A managed hosting provider plays an important key role in the hosting and security of your business. It keeps things straight on the back end so you can focus on your business.
Within your company, it is important that you can focus on the core business and your own set of tasks. Managing and maintaining applications and websites are often not part of that. For that, there is the managed hosting provider. For what aspects of your website or application can you count on your hosting provider? Wesley Hof, CTO at Combell, explains the main tasks of a managed hosting provider.
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We start with the “what” question. What is a managed hosting provider? Hof makes the comparison to an electrical outlet. “Just as you plug an appliance into an outlet to power it and make it function, you put your Web site on a hosting provider’s server to make it accessible on the Internet.”
The managed hosting provider then makes sure your Web site is up-to-date and secure. So what exactly does that entail? Hof lists the most important tasks:
- Managing your server
- Making sure everything is secure
- Performance monitoring and optimization
- Backup and disaster recovery
- Provide continuous support
Environment on point
A first important task of the hosting provider is to create an up-to-date environment. “Websites or applications operating in a shaky server environment can have an impact on your visitors,” Hof states. So a good provider will take care of the installation and configuration of your server. It doesn’t stop there, either. The provider should keep everything up-to-date to minimize security risks.
Containing those security risks goes beyond just keeping up-to-date. Providers additionally handle server security, something that is one of the most important issues within an IT environment today. “Managed hosting providers are responsible for all security measures, such as implementing and maintaining next generation firewalls and intrusion detection systemsto ward off cyber attacks,” Hof said.
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What does a managed hosting provider do for you?
That security task package includes scanning and removing malware, as well as securely encrypting important data. In addition, continuous monitoring of all IT systems is crucial to prevent security breaches. “In short, hosting providers build the security shield for your application,” Hof states.
Performance Monitoring
In addition to good security, you naturally want your Web site or application to perform optimally. “Hosting providers continuously monitor performance for that purpose to identify problems such as high load or unusual Internet traffic,” Hof knows. They can adjust server power to meet changing needs based on various techniques, including caching to speed up load times.
Data loss is perhaps one of a company’s biggest fears. To prevent this, hosting providers provide backup and disaster recovery. When the dreaded situation occurs, they can quickly restore data and ensure business continuity. This way, as a business, you can rest assured that your data will remain safe even in data loss situations.
Support and advocate
“All of this is nowhere without support,” Hof believes. “You need to be able to call on your hosting party and their experts 24/7.” He additionally recommends working with a local provider. “You then get an expert on the line who speaks your own language, knows your environment and server, and also knows what your business stands for,” concludes Hof.
This is a commercial contribution in collaboration with Combell. Look here for more information about the company’s solutions.