The Benefits of Managed Hosting

Within the broad spectrum of hosting options—between co-location and dedicated servers, all the way to enterprise hosting and fully outsourced IT—managed services offer a viable alternative for companies interested in enhanced support/maintenance to keep their servers fully optimized. The levels of management and server support will differ, sometimes widely, from host to host. For those companies without server administration resources or expertise, or those without a significant amount of time to maintain servers, managed solutions can free up the time and resources of an in-house IT organization to maintain full control over the operating system and manage applications. Managed services do cost more than unmanaged. However, when you factor in the personnel costs to perform updates, security monitoring, etc., fully or semi-managed services may actually cost less.

• Advantages of Managed Server Hosting include:
  Technology upgrades: There’s no need to invest up front in OS, management software, dedicated staff, installation of high-speed connectivity, etc. The managed hosting service provides this infrastructure and charges only a monthly fee.
   

• Support: Hosts manage all support functions for servers and control panel updates. This includes server monitoring, hardware repairs, troubleshooting network issues, and backup power supplies for servers. Hosts also provide bandwidth and connectivity to the internet. Most web hosts also offer performance guarantees and SLAs.
   

• Security: The managed services provider completes security updates and is responsible for installing necessary firewalls and server monitoring equipment to help protect against viruses, denial of service attacks, and unauthorized access.

The Business Case for Managed Services

 The difference between fully- and semi-managed hosting solutions is really just a matter of degree and cost. Software installation and updates, hosting reliability/uptime, data security, access to IT expertise all comprise the fundamental building blocks of any good managed hosting service. Ultimately, both of these approaches share many of the same benefits:

Focus on business, not IT

Managed hosting allows SMBs to concentrate on running their core processes, rather than devoting a large percentage of time and resources to IT management. Server monitoring, software patches, reporting, backups, and load balancing require some measure of technical expertise to properly manage a dedicated hosting arrangement—all tasks better left to specialists.

Reduce costs, increase profitability

Research by Gartner, Forrester and others show that companies can potentially lower the total cost of infrastructure ownership by up to 60 percent while improving efficiency through managed services. It’s not uncommon for organizations to miscalculate the true costs of adequately managing email and web hosting: personnel to administer a system, capital expenditures, service disruptions, etc. Managed services also make the total costs of messaging and hosting more predictable through clearly-defined licensing arrangements, depreciation, maintenance/support contracts, backups, and more.

More efficient use of resources

It’s not easy finding and retaining qualified IT personnel. Instead, managed hosting can free IT staff from relatively routine tasks and troubleshooting so they can be more efficiently deployed on initiatives that deliver the greatest value to their organizations. Most providers also offer 24/7/365 coverage of customer service and support.

Access to IT industry best practices

Managed hosting service providers can often tap broader markets to attract top talent as part of their support staff. In addition, most hardware, software and network capabilities are updated on a near real-time basis. Typically, service providers also deploy a broader range of leading technologies and expertise that may not be economically feasible for smaller companies to obtain on their own.

Rapid deployment/flexibility of services

Speed, flexibility and scalability represent distinct advantages of a managed hosting scenario. New users, even business units, may be added quickly and efficiently into an existing messaging/ hosting infrastructure. Managed hosting also allows users to exercise greater flexibility in how they deploy services, enabling a ‘granular approach’ to supplement or replace capabilities (spam filtering, targeted backups, upgrade or downgrade bandwidth) as needed. In essence, this lets the business owner tap the hosting provider’s staff and resources, rather than hiring their own, additional staff.

Secure infrastructure

Web hosting companies offer high standards of physical security, utilizing facilities that incorporate state-of-the-art environmental control systems, fire and flood protection, backup power generators, multi-homed redundant backbone connections, and security card access. Managed hosting providers take this a step further by relying on data centers featuring intrusion detection systems, redundant power systems, additional tracking and monitoring tools, and measures such as SAS 70 audits, and WebTrust certification.

Disaster recovery/business continuity

Likewise, disaster recovery and business continuity capabilities are de facto elements of managed hosting services, allowing a company to recover quickly in the event of a power outage or natural disaster. Email archiving, database and site backup, in particular, allow messaging and hosting activities to remain active should a disruption occur at a customer’s location. Recovery and business continuity services typically incur an additional charge.

Key Features/Elements of Semi-Managed Hosting

The primary elements of a semi-managed hosting solution—support,  maintenance and troubleshooting tasks—include:

Managed Email/Messaging

Managed email is designed to assist companies in maintaining fast, secure messaging capabilities and offload functionality from a dedicated server. Typically, managed email solutions are built in a cloud computing environment with measures to maintain high availability and redundancy, ensuring an un- interrupted communications presence. Managed email is also designed to lower server loads, lessen exposure to potential abuse and spam, and reduce in-house IT administration and churn. Common key features include:

• Managed spam filtering

• Calendaring  functionality

• Groupware/collaboration  productivity

• High availability and redundancy

DNS Hosting

DNS services are essential to the smooth operation of any web service. Managing DNS records proactively helps to promote timely mail delivery. Key features include:

• Domain name management

• DNS-based buffer overflow attacks protection

• Simplified configuration  assists in the proper creation of DNS records to optimize mail exchange

• Round robin DNS and/or “heartbeat” DNS, both help with basic load distribution and or basic failover functionality.

Software Updates/OS Patching

Insecure software is often the ‘Achilles Heel’ of a server environment. Managed OS patching is designed to build and maintain repositories of mirrored data allowing for controlled, stable updating of software. Key features include:

• Host maintained repositories for participating operating systems

• Proactive revisioning and application of security/software patches

• Verifying  and correcting successful updates

• Closing security gaps to minimize vulnerabilities for any subscribed server

Managed Security

A critical element in managed hosting services is consistent, differential monitoring and review of patterns in logs to deter hackers, spammers and other intruders before any damage is done. Key features include:

• Security audits and third party audits for PCI, Visa CISP, and SAS 70

• Customized firewall configuration and proactive updating of firewall rules

• Log review to block negative Internet traffic

• Monitoring check sums of binaries on servers and removal of known vulnerabilities via root kit checkers, malware scanners, and other methods of intrusion

• Server-side virus scanning

• Proactively monitoring bandwidth trends and ports

• Intrusion detection system and security threat analysis scripts

Server/Services Monitoring

Proactive monitoring of connectivity and daemons, along with rapid response to downed servers/services, is essential to maintaining uptime for any web environment. Key features include:

• Monitoring and proactive intervention of requested daemons or services

• Monitoring network connectivity with proactive reboots and troubleshooting

• Service reports demonstrating monthly loads, events and trending

• Reports with results and recommended courses of action in the event of service failures or expansion requirements

Managed Data Backups

Managed backups have one purpose: to protect and secure the website, servers and data against catastrophic failure. Key features of managed backups include:

• Daily, weekly and incremental backups of specified content (database, site) to ensure data integrity

• Validating  backup/restoration  capabilities

• Encrypting data within a backup environment to ensure that sensitive/critical data remains private

• Quick and reliable restore processes

Optional Services

Managed—fully and semi—hosting   plans may also include a range of optional or extended services sometimes referred to as ‘à la carte’ services allowing companies to maintain and customize their server configurations and improve website performance. As a benefit to site owners, this menu of service, support and installation items offers added flexibility for hosting designed especially for smaller businesses. Features vary widely but commonly include the following:

• Managed hardware firewalls

• Load balancing

• Enterprise storage solutions

• Custom software/application installs (discounted)

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