There are certain items that will always come with it: rebooting stuck servers, load monitoring, and just about anything that relates to making sure that your server maintains a bare minimum standard of operation are just about always in there.  If nothing else, your host will need to do most of these things to make sure you don’t have a greater impact on their network.

Nonetheless, some hosts push the envelope by offering you way more than that, stuff that you would normally just assume would always be your responsibility to handle.  We went through our list of providers, and here are some hosts that are stretching the boundaries of what it means to be “managed::

1) Codero

Codero offers four different levels of managed hosting.  Three of the plans include managing operating system, server and software patches. The top 2 include daemon and service troubleshooting and security audits, and the highest level account also adds in application troubleshooting.  All four packages include optional paid support for anything else not already covered.

2) Lunarpages

Lunarpages’ highest managed service offers a number of important security features.  Among these are notifications of exploits on popular software packages, guaranteed same day hardware replacement, upgrades of Apache, PHP and even the kernel upon user authorization. For the latter, they don’t just do it, but inform you and then let you decide. Hardware replacement can be a major bonus if some critical flaw is found in, say, a RAM chip on your machine.

3) AYKsolutions

The list of services AYKsolutions offers goes right off the chart.  Control panel support, hack recovery and dissection, server hardening and optimization are included. Hack recovery and dissection means that if you are hacked, they’ll help you figure out how to fix it. Guess what? That’s in their lowest level package!  Their list of what they add to that for their full package is a few dozen items long, and includes such items as installation of 3^rd party software and custom kernel configurations: considering what a host risks if they do it wrong, that’s a highly notable service to offer.

4) Hosting.com

Hosting.com doesn’t have a list of services as long as some of the above, but they do offer some specific services that many sites might find critical.  Among them is compliance management, in which they help the user achieve compliance with a number of important business certifications, such as HIPAA and PCI (Payment Card Industry).

5) Connectria

Connectria’s managed hosting services offer some of all of the above.  They will perform server hardening for both Linux and Windows machines, server protection from many different fronts including “Advanced Attack Correlation”, and more than a half dozen types of data encryption.

Web hosts are aware of the fact that there is far more involved with web hosting than even the most dedicated and capable webmaster can keep up with.  They are showing this understanding in their managed hosting packages, and this is a case where you, as the consumer, can definitely use this to your advantage.

Related posts:

• September 20, 2011 – Dedicated Hosting: Managed or Unmanaged?
• September 15, 2011 – From Dedicated Servers To Managed Hosting – Life In The Fast Lane
• June 22, 2011 – Global Event and Media Group Managed Hosting Solutions
• June 14, 2011 – Ascent to Partner with Comcast
• June 1, 2011 – Latisys Expands Credit Facility to $125 Million
• April 28, 2011 – A Review of the Most Affordable Windows Web Hosting Providers
• February 28, 2011 – What Does a Managed Web Hosting Provider Do?
• February 21, 2011 – New Partner Program Announced by Tenzing
• June 30, 2010 – Dedicated Web Hosting – Plan Options
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It’s a complicated affair, and depending on how you answer, you may either streamline or exacerbate your future headaches. Choosing between either system is an important milestone for your business, and to help you along, we’ve compiled this handy guide to both managed and unmanaged dedicated hosting. No, no need to thank us—unless your thanks comes in beer form, that is!

What are Managed and Unmanaged Dedicated Servers?

There’s one key difference between unmanaged and managed dedicated servers: One puts all the effort on your shoulders, while the latter puts all the stress on the host’s end. With an unmanaged dedicated server, it’s up to you to perform server troubleshooting, maintenance, and security. If anything goes wrong, you’re on your own, Pilgrim. This sounds like a big downer, but the trade-off is that you have full control over everything that happens with your server, including what complex applications are installed there.

A managed dedicated server, on the other hand, is kept up by the hosting company itself. They’ll do all of the security implantation, whistle checking, and updating. This frees up your anxieties, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business, rather than your server. The other benefit is that you can call up your provider at any point in time and more or less demand something be changed. Just try not to let the power go to your head, King Midas.

So Which One is Right For Me?

The choice between unmanaged and managed dedicated server options really boils down to a few important points: If you have little time to worry about your site’s hardware, and would rather focus your efforts elsewhere, then managed hosting is the way to go. Likewise if you can’t afford to hire a server administrator, or don’t have the technical knowledge to perform maintenance yourself, managed dedicated servers are a no-brainer.

However, if you do have the resources to manage the server yourself—or hire someone else to do it non-server-side—and want the control an unmanaged server offers, then the choice is rather obvious. Also, if you hope to perform some downright Frankenstein-style stuff to your server, or want a specific software version, then having more control is a necessary function, leading to an unmanaged offering.

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Managed Web Hosting is a term that would certainly interest many webmasters who seek hosting plans to develop and sustain their online businesses. This service works in close conjugation with the concept of dedicated servers. Though dedicated servers are great resources to have in your arsenal of web hosting plans, there are some technicalities associated with the same that dampen the buzz to a great extent. Managed web hosting jumps to the rescue and does exactly what it claims – it simply manages the web hosting.

The Need Of Managed Hosting

When the traffic on your site becomes almost too much to handle and strains the servers, you should consider a dedicated server, and this is where you might also examine managed hosting providers. Maintaining a dedicated server would mean that you have a lot more to chew than what you initially agreed to, and this is where managed hosting makes life easier by providing all the services such as monitoring, reporting, load balancing, database handling and security concerns.

Finding The Right Managed Host

Remember, many people have made the move you are about to make, i.e. shifting to a managed hosting plan. Therefore, their reviews become the best resource of guidance for you. Invest some time in scanning through the reviews of the managed hosting providers and try to locate those that would suit your needs. Also, you would do well to research as to which dedicated hosting providers offer you managed hosting services as well.

Pick A Reliable Hosting Provider

You need to be assured that there would be help available when needed. In order to test a prospective managed web hosting provider out, send in a query and ask a few tricky questions. A prompt and thorough reply is ample reason for you to further consider the services of a managed hosting provider confidently. However, there is food for second thoughts if the reply is delayed and not satisfactory.

Related posts:

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• October 6, 2011 – Tips for Improving Performance of Your Windows Server 2008 Dedicated Machine
• October 6, 2011 – 5 Hosting providers that re-define “Managed”
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The Importance of Design and Development Services

The other important aspect of Tarsus’ digital presence is the design services which are currently provided by Deeson ONLINE. The two organizations work in conjunction to design and build online services. As a result, Deeson ONLINE selected to work with DediPower because of their unrivaled technical expertise, performance and “Support with Passion” policy.

A Statement from the Tarsus Group

A representative from the Tarsus Group released a statement commenting that the company is extremely satisfied with the collaboration between DediPower and Deeson ONLINE to guarantee the digital presence is supported. Each company has taken a collective, no nonsense approach to the project with a focus on technical solutions. As a result, the group has consolidated digital strategy which will lead to a stronger online presence.

Advantages of DediPower and Deeson

DediPower provides scalable, reliable, optimized platforms, monitoring and dedicated system maintenance which free Deeson to meet their objective of delivering outsourced web services for the in-house teams across the globe. Deeson was selected by Tarsus to manage their transition to Drupal, one of the top open source content management systems. DediPower was chosen because of their passion for service.

Reputation is Everything

In the events and media marketplace, reputation is everything. In the virtual world, customer perception is driven by look, content and most importantly, performance. DediPower is an expert in hosting web applications like Drupal due to knowledge, support and experience while delivering fast, reliable, secure hosting.

As a result, all three firms are working closely together to reach the same output of success. Since each utilizes an individual skills and expertise, all facets of the project are covered by the proper professionals.

The use of DediPower and Deeson ONLINE will certainly present positive results for Tarsus once the transition is complete. This is an excellent opportunity for all three firms to expand their client base while reaching an excellent goal. Look in the future for these three firms to be collaborating on other projects.

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Data Center Specifications

The data center is a 20,000 square foot, SAS Type II certified facility located in RIDC Park, O’Hara Township; approximately 12 miles from downtown Pittsburgh. The combination of services between the two companies is a response to the growing demand for cloud hosting services. Both companies are hoping the partnership will offer small and mid-sized businesses with the resources to improve data security and information technology through a point-to-point connection.

Growing Success of Both Companies

Comcast is excited about the collaboration as it will help to continue driving success for both companies through a dedicated Metro Ethernet bandwidth that provides a secure and scalable solution to meet customer’s expanding bandwidth demands. The pairing of services also bring Comcast’s fiber-optic based network together with Ascent’s secure data center to provide customers with quality, performance, robust solutions and exceptional value.

Ascent Company Information

As the leading provider of data center services in the Pittsburgh area, Ascent offers a variety of services including managed, colocation, server virtualization, data security, cloud hosting and business continuity. All customer information and applications are protected by their state-of-the-art data center. Applications and infrastructure is outsources to third-parties which significantly improves operational efficiencies and decreases business risk.

Comcast Business Services Company Information

Comcast Business Services is the leading provider of business-grade Ethernet, video solutions, phone and internet for all types of customers. The voice and data plans come packed with features developed to assist the continued growth of businesses. Comcast’s Metro Ethernet features a 40 gigabit fiber-optic backbone, the largest in the nation. Packaged with the Ethernet is reliable, around the clock support resulting in a robust, scalable solution for organizations of all types.

Ascent Data and Comcast Business Services are leading service providers in their respective industries and regions. Therefore, the partnership between the two organizations should result in a major increase in new customers for both parties. As Comcast continues to expand its services into other industries, the company is continually improving its products and services provide for to a wider audience.

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Expanding Efforts with the Extra Credit

The new funds will be utilized for supporting customer growth and expanding capacity at Latisys’ 123,000 square foot data center campus in Northern Virginia. At the beginning of 2011, the firm added 14 megawatts of power and expanding the floor space at the facility by 26,000 square feet. At the same time, Latisys announced a new data center that was optimized to meet the growing demand for high-density space, power and cooling.

Other Recent Expansions

Since then, Latisys has strategically improved its overall operations by acquiring and expanding current facilities while investing in resources toward improving the managed hosting arm of the company. Additionally, the enterprise has expanded its cloud computing capabilities. By increasing the credit facility, Latisys is able to take advantage of the many business opportunities in the Greater Washington, D.C. area and other large markets.

Source of the Credit Facility

The $125 million credit facility is primarily funded by an existing group of eight financial institutions including, RBC Capital Markets, Bank of America, CapitalSource, GE Capital, Caterpillar Financial Services, TD Securities, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey and Madison Capital Funding.

Current Facilities

Latisys currently boasts state-of-the-art data centers in Northern Virginia, Denver, Chicago and Irvine, California resulting in coverage across all U.S. time zones. This allows for unmatched scalability and multi-site redundancy for all information technology infrastructure demands, setting them far ahead of the competition.

Information about Latisys

Latisys provides managed hosting and services, colocation hosting and disaster recovery solutions to government agencies, enterprises and medium-sized businesses. Founded in 1994, Latisys has been serving customers utilizing multiple high-density SAS70 Type II data centers across the United States. The company continues to offer its popular scalable outsourced IT infrastructure management solutions providing everything a customer could need.

Latisys is a major player in the web hosting industry boasting some of the most hi-tech facilities and best managed solutions. With this credit facility expansion, the company will be able to further its presence and continue to have a commanding edge over the competition.

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Server Setup

When you purchase a managed web hosting plan, you have the option to choose which operating system you would like on your web server. It is important to note that Windows web hosting is usually more expensive than Linux hosting, because Windows is not a free open-source operating system like Linux. When you make your decision and purchase a plan, a managed hosting provider will automatically install the desired operating system and set up the server so that is fully functional before you ever log into your control panel. With many cheaper unmanaged hosting plans there is no operating system installed on the server, or an undesirable operating system is installed, so the webmaster is required to install the software and set up the server themselves.

Server Backups and Maintenance

Managed web hosting providers also perform the task of keeping the hardware and software configuration of your web server secure at all times. To do this, the managed web hosting provider will make complete backups of your entire web server on a routine basis, and then store the backups on several redundant servers to prevent data loss. Within unmanaged web hosting plan you would need to log into your control panel, which you would have to install first,  and manually create a backup of your server. Theoretically you could create a Cron job within an unmanaged hosting plan to have server backups performed automatically on a scheduled basis, however this is much more difficult than simply using a managed hosting plan. Managed hosting providers also defragment web servers and perform daily server maintenance to ensure that the server is functioning optimally at all times.

Technical Support and Customer Service

The level of customer support and services offered with a managed web hosting plan is leaps and bounds above that offered with an unmanaged hosting plan. In fact, many unmanaged hosting providers do not offer technical support at all, and may require the webmaster to use their own internet technology specialist or assistant in order to fix problems that occur within the software installed on the server. Most managed hosting providers offer 24-hour technical support and comprehensive customer service, which is an essential feature for the vast majority of novice to intermediate webmasters.

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• October 6, 2011 – 5 Hosting providers that re-define “Managed”
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• June 22, 2011 – Global Event and Media Group Managed Hosting Solutions
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The program is developed to provide the necessary support to Tenzing partners which will help them expand relationships with their direct customers as well as increase revenue through a compensation plan. This program offers a plethora of services to help support partners in the design and delivery of solutions. In turn this improves effectiveness and profits while reducing cost and opening new business channels.

Tenzing is claiming their new program is one of the most competitive and comprehensive in the industry to date. The company recognizes that partners are an integral part of their go-to-market business strategy; therefore, Tenzing is willing to invest in them as they grow.

The Tenzing Partner Program delivers two different partnership levels to meet the needs of affiliates: Premier and Referral. The Premier program focuses on the continued development of collaborative strategies with numerous shared performance gauges. This indicates Tenzing will work closely with partners to create effective marketing strategies while building awareness of the services.

The Premier Partner program is aimed at the following:

• Joint marketing between Tenzing and the affiliate
• Scheduled strategic reviews
• Developing new business
• Competitive compensation

The Referral program targets a number of different industry professionals. Partners can be ecommerce store owners and developers, consultants, web development shop owners, SI’s and other information technology professionals looking for ad hoc projects and leads. The Referral program is an excellent opportunity to join a growing company that will guide you toward profits.

Each of these programs is an excellent opportunity to generate additional revenue. The better you do, the better they do so Tenzing would like to help your business as much as possible so they can maximize their revenue.

The partner programs offered by Tenzing are revolutionary for the affiliate marketing industry. This is not the run of the mill Clickbank affiliate program. Tenzing is willing to dedicate resources to help your business grow and for you to increase conversions and generate leads. If you are in this industry or are looking to expand operations, consider working with Tenzing because everyone will win.

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Every web hosting type has many plans to choose from, and each provider is different. Even after you’ve selected a plan there are still options that you have to consider in regards to optimizing your dedicated server for maximum functionality and compatibility with your sites. The following information may help you make some of these crucial decisions if you are in the process of selecting or setting up a dedicated web hosting account.

Managed or Unmanaged

The first decision you have to make is whether you need managed or unmanaged dedicated web hosting. Managed web hosting is perfect for those who have little experience with internet technology and web servers. Since dedicated servers are devoted to sole owners, they need to be maintained by their owners, unless you have managed hosting. If you’re a novice with no technical knowledge then you absolutely need fully manage hosting. If you have technical skills and you’re on a budget then you may want to choose unmanaged hosting.

Operating System

Next you’ll want to choose your operating system, whether it be Linux, Unix or even Windows. Most web hosting companies offer variations of Linux or Unix by default with no additional charge. Dedicated servers usually operate on a corporate network of publicly distributed operating systems known as the Red Hat Network. Some of the operating systems within the Red Hat Network include variations of Linux like FedoreCore, CentOS, Debian and more.

Many times Windows dedicated servers cost slightly more because of the support involved with keeping the operating system running smoothly. Many webmasters simply install virtualization software on their dedicated server that will let them run several partitions of different operating systems. For example, you could install a software like VMware within Linux and then install Windows inside of that virtualization software. You should choose your operating system based on your site’s needs. If you run server-side Microsoft applications then you will need access to Windows in some form, whether it be directly or through a virtualization software.

Server Size

Finally, you’ll need to choose the size of your web server. There are many different configurations and server types available for web hosting providers. Ideally, you should base your decision on your budget and the needs of your web sites. Most webmasters will do fine with a small dedicated server that has about 2GB memory, however, if you plan on running software with your dedicated server then you may want to consider one with 4GB of memory or more. Look for the quad core Xeon servers if you’re a fan of power and functionality. Keep in mind the price difference between a 2GB and 8GB web server is about $150 in most cases. Dedicated hosting plans start at about $120 and go up to around $400, so you definitely have a broad selection to choose from.

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Even after you have decided upon a specific kind of web hosting plan, you then have to consider the sub-types of each type of web hosting. For example, you may choose dedicated hosting, however you then have to decide whether you want managed or unmanaged web hosting. Some of the web hosting types are very similar, and to the untrained eye there is seemingly no difference. If you;re having trouble deciding between colocation and managed web hosting then this article may help you make an educated decision that you won’t regret after the fact.

Managed Web Hosting

Managed web hosting is actually a form of dedicated web hosting. With managed web hosting you’ll have a dedicated server that is used only by you, however you will not have full administrative control over this server. In other words, the web hosting provider will be responsible for maintaining the integrity, performance, and reliability of the server. Since you will not be responsible for the administration of your server, you’ll have an added cost as you will essentially be paying for the continual service of the web hosting company. Many people choose this solution since it is much more convenient than having to manage the server themselves. This solution is especially optimal for novice users. Managed web hosting is considered one of the most expensive types of web hosting plans, right behind colocation hosting.

Colocation Hosting

Colocation is similar to dedicated hosting, as you will also have a server that is used only by you. However, the main difference is this server will actually be yours and will not be leased by you but will be owned by you. In other words, you will have to actually buy your own server which will cost thousands of dollars in startup capital. With dedicated hosting you’ll be leasing the server which is far cheaper than colocation hosting. Colocation hosting lets you store your private server at a facility that is specifically designed for server security. Therefore, colocation hosting is basically a server storage solution for larger corporations and businesses. For this reason, colocation hosting is the most expensive kind of hosting available.

The Main Differences

The primary difference between colocation and managed hosting is the amount of control you have over your server. With colocation hosting, since you actually own the server, you’ll have complete control over the server, however you’ll also need the ability to do so. With managed hosting you’ll be leasing the server and you won’t have to worry about the hassle of maintaining it. For most people managed hosting is the desirable solution between the two.

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• November 17, 2009 – Can You Handle a Dedicated Server?
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