Fully managed hosting is the perfect solution for startups that need to focus solely on their core business. This hosting solution puts the technical side of your website or web app in the hands of experts with the know-how to make sure your web service is running optimally.
Instead of being woken up in the middle of the night to be informed that your site is down, you will be able to rely on your hosting provider to ensure your web services are available around the clock.
If you are looking for a hosting solution that is hassle-free and reliable, then keep reading to find out just exactly what fully managed hosting and its benefits are.
Key Takeaways
- Fully managed hosting is a set of services provided by a hosting provider, which includes maintenance, administration, and support for a hosting server.
- The benefits of using managed hosting include:
- 24/7/365 server maintenance
- Technical support
- Time saving
- Backup and disaster recovery
- Enhanced security
- With unmanaged hosting, you are responsible for the initial set up of your server, installing software, and managing updates.
- Collocation is different from managed hosting and it refers to owning a server and renting physical space in a hosting provider’s facility to store it.
- Fully managed hosting allows you to focus on your business as the hosting provider takes full care of your server.
What is Fully Managed Hosting?
Fully managed hosting is a service where the hosting provider takes care of the setup, maintenance, administration, and support of a hosting server.
With managed hosting, the hosting provider has the duty to make sure your web service is running smoothly and is available to users at all times.
The services you get with fully managed hosting vary depending on the hosting provider you choose. Usually, the services include 24/7/365 technical support, setting up a security system, network infrastructure & hardware management, as well as server monitoring.
And with fully managed dedicated hosting, you will be the only tenant on the server. This will give you full control, flexibility, and root access to your server.
What Services Does Managed Hosting Include?
Managed hosting providers usually offer numerous services that add to the security, speed, and reliability of your server. Some of the most common services providers include in their managed plans are:
- Proactive system monitoring
- PCI scanning
- Server setup and configuration
- Regular system backups
- Software and hardware support
- System health checks
- Disaster recovery assistance
- Advanced server hardening
- Bandwidth graphs and monitoring
5 Top Benefits of Using Managed Hosting
The benefits of fully managed hosting services are indispensable for startups that need to focus on growth and creation.
That’s because a highly trained team of experts will manage every aspect of the technical side of your hosting, granting you the peace of mind and time it takes to expand your business.
Let’s take a look at the top 5 benefits of using fully managed hosting:
#1. 24/7/365 Server Maintenance
24/7/365 server maintenance means peace of mind. Whether it’s a holiday, the middle of the night, or you are on vacation, you can rest assured knowing that an expert will have their eyes on your hosted services.
Your hosting provider will monitor your hosted website or web app at all times and proactively monitor it. This includes the implementation of any updates your server may require.
In addition, if your server crashes, the hosting provider will find out within moments and have the site or app back up and running before you even notice.
#2. Technical Support
One of the top benefits that come with managed hosting services is technical support. Instead of having to learn the ins and outs of your server or hiring an in-house IT team, you will be able to rely on experienced server administrators.
Everything from back-end needs to front-end configurations on your fully managed dedicated server will be taken care of by your web host.
In addition, any questions or requests will be addressed as soon as you contact your web host. Just call, tell them what you need, and they will handle it.
#3. Time Saving
With a 24/7/365 support staff solving technical issues before they turn major, you will find yourself having more time to focus on the significant aspects of your business.
Whatever your business may be, you definitely did not start it to spend hours worrying about web infrastructure, security, updates, and maintenance for your website.
Fully managed dedicated server hosting allows you to do what you do best. You can rest easy knowing that as you concentrate on growth, revenue, and creation, a highly qualified team will be watching over your website.
#4. Backup and Disaster Recovery
One of the services that come with fully managed hosting is ensuring data continuity, even in the face of a major disruption. Hosting providers will create data backups and have redundant hardware in place to avoid data loss.
No matter how much you plan, unexpected things can happen. Be it human error, a natural disaster, or a security breach, you are always at risk of data loss.
In such cases, you need to have a recovery plan in place to get your website or web app up and running as soon as possible.
Luckily, with fully managed hosting you will not have to worry about these worst-case scenarios. You can rest assured knowing that your provider will take care of data recovery in the event of a disaster.
#5. Enhanced Security
A cyber attack on your hosted web services can tarnish your business’s reputation and cause you to lose money.
With fully managed hosting you will have experienced professionals monitoring your server and looking out for vulnerabilities. Often, they will be able to discover weak spots in your website or web app before an attack even occurs.
Administrators of your server will take care of security audits, installing patches, and monitoring for signs of DDoS attacks. They will do their best to make your website as secure as possible.
What is the Difference Between Managed and Unmanaged Hosting?
To fully understand the benefits of managed web hosting and its services, we must look at the alternative: unmanaged hosting.
With unmanaged hosting, the most basic hosting plan, you are responsible for handling the initial setup, security, software installment, and updates. Pretty much everything besides storing the server will be in your hands.
If you have extensive IT knowledge and free time, you could handle all of that on your own. However, trying to both run your business and handle your server setup and maintenance will inevitably lead to performance issues and stress.
With fully managed hosting, the hosting provider will take care of everything from the initial setup and infrastructure to daily updates and maintenance. This leaves more time on your hands to focus on the core of your business.
Managed Hosting Vs. Colocation
With managed hosting, you rent a server from a hosting provider that is fully managed by them. You receive all of the benefits of managed hosting previously explained.
On the other hand, colocation is when you own a server and rent physical space in the hosting provider’s facility to store it. By storing your server at a colocation center, you will get to enjoy the benefits of their data center, such as enhanced physical security, redundant cooling & power lines, and round-the-clock monitoring.
Beyond that, with colocation hosting, you do not receive other benefits as you do with managed hosting. That means you will need to have extensive IT knowledge or a team of experts to maintain your server. That’s where managed hosting shines.
Is Managed Hosting Secure?
Data security is on the mind of every site owner. While it may seem like opting for unmanaged hosting or colocation would be safer because no one but your team sees the data stored on your dedicated server, this is not necessarily true.
The reputation of managed web hosting providers rests on their ability to keep your data confidential.
In fact, with a reputable web host that manages your site, your data will be safer than ever. This is due to the work web hosts put into your site’s security and your data’s confidentiality.
With a fully managed dedicated server, you can relax and focus on your business with the knowledge that your site is secure and monitored.
Looking for Fully Managed Hosting? Check out RedSwitches!
If you want a team of expert engineers to manage every aspect of the technical side of your hosting and enjoy peace while focusing on your business, RedSwitches can help!
We offer fully managed hosting services which include:
- Data migration
- Hardening, securing, and optimizing servers
- Performing regular backups and anti-virus scanning
- Data recovery support
- 24/7/365 technical support
- And many other services!
Other than managing your services, we can also help you design an infrastructure that will ensure your hosted websites or apps run as smoothly as possible.
Contact us today and our team of engineers will devise a perfect hosting plan for your business!
Managed Hosting FAQ
#1. What is a managed hosting plan?
A managed hosting plan is a provisioning model in which a hosting provider rents dedicated servers that they also fully manage for customers.
#2. What are the benefits of managed hosting?
Some of the benefits of managed hosting include:
- Server monitoring and maintenance
- Technical support
- Time saving
- Lowered operation costs
- Backup and disaster recovery
- Enhanced security
- Data backup
#3. Do I need managed hosting?
If you are finding it difficult to stay on top of your hosting solution, you can let your hosting provider manage it for you. By choosing a managed hosting plan, you can ensure your hosting solution will always be up and running smoothly.
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