When you are looking to get the website live for your company, you may not be aware of the fact that there are various different options available. If you are not someone that is particularly familiar with these operations, it can sometimes be tough to decide the appropriate course of action. These types of decisions are significantly confounded due to the number of malicious and ignorant rumours that are in circulation.

As a company with more than twenty years worth of hands-on experience with this type of work, the experts here at catalyst2 are more than capable of offering some exposition in these circumstances. During our extended operating period, we are familiar with a number of the high-profile myths that are out there, and we have the knowledge necessary to disprove them. If you would like to be privy to this type of information, all you need to do is continue reading.

‘There are no differences between VPS and Cloud hosting’

Arguably one of the most common rumours that circulates amongst the technical world is that VPS, or virtual private servers, provide the exact same type of service, with the only difference being in price. This is something that we are pleased to be able to shed some light on – the fact of the matter is that these two services have a number of features which are unique specifically to them. In order to highlight these aspects, it is important that you have a well-rounded understanding of them as single entities.

Cloud hosting is the most recent innovation when it comes to hosting a website, and this is primarily down to the technology not previously being able to support this level of information and traffic. Cloud servers utilise hardware in a variety of different locations, and this is designed to eliminate the possibility of downtime. There are undoubtedly some of you that believe that because you do not have the resources at your premises, this means that it can be likened to VPS services. However, this is simply not the case.

VPS servers are provided by professional third-party organisations, and this is certainly considered to be one of the leading managed hosting services currently available in the country. What allows this to stand apart from other options is the fact that multiple websites can be stored on a single server, separated by specialist software. As far as hosting plans go, this is certainly a cost-effective option, as it means that you are taking up less physical space. Although isolated, you are able to split the expenses relating to maintenance with other firms.

As you can see, there are clearly defined contrasts between the two services. With the cloud, you do not have a single dedicated server that is working for you – instead, your website is drawing power from countless units. In the case of VPS services, you are instead taking up a small portion of space, alongside countless other companies, on one server. However, this does not impact performance capabilities, and should still be considered as a viable option going forward.

‘Cheaper servers are inherently bad’

Regardless of the field or sector, most people are of the opinion that if something is significantly cheaper than other alternatives available on the market, it must mean that it is of sub-standard quality. Although this could certainly be true in some instances, such as with food products, this claim has no basis when applied to the hosting options. Professional and reputable firms, after all, would not be able to survive if they offered services which are not up to scratch, no matter what the price tag is.

For those of you that were wondering, typically cheapest option available is that of the VPS servers that have been mentioned previously. The reason for this is that, unlike with those that incorporate a management service into the package, this is something that is fully controlled by you. Factor in the fact that you will be sharing a database with other companies, and the end result is that your overheads are drastically lowered. However, to say that this detrimentally impacts the overall effectiveness of the service would be wrong.

‘Managed servers are overrated’

If your corporation is one that is looking to potentially offer services further afield, or trying to take over the majority of your particular market, it is imperative that your website is of top-tier quality. Without this, it will be incredibly difficult to demonstrate to prospective investors and clients alike that you are a firm to be taken seriously. Unfortunately, if you do not have a competent IT department within your ranks, your lack of knowledge could prove to be seriously costly. In these types of circumstances, the most prudent move may be to enlist the help of a company such as catalyst2, than can efficiently-and-effectively manage the technical side of things.

You may be questioning why it is that, on top of a traditional server cost, you should add a management service to your growing list of expenses. The truth is that whilst this may not be the most glamorous type of investment, the results could revolutionise the fortunes of your company. One of the best ways in which they can help is by observing the level of traffic that your website is experiencing, and determining at what point of day the demand is particularly high. Using this information, they are able to divert power so that performance levels do not dip, meaning that the experience of the user never falters.

For those of you that are relatively new to these types of services, it is understandable that you are curious as to what type of features are typical to find. As a bare minimum, you can expect a routine manual backup; this means that disaster recovery will be significantly easier, and data losses will cease to be an issue. There are also various security measures implemented, including SSL certificates – these are designed to hinder the efforts of cyber criminals from gaining access to sensitive information. It is not a mistake that this is regarded as a premium service, as it has more than earned its status.

How can we be of assistance?

This helpful guide has been designed to try and expand your understanding of the world of hosting, and provided you with the information necessary to ensure that you do not fall afoul of myths which do not contain an element of truth. Managed servers, dedicated server hosting, virtual machines – in the right circumstances, they can have a profound and positive impact on the operations of a business. The difficult part is ascertaining what your needs are, and which solution is best-suited to catering to these. Thankfully, this is not a journey that you need to go through alone; catalyst2 is here to help.

If you have been entertaining the idea of going down the route of VPS hosting in the UK, or wish to solicit the services of a firm that has extensive experience in the art of providing managed hosting solutions, you will be thrilled to hear that, in catalyst2, you have the ideal firm to put your troubles to rest. Having been formed in 2000, we have since spent the last twenty years enhancing our understanding of this niche industry. This means that, to us, it does not matter whether it is a physical server that you are after, or want to use a cloud-based system that comes equipped with DDOS protection. Our only goal is to leave our customers grinning from ear-to-ear, and we will not cease until this becomes a reality.

Here at catalyst2, our customer support team that are well-accustomed to dealing with queries regarding the services and servers we offer. Should you wish to reach out to one of our representatives, there are a few options available to you. For an informal discussion about your particular circumstances, we suggest giving us a call on 0800 107 7979. If you wish to have an in-depth conversation about the situation you find yourself in, feel free to write to us at shared@support.catalyst2.com.