Web Hosting: New Technology
It is obvious that there is a need for every company to have an online presence and the same can be said for those who like to impart information or have technical skills. The growth of web hosting can be seen because of internet savvy people who like to impart knowledge and market themselves whilst offering music, videos and pictures. The ability to do all of this is created by operating systems, the Web Hosting platforms. There have been recent breakthroughs in Web Hosting and the hosts are always looking to improve their services and provide cutting edge technology to clients.
What are Web Hosting Platforms?
The two main types of web hosting platforms are the Windows and Linux systems and these are the operating systems that are used to support the hosting of websites.
Linux - This is the most traditional form of Web Hosting Platform used. It is widely regarded as the most reliable and uses memory and disk space efficiently. More than 70% of the web servers in the world make use of Linux / UNIX due to its exceptional power and reliability and also because the cost of Linux / UNIX hosting is low.
Windows - Windows is Microsoft’s answer to Web Hosting and is becoming highly popular with the Web developers with its potential ASP and ASP.NET programming environments. This operating system also integrates very well with the advanced .NET server technologies such as:
* SQL Server 2000
* BizTalk Server 2002
* BizTalk Server 2002
Previously the Web Hosting Packages came with only the basic features. Some of the features that are essential in any traditional Web Hosting Package are:
Disk Space - All the Web Hosting accounts come with a certain amount of disk space that the customer can use to store all his/her files. The space differs from package to package. A shared Web Hosting has less disk space than the customized one.
* Accounts relating to emails - The actual amount can depend on the physical cost of the package but there will be a provision of email accounts with a Web Hosting package. Amongst all of these packages, the provision of email accounts is extremely common and come in useful when hosting a domain. Having control over the email account can be offered to the customer if the Web Host wants to but there are many Web Hosts who will perform all the set-up processes for the customer. Whilst different users may have their favorite type of email account and their own preference there are 4 key types of email accounts and there are auto responders, aliases, forwarding and POP3 accounts.
FTP Access - Another common feature of all the paid hosting accounts is the FTP access. The FTP programs allow the users to upload files, edit and delete the contents on the server much more quickly than using a web-based interface.
Recent Advances in Web Hosting:
With the advancement of technology and companies going global, the requirements of the companies as well as the individuals have changed. The Web Hosts are also committed to deliver the latest and up to date technologies to their customers.
The level of service and technology that is bring offered by technology today, for instance the Windows Server technology and the Windows 2003 Server, is probably at the highest it has ever been. Modern technology ensures there is a tremendous level of support for website developers and they can continue in confidence knowing that Microsoft, a single vendor, is wholly committed to this continual development of technology.
One area where the advances have brought many changes is with regards to the Linux and Windows operating systems and the features provided by the two have never been closer. There used to be key differences between the two, allowing users to make a distinct choice between the two but this is no longer the case and the differences are now minimal. It is now the case where a hosting company does not have to make a massive choice over which operating system to offer as it is not a major concern to a client. Nowadays, it is more likely a client will base their choice of web host on the range of features and price they offer as opposed to the operating system they have in their package.
Web hosting software
The entire web hosting industry has greatly benefited from advances in the development of software for Web Hosting. This new level of software has created a far greater level of effectiveness and efficiency for a huge number of sites. These positive changes have been able to benefit their clients in a number of ways:
* Automation of account creation
* Providing a management provision of dedicated servers
* Ensuring that monotonous tasks can be automated saving the time of system administrators
There are numerous ways that this software is of benefit to a company. In choosing an automation software approach, the company is able to make the management of their dedicated server an easier process and vastly reduce the time spent on providing this resource.
Some of the dedicated software packages for the Windows server include Plesk for Windows, Helm for Windows, Cold Fusion MC, Anti Virus & Security Software and Easy Admin Echange Control Panel amongst many others.
The Linux dedicated server software are centOS Linux, Red Hat Enterprise, cPanel / Web Host Manager, Fantastico De Luxe, Plesk for Linux, Anti Virus Software and Security Software.
> Web Hosting and Voice over Internet Protocol technology
As the Web host industry continues to go from strength to strength, there is a growing need to develop new products and technologies to ensure customers remain satisfied. The Web Hosting industry is fiercely competitive and rival firms know they have to push technology forward to be in a position to best serve their clients and win customers. One key development in recent times in the Web hosting industry revolves around Voice over Internet Protocol technology. These advances has allowed any computer user who also has access to a broadband Internet connection to be able to communicate with other people all over the world without being charged the level of fees that is normally associated with this level of communication.
As this new technology is fairly cheap, many service providers have figured out that VOIP is able to give them an edge and can be seen as a new and innovative addition to their range of services and one which can be implemented with no real trouble. This has led to a surge in VOIP companies who are seeking to find a way into this lucrative market.
The Web hosting industry is not far behind and is beginning to follow suit. Many of the top rated Web Hosts have come up with the plan to launch VOIPo, a VOIP telephone service. The hosting provider hopes to extend this offer to all over the world.
> Launching the provision of the Virtual Rack:
A popular Web Host has come up with a “virtual rack” solution, which is designed to make the features of its popular private rack solution available to customers running as few as two servers. The main aim of launching the private rack product to provide the customers with complete customization on there web hosting.
As soon as the customer is in their private rack, they can choose which servers they would like. There is also the ability for them to select security technologies or advances networks which best suit their needs. This may range from the top of the line firewalls from Cisco ASA or perhaps a load balancer from server iron. However a customer wants their configuration, they can request it from their web host as well as asking for the IP arrangement they would like to receive.
There is no doubt that the advances and improvements in Web Hosting have greatly increased the efficiency and effectiveness of the industry. All of these steps have played a part in fulfilling customer needs and serving the consumer purposes in a far better manner and one which may have exceeded expectations.