hosts like DreamHost or GoDaddy will provide all of your IT needs for a fee, though often a significant one. They will keep your server updated with the latest software, provide managed backups, storage, bandwidth, technical support and 24/7/365 server management.
Seems like a great deal, but unless your company can take advantage of the CPU power and storage you’re locked into paying for, many of these advantages are wasted. Often the cost of dedicated hosting can seem reasonable. For a fixed fee contract, your IT needs are monitored and managed removing the technical aspects from your control. The truth is that for many businesses, the horsepower you’re paying for is not needed. So you end up paying for services that you might not ever use. But there is an alternative.
Scalable Web Hosting
Togglebox is taking a different approach. Scalable web hosting gives you the option of growing your IT as your needs grow. Togglebox offers small, medium and large cloud hosting options. The basic packages start at a reasonable rate and can be customized to fit your businesses unique needs.
Add software as you need it, scale-up CPU power, bandwidth and storage as your budget and needs allow. These are customized services that can be automated, for example when your traffic spikes, your bandwidth automatically increases to cover the additional traffic.
When traffic returns to normal, your bandwidth automatically adjusts. The best part is you only pay for what you actually use, unlike those dedicated web hosting contracts that lock you into paying for services you might never use.