What Are Managed Servers and Why Should You Care?
Have you wondered if a managed server is a good fit for your business? Depending on the nature of your server needs and your technical expertise, your business might benefit greatly from a managed server.
There are a variety of server types including unmanaged, semi-managed, and fully managed servers. The distinction between these services can often be confusing, especially since each server provider defines server management packages differently.
In this article, we will explain what managed servers are, and some of the key benefits to a server management plan with ServerMania.
What is a Managed Server?
Many small business owners lack the time and expertise to keep up with server management tasks. That’s why managed hosting services are becoming increasingly popular with today’s small business owners.
Simply put, a managed server is a server that has some or all server administration tasks handled by the hosting provider. The specific tasks handled by a server management package varies by provider. You can view our server management page to view complete details of the services we provide with our plans.
Managed servers can benefit your small business in a variety of ways:
Monitoring Your Server
There are so many potential problems that can arise if your server isn’t monitored effectively. But, of course, most business owners do not have the expertise to setup proper monitoring on their own. Not only that, but monitoring is only as effective as the intervention behind it. It’s one thing to set up an SMS alert when apache goes offline, but that still leaves you on the hook to bring the server back up.
With a fully managed server, the server is monitored constantly. This catches any potential problems as they arise to ensure they are corrected as quickly as possible.
This 24×7 monitoring will bring you the peace of mind knowing that someone is standing by 24×7 to intervene on any server issues. You can rest easy knowing that your server is in the capable hands of a service expert who’s able to optimize uptime and network performance, continuously.
Improved Security
With the frequent security breaches in the internet industry, you know how important server security is. But, can you maintain that security effectively on your own? Probably not.
Managed servers benefit from extensive security audits, Iptables Based (CSF) Firewall Installation and Configuration, virus scans, and continual OS update recommendations. Most business owners struggle with these issues and need the help of professionals to secure their server.
A good hosting provider has the knowledge, tools, and expertise to deal with any security issue you may face.
Software Management
Just as your business needs proper security management, you also need proactive software management. Too many business owners overlook this critical step. Without proper software management, even the most robust security practices will crumble.
Managed servers include critical update recommendations to systems like Apache, PHP, MySQL, and control panels to ensure your server is up to date at all times.
Server Backups
Losing important data can be an expensive nightmare for a small business. With a managed server, you have the added benefit of automated backups.
It’s so important that your data is backed up on a regular basis. Mistakes or even a natural disaster can cause you to lose data.
Managed servers include a consultation to design the most appropriate disaster recovery plan for your server using either local or ServerMania Cloud Backup as well as the services needed to monitor and maintain that backup system.
As a business owner, you need to know that your precious data is backed up and secure. Professional hosting providers have the knowledge to make sure your data is protected.
Lower Operating Costs
As a small business owner, there’s so much to worry about and so many operating costs to manage. Finding cost-effective ways to manage your server is key.
Rather than hiring individuals or a separate company to secure your server, it makes sense for many business owners to use a server management package provided by their server provider. It’s often less expensive too. Everything is managed by one provider, and this can cost much less than hiring outside providers.
Since ServerMania is intimately familiar with all of the servers we offer, you can rest assured that you are dealing with professionals who can tackle any server issue that may arise.
Save Time
You are already busy enough. You don’t have the time to worry about managing a server. You need time to focus on your business and your bottom line.
As a business owner, it’s easy to get bogged down in the details, and there’s only so much time in a day. A real plus for managed servers is the ability to hand those worries over to us so you can concentrate on what really matters.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many benefits to choosing a managed server. If you are considering managed servers or have questions about getting started with a hosting service, ServerMania can help.
We offer dynamic hosting solutions for your business with 24-hour support. With over 14 years of experience, our team of professionals is committed to providing you with outstanding service.
Contact us today to find out how we can help you.
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