When you’re searching for a company that can provide for all of your computer needs – from hosting to cloud services and more – the company you choose is of the utmost importance. Whether your business has only two employees or you’re a large corporation, you need a competent, knowledgeable company that will help you not only set up services, but will assist you throughout the process so that you can be assured that the services they provide are those you actually need. Even if you know a lot about computers, but especially if you don’t, you rely on the expertise of companies such as these to care enough about your business needs to make the right decisions about which services you need, and which ones you don’t. Computer companies should not only be interested in making money; they need to also care about what you, the customer, needs so that they can provide this service to you efficiently.
Computer Services
There are a wide variety of computer services available today, but they usually centre on services such as:
- Dedicated hosting and servers: this includes servers you can manage yourself or allow the company to manage for you. They also usually include secure data centres, up-to-date DDoS mitigation, and the ability to handle both Windows and Linux operating systems.
- Cloud hosting: offers flexible and scalable solutions and either regular public cloud services, hybrid cloud or private cloud services.
- Colocation hosting: this allows 24/7 access to your servers, data centres that are secure and certified, and the use of well-trained experts that can reboot your system any time of the day or night.
Other computer services are also available; however, most services relate to one or more of these three types of service. Whether it’s dedicated hosting, cloud services or VPS hosting services, these companies will provide professional and knowledgeable services that take the worry out of managing your computer systems.
What is Managed Hosting?
Hosting that is managed means simply that it is managed by others, most commonly a qualified computer company. It saves space, electricity and stress because it places the servers in another location, yet still provides you access to competent personnel that will essentially watch your servers 24/7. Most companies offer a variety of managed hosting plans, including memory that ranges from 8GB to 64GB, processors with 12 to 24 threads, and RAID storage from 2 x 120GB SSD to 2 x 500GB SSD. This usually includes free data migrations, 24/7 technical support, data centres that are very secure, free hardware upgrades yearly, high-performing servers, and unlimited data transfer.
Most companies’ data centres offer attributes such as connections through high-speed Internet service, backup generators, monitoring of the site 24 hours per day, and multiple power supplies that cannot be interrupted. In short, your data and equipment will be reliable, safe and secure 365 days per year. With this type of hosting, there is simply no need to worry about your computer systems crashing or not functioning properly, because they will be in the hands of true professionals.
Hosting services can also be personalised to your specific business needs. You can use managed servers if your business needs include hosting of more than one website, gaming, disaster recovery or backup of data; a small or large amount of storage space; traffic that is ongoing and steady, or you have major traffic variations throughout the year; and regardless of your budget. Most of these companies will charge monthly fees that vary according to the type of services you wish to include. These fees can possibly include a setup fee; however, all monthly fees are reasonable and provide high-quality service that you can rely on.
What Should You Look for in a Company?
Companies that provide hosting and other computer services are knowledgeable and know what they are doing. There are certain questions, however, that you can ask these companies to make sure you correctly choose which one to work with – for example, how long have they been in business? How many clients have they serviced? Will they work with businesses of all sizes and types? Do they have expertise in both Linux and Windows operating systems? Do they apply regular, important security updates? Do they have personnel on hand 24/7 in case you need assistance? Are they certified through ISO 27001? Will your information be secure and kept away from people who are not authorised to see it? Are they knowledgeable in various scripting languages, such as ASP, MySQL, and PHP? How long does it take them to respond to emails or calls for assistance? Do they assign you your own accounts manager? What kinds of guarantees do they offer on their services and products?
Essentially, you need to interview prospective companies so you can be sure they can handle all of your business’s needs. Every business is different, and computer companies should be able to accommodate all of them. From newsletters and information packages, to videos and blogs, these companies should provide you with enough information – both before and after the sale – so that you feel comfortable with them. These days, business people are very busy, so the last thing you want is for the computer company you’re working with to be slow to respond to any of your questions or needs.
Finding the Right Hosting Company
Most computer hosting companies can be found online. Their websites include extensive information on all of their services, a way to receive a free online quote, client testimonials, pages on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, terms and conditions, blogs, case studies, and a simple way to contact them should you have any questions. For most would-be customers, these companies’ websites will provide all of the information they need in order to determine which company to use for their computer needs. When choosing a company for your hosting and other computer needs, it is imperative to research the companies completely to make sure you find one that is consistent with your budget and your business needs and goals.
