Most businesses require some sort of Internet presence to properly compete in today’s marketplace. Whether they’re selling products online, providing information for potential customers or using their website as a way to collect leads, nobody wants to worry about unreliable Web services. Dedicated servers consist of a web server that is only used by one business. The owner has full control over the contents of this server, and does not share with any other websites, whereas shared servers and virtual private servers both have several users on the same physical box. If a problem occurs with another user, it can take down the entire server and all related websites.
A dedicated server does cost more than a shared or virtual private server, but in many cases it’s well worth the cost. The first benefit gained from a dedicated hosting setup is having complete control over the operating system, software and hardware that the server uses. The security benefits are numerous as well. No one has to worry about another user loading down a private server with too much software, flooding the bandwidth or causing other issues.
Web hosts tend to be rather flexible when it comes to a dedicated server option. You choose how much RAM, hard drive space, bandwidth and default operating system, in addition to other options for the server. Since you aren’t sharing the hardware or bandwidth with anyone else, the host sets the options to your specifications. If there are specific server needs for the server, the hosting provider can often take care of those during the initial set-up phase.
There’s also a great deal of flexibility when it comes to dedicated servers. If you have to process payments for your business, the potential data security offered by dedicated servers is second to none. Customers will be happier for knowing that you have your own servers, as opposed to sharing them with unrelated people and businesses. There is also greater control
over server stability. If there are server issues, you have access to reboot and troubleshoot any problems. The Web hosting company typically offers this service, too.
You have the option to divide a dedicated server any way you please. If you want to have a separate account set up for each of your business’ websites, or for different divisions of your company, you use the server control panel to facilitate this. This is especially helpful if you use many different types of scripts, and you want to make it easier for administrators to handle the back ends for your business. Having total control over the machine is the main benefit to using a dedicated server.
Dedicated servers give you security, safety, and flexibility for your business when compared to shared and virtual private servers. Although the price may take some time to get used to, your business benefits in many direct and indirect ways from this type of server. At the end of the day, though, your business’s needs, budget and security concerns should be the primary factors used when considering what type of server to use.