Managed vs Traditional Hosting:
What's Best for Your Business?
By Will Boone
Technical Director, PathSix Solutions
In the digital economy, a company's website is often its primary storefront. Just as a physical business requires a reliable building and utilities to operate, a website requires a server to function.
However, the terminology surrounding web hosting can be opaque to the non-technical business owner. The choice between managed hosting and traditional hosting is not merely a technical decision; it is a financial and operational one.
Understanding the difference can save a business thousands of dollars in lost productivity and countless hours of frustration.
Traditional Hosting: The "Do It Yourself" Model
Shared hosting and an unmanaged virtual private server (VPS) have different responsibilities. Shared hosts usually operate the underlying server, while you manage your site and account. An unmanaged VPS generally gives you responsibility for the operating system and application setup.
The Empty Warehouse
An unmanaged VPS is like renting an empty warehouse. The landlord guarantees the roof won't leak, but if you want to build an office inside, install security cameras, or fix a broken lock, you must do it yourself.
An unmanaged VPS typically requires server administration skills and may provide root access. Shared hosting usually provides a control panel instead. Check the exact support, backup, and update responsibilities in either plan.
The Hidden Costs
Security Risks
With an unmanaged VPS, arrange monitoring, patching, and access controls yourself or through an administrator. Responsibilities differ for shared hosting.
Downtime & Reliability
Recovery depends on the cause, provider responsibilities, and your response plan. Clarify who responds to infrastructure failures and application failures.
Time Allocation
For a business, time is money. If an employee spends ten hours a month troubleshooting the server, the cost of their labor must be added to the hosting bill.
Managed Hosting: The "Service" Model
Managed hosting shifts the technical burden from the customer to the provider. In this model, the hosting company manages the infrastructure, the operating system, and the security of the server.
Checking into a Hotel
You get the space you need, but housekeeping, security, and maintenance are all included. If the air conditioning breaks, you call the front desk, and they fix it.
Managed Hosting Features to Check:
- ✓Automated Backups: Ensuring that if data is lost, it can be restored quickly.
- ✓Security Updates: Automatically patching software to protect against new threats.
- ✓Performance Optimization: Configuring architecture to ensure the website loads quickly.
Comparative Analysis
Conclusion
For a technology company with a dedicated IT department, traditional hosting offers a level of control that may be desirable. However, for the vast majority of Small to Mid-sized Enterprises (SMEs), the goal is to run a business, not a server farm.
By choosing managed hosting, a business is not just buying server space; they are buying a partnership. The benefit is help with agreed operational tasks. Check backup retention, recovery procedures, support hours, and exclusions before choosing a plan.
Switch to Managed Hosting