For many businesses managed hosting services are a cost effective way to publish and maintain their websites on the internet. Through the use of a reliable, high quality managed hosting provider, these businesses gain an indispensable edge in today's global marketplace.

What is Managed Hosting

Managed hosting, also known as dedicated hosting services, dedicated servers or managed hosting services, is the technical term used when a managed hosting company leases, externally, an entire server to a single client. In this type of hosting situation, the client has more control over the server, including the choice of operating system and hardware. By using a managed hosting dedicated server, companies are able to ensure that larger websites with high traffic flows function appropriately. Additionally, many managed hosting companies offer administration services to clients for a fraction of the cost typically incurred if the administrative team were internal employees. Examples of the administrative assistance these managed hosting web hosting companies offer include technical advice, administration, monitoring, support, security, updates, upgrades, testing and troubleshooting.

Who Provides Managed Hosting Services and What Are the Costs Involved?

There are numerous managed hosting services located on the internet. This article will review six popular managed hosting companies and the managed hosting solutions they offer to their clients.

1 and 1 Hosting

This managed hosting company offers a range of available solutions for businesses that demand a dedicated server. 1 and 1 Hosting has won numerous awards for their excellent hosting capabilities and service. They offer several plans to accommodate the unique needs of their clients. 1 and 1 Hosting's Managed Hosting plans use Linux Software and include 5,000 e-mail accounts with virus scanner and spam blocker. It also includes 100 MySQL local databases, secure shell access, proxy SSL encryption, marketing and site building tools as well as 24/7 technical support. Packages start at $109 per month, the full package runs $179/ month.

LunarPages

LunarPages has an array of affordable options available to businesses that have decided they need to establish a dedicated server. They offer managed hosting clients 24 hour priority customer support. Their plans range from the Dedicated I at $99/ month Linux, $124/ month Windows to the Dedicated III which costs $210 and $235 respectively each month. LunarPages does charge a $99 setup fee for each plan. The I plan uses an Intel Celeron 2.0 CPU while the III offers a powerful Dual Intel Xeon 2.66 CPU. Each package also includes 2GB of back up storage, 3 IP addresses, MySQL Databases, E-Commerce and Webmin Control panels. The bandwith varies from plan to plan capping out 2000 gigs per month with the Dedicated III plan. Additional options and upgrades are available for an added fee on all plans.

Host Gator

Host Gator offers state of the art hosting solutions for their clients. They include server management and a control panel with every order. A variety of operating systems are available to choose from and the latest cPanel/ WHM control panel and Fantastico are included with every Linux server. With each package you can create unlimited domains, sub domains, Pop3 accounts, MySQL databases and FTP accounts. The following are included in each package:

• Private SSL support
• Interchange shopping cart
• IP deny manager
• Instant forum, chatroom and guestbook
• phpMyAdmin
• Search engine submittal
• Mailing Lists

Packages range from $174/ month for the basic package to $374 for the pro plan.

Superb Internet

o Recently celebrating their tenth anniversary, Superb Internet is one of the most flexible managed hosting companies in business today. They offer customized packages and solutions that fit the needs of even the most unique business. Their basic plans, which start at $69/ month, allow for 1000 gigs of monthly traffic, 2 IPs, a 100% uptime guarantee and 24/7 onsite monitoring. SSL, cPanel/ WHM with Fantastico, and DNS management are available for an additional fee on the basic plan. Their pro package, which retails at $269, includes many upgraded features including 2000 gigs of monthly traffic, 120 GB SATA/ IDE HD, 1024 MB RAM, 2 IPs, a 100% uptime guarantee and 24/7 live onsite monitoring.

Host Way

Hostway features the new, cutting edge, Dell 9th Generation PowerEdge servers, which boost increased speed, performance, reliability and memory. Their packages start at $99/ month for basic dedicated hosting solutions and continue through $269 for the Truflex package. The basic package includes 2000 GB of data transfer, 80 GB SATA and offers a 99.99% uptime guarantee. The Truflex 900 plans start at $379/ month and include a 2 x Dual Core Xeon 3.0GHz Processor, 2000 GB traffic, 146GBx2 SAS HDD, 5 IPs and SSL certification. A setup fee, equal to one month's fee, is charged to set up the account.

Hosting.com

o With plans starting at $195/ month, Hosting.com offers businesses a strong, reliable managed hosting company that is also cost effective. Their base plan is $195/ month and includes the following:

• Linux Fedora 4 Core (Windows is available for an additional $35/ month)
• AMD Athlon 64 3000 CPU
• 2 GB RAM
• MySQL 4.1
• Webmin Control Panel
• PHP

Additional options including increased memory, bandwidth, load balancing, database solutions, application hosting, hard drives, operating systems and processors are available for an extra fee.

You can find the latest news and reviews on how to manage hosting at http://www.hosting-review.com/top-10-lists/top-10-managed-hosts.shtml

There are a plethora of managed hosting services and solutions waiting to be discovered by growing businesses. Finding the right managed hosting provider for your business may be the difference between thriving and surviving.

Related Articles

Affordable Web Hosting plans
Create and Publish Your Website on the Internet
Change your Web Hosts for better service
A plethora of Web Hosting Platforms