What is a Dedicated Server?

A dedicated server is the number one choice when it comes to web hosting and is in demand by businesses large and small. It is particularly sought after by any business that requires extra security as well as unlimited resources. A dedicated server will be purchased or rented from a host company who then store and possibly manage it for you.

When selecting a hosting company that will provide dedicated servers it is therefore imperative that the hosting company have a secure location with a data centre that caters for the safe storage of your server. Here at CWCS we offer high specification data centres that will provide the utmost security for your server. We manage our data centres ourselves, working around the clock to ensure total reliability for our clients as well as twenty four hour support for extra convenience, and can provide both dedicated Linux servers and dedicated Windows servers.

A dedicated server will be the primary choice for a business that is expanding and looking for extra reliability as well as extra resources . Although complex to maintain, it can provide the extra stability required to run a successful business. It is possible to obtain a cheap web hosting plan but care should be taken to ensure that you are going to receive the service required to run your business. It is also advisable to make sure you know what you are paying for as some companies will charge for extra services, such as support. A dedicated server is the optimum choice for any business, whatever its size; as it will allow to grow and expand over time.

Dedicated to Small Business

There is a common misconception that dedicated server hosting is only suitable for larger businesses and are out of reach for smaller businesses, but that is simply not the case. The majority of online businesses rely on their website being available to drive customers to their merchandise. Without a website available for visitors, there can be no sales. Dedicated server hosting is the best option for guaranteeing complete reliability for your website.

A dedicated server is particularly beneficial to a small business that deals in the finance sector of the market, as security must be very high. A dedicated server is completely safe from the activities of other websites and cannot be affected by others, so security is much higher than with shared hosting. The resources of a dedicated server are also beneficial as you have your own allocation of memory and other resources.

The one disadvantage with dedicated server hosting is the complexity of the system. You will have to be responsible for the installation of software, the general maintenance and monitoring security. One solution is to make use of managed hosting. Here at CWCS we offer managed hosting services that can help you to get the most from your dedicated server. We offer a guaranteed uptime as well as a daily or weekly back up service, so you will never have to worry about your website being out of action again.

Choosing dedicated server hosting is the sensible choice for any business that depends upon its website being available for a maximum time as well as offering their clients security as standard.

A Virtual Experience

Making the choice to move away from shared web hosting can be a complex decision for any business owner to make. Shared hosting for your website is usually perfectly adequate in the early days of running your own business with the technical side taken care of for you. Moving to dedicated server hosting is a major decision as it involves a higher degree of technical knowledge and higher costs for your business. An alternative for someone who perhaps doesn't need the powerful resources of a dedicated server but needs a little more security and memory for their website is virtual dedicated server hosting.

This is the process of sharing a dedicated server with other business owners, but you are completely separate from the other websites and therefore cannot be affected by the actions of another webmaster. Your security will be much higher, which will benefit your business greatly and improve your uptime. You will also have greater resources.

Many hosting companies can provide virtual dedicated server hosting, but care should still be taken to choose a company who are reliable and will do everything possible to make your business life easier. A company such as us here at CWCS can give you total and complete support, which is vital; especially if you don't have extensive technical knowledge. We assign a personal project manager who is available to assist you if you experience any difficulties, although the Plesk Control Panel makes daily management simple for you. A reliable web hosting company that is able to make the control of your server simple will leave you with more free time for other aspects of your business.

A Company you can Trust

Having your own business is a great achievement and can bring you many rewards in return for all of the hard work and dedication. The way to success for many businesses is through a first class customer service, making sure that your clients are totally satisfied with their purchases and services provided by you. Customers usually expect you to be available to them twenty four hours a day, seven days a week and with the Internet that is now a possibility. However, to achieve constant availability your website must be fully functional for the maximum time available.

For this reason, many business owners turn to dedicated server hosting for their website as they have all the resources to themselves. With shared web hosting your website can easily be affected by other website owners and their actions. This can also cause problems for your website in terms of security. For anyone who has access to sensitive information this is not acceptable for customers as they rightfully expect total confidentiality.

Dedicated server hosting is therefore a necessity in order to keep your website available to your clients for the maximum time possible, but it is also crucial that you select a reliable hosting company to tend to your dedicated servers. Ensure that the company you sign a contract with has experienced professionals who are willing to offer advice when it is required as well as possessing the skills required to take care of your dedicated server. Here at CWCS we have a team of experts who are able to take care of your server, keeping it fully functional for a guaranteed period of time.

Making Savings

In times when economical growth is slow and businesses are struggling to stay solvent it is crucial to make as many savings as possible in all areas of our lives. For anyone who has a business it is more important than ever to make the most of your budget, and economise in all areas in order to make necessary cutbacks without affecting your employees to maintain the growth of your company.

One of the many areas in which you can make savings is in the Information Technology department. Many companies deploy existing staff to take care of the IT department, which entails expensive training packages as well as having to hire extra employees to cover absences such as sick leave and holidays. Moving to managed hosting for your dedicated server can be a cost effective move which will help to maximise your income.

With managed hosting your dedicated server will be totally taken care of with a team of experts who can ensure that your server is constantly functional and back up your data so that you never have to worry about losing sensitive information. A hosting company such as here at CWCS is able to take care of your dedicated server which will leave your existing employees free to undertake other duties, costing you much less overall.

Dedicated server hosting is a necessary resource for many businesses but have to be monitored constantly to ensure they are running efficiently. Outsourcing this work can attract massive savings for your company which can be crucial in times of economical struggle.

Do you need Managed Hosting?

Larger businesses or companies will usually require the extra resources and security provided by a dedicated server, and will usually have at least one person who has Information Technology experience to take care of the technical side of business. Most businesses will eventually outgrow shared website hosting, especially as their traffic volumes increase and security becomes essential.

Many larger businesses employ a team of IT experts who will take care of the servers and the daily maintenance to keep operations running smoothly. If your server experiences downtime you will suffer a loss of production, which costs in terms of valuable resources such as time and money. If you have employees who are not able to work because your server has crashed, they will still need to be paid even though they will be behind in their work schedule. You may even have to pay for employees to work overtime to catch up on their work if you have deadlines to meet, which will have a drastic impact on your profit.

Managed hosting can be a cost effective solution if you select a hosting company that provides a reliable service. Here at CWCS we offer managed dedicated server hosting which enables you to have a team of IT experts available twenty four hours a day looking after your server and making sure that if anything goes wrong, it is corrected as soon as possible. We also provide daily back ups so that if the worst does happen you won’t lose valuable data.

Part Of A Winning Team

For many businesses, the hosting of their website is a straightforward matter of choosing between shared hosting and a dedicated server. However, some larger businesses may require a different solution for their web hosting and finding a hosting company that can meet the requirements of complex hosting can be difficult.

The company that will provide your hosting requirements should be able to offer you a tailored solution which will meet your expectations from a dedicated server. Here at CWCS we have a Complex Hosting service which offers dedicated server hosting which is suited to your specific requirements. Additionally, we offer a one hundred per cent uptime guarantee, which is essential to the continuous operation of your business.

For any business, whether it has basic requirements or a complicated set up, the hosting company should be happy to put the needs of a client first. The hosting company will only be really successful if its clients are. There are many aspects of web hosting that make a company preferable to another which include low cost, reliability and a good support team. Any hosting company that is serious about helping you to find the best hosting solution for your business will go that extra mile to help you succeed.

If you are not sure about the hosting service you require, you should be able to contact the hosting company for guidance. You should expect to receive advice and also a tailored solution to your problem from any company who is prepared to treat you as part of their team.

Managing Your Online Business Better

Unfortunately, the problems that can arise when you are building an online business are numerous, and can easily affect the smooth operation of your website. For your online business to be successful, you have to ensure that the website is fully operational at all times and the best way to do this is to have a team of experts to take care of your web hosting.

Large companies may have in-house technical teams who will take care of all aspects of IT to keep their business running smoothly. However, this involves recruiting personnel who are knowledgeable and are fully trained in order to deal with any issues that develop.

One of the main problems is that you can't be sure of how much relevant expertise the employees have, because the evolution of technology is so swift. This means that you will have to provide training and support to keep them up-to-date with technical issues. This all costs a lot of money and takes up a considerable amount of time.

Managed hosting initially seems expensive, but when you add up the cost of having your own team of managers or looking after a dedicated server yourself, you will perceive that you are receiving good value. Selecting a company that specialises in managed hosting is essential to ensure you get the best service at a low cost.

Here at CWCS we have a team of experts who are fully trained to deal with all aspects of your dedicated server hosting. We also offer a hardware replacement guarantee as well as a full back up service to protect your data.

Making The Move

When you initially start an online business, it may be the case that you don't have a large amount of technical knowledge about your website and how it is hosted. Therefore you may take a recommendation from someone else for your web hosting, or may even just use the cheapest service. As your business grows and develops you will start to outgrow the shared web hosting you had initially as you start to require larger resources and greater security options.

A higher traffic volume means more customers will be purchasing from you and if you accept payments online you will need to ensure security measures are in place. You will also require your website to be running all day and night, as if your website is inaccessible to your customers they will move on to another website, losing you potentially valuable custom.

A dedicated server will give you greater security with additional resources belonging to you. You will be responsible for any technical problems that arise with your server, so should ensure that the hosting company you select has a reliable support team. Here at CWCS we recommend our managed service with dedicated servers to assist you with the daily operation of your server. You will have your own personal accounts manager who is available to answer any queries and give you advice when required.

Choosing a company that can give technical support is a necessity for many business owners as it not only means that your business will be giving maximum performance, but also that using a managed hosting service will leave you free to deal with other important business issues.

Benefits Of Managed Server Hosting

Making the decision to move to dedicated server hosting is an important choice and will mean taking on a lot more responsibility for the Information Technology department in your business. If you have shared hosting and a small business that has just started to grow and attract high traffic volumes, you will find the move to dedicated hosting quite complex.

If you have technical knowledge of web hosting and the requirements for security, operating systems and which will be most beneficial to your company then you will find the management of your server straight forward. However, if you are having to learn the technical aspects of managing a dedicated server and all that it entails, then you will find that you are spending all of your time managing your server. Time spent away from the running of your business may cause a decline in the level of custom, and therefore may see profits decline.

An affordable solution is very often to pay a hosting company to manage your dedicated server for you. This means that you will have your chosen operating system installed and kept up to date, along with a security system that is fully backed up to protect your data. The team of experts here at CWCS offer a managed dedicated server option which will leave you free to run your company and continue to attract new business, steadily building your income. We are able to spot any problems with your server that may cause a loss of service and offer a guaranteed uptime for your website.

Cheap Dedicated Servers

Many people believe that something that is low cost will represent low value, but this is not always true. The option of having a dedicated server is now a very popular consideration for many businesses. As the population now relies heavily on the internet for many daily tasks such as shopping, booking event tickets and transport, companies know that their potential custom will be found on the Internet, so they build attractive websites to attract visitors. This has caused a surge in the amount of websites looking for web hosting solutions that are reliable and low cost.

The demand for cheap, reliable web hosting has meant that many hosting companies are obliged to produce a higher service with reliability and a low cost as an essential part of the service. This in turn has affected the supply and demand of dedicated hosting, meaning that you will receive a high performance, reliability and a low cost as standard.

When looking for cheap dedicated server hosting, you still have to be aware of what you are purchasing as there are some unscrupulous companies who will make false claims, or have fine print that means you end up paying extra for your dedicated server. The dedicated server hosting packages here at CWCS are all set out very clearly so that you can see what is included in the hosting package and the monthly fee that you will pay. If you are unsure of anything, we have a team of professionals who are able to answer any queries you may have so that you know whether our low cost hosting is for you.

Who Needs A Dedicated Server?

A dedicated server is usually required by larger businesses with high traffic volumes, and therefore use a large amount of resources, such as memory and storage. A large amount of traffic on a website will slow things down and the upload times will be slow, and may even crash altogether. As a business relies on the traffic to their website in order to generate sales and interest in their products, it is essential to keep the site up and running. In today's climate people don't have time to wait for your website to be available; they will simply move on to the next website that is available. Having a dedicated server will provide the security of knowing that your website will be available to your existing and potential customers.

A large organisation or company that has high traffic synergies will require a dedicated server that is robust and provides the extra security needed to keep confidential files and records safe. When you have shared hosting, you are always vulnerable to a certain extent from the threat of viruses and hackers getting into your files. If you hold confidential information on your website, you have a duty under the Data Protection Act to maintain confidentiality. A dedicated server provides that guaranteed security for your business.

Here at CWCS we have a team of experts able to help you decide which web hosting will benefit your business and fulfil your business requirements. You can contact us using email, Live Chat or by telephone, and we can discuss your requirements or answer any queries you may have about a dedicated server.

Choose the right Web Hosting....

Web Hosting can sometimes be difficult to choose when presented with so many options and choices. Web hosting companies sometimes offer attractive deals which seem too good be true and in many cases, they usually are.

It's best to plan ahead when deciding on a suitable hosting provider and prioritise important factors and requirements of your website. You may be building a retail website which performs many secure transactions on a daily basis. In this case, prioritising security and availability would be considered important as these are crucial requirements for this type of website. If the website is for a start up business which you are looking to have information about your company hosted on the website, the impact on the website being off-line for a short period of time would not necessarily affect the day-to-day running of the business. In this case, price and usability may be important factors. Many different web hosting companies target different sectors of the market, it's best to find the hosting provider which best suits your requirements.

Web hosting does not necessary refer to a specific type of hosting, there are many different hosting solutions available and its important to remember and understand the different options. You will hear the terms 'virtual hosting', 'Dedicated hosting' and maybe even 'cloud hosting' and 'Colocation'. Experienced web developers generally know the exact type of web hosting required, although if you are not sure or have been given the task by developers. It's best to speak to the hosting providers sales team directly which will point you in the right direction.

When discussing and deciding on your web hosting package, be sure to mention every type of feature you need as you should never assume specific web components or databases will be included within the web hosting package. It's also important to let the sales team know any other relevant information which will affect the type of web hosting required. A website that receives 300 hits a minute and has large marketing campaign based around the website is important to mention. Having the wrong hosting package could end up in disaster as limits in place may restrict traffic or even bring the server down completely.

Windows and Linux are different platforms which support a web hosting environment. Many companies offer web hosting for both, although it's important to know which platform your website has been designed for.

Contact CWCS Managed Hosting directly for managed hosting solutions tailored to your specific requirements.

0845 203 1000

Service Level Agreement And Reliable Web Hosting

For anyone who has an online business, especially one with high traffic, it is important to choose the most reliable web hosting possible in order to keep their business running smoothly. For a large business, a dedicated server may be a necessity to have the resources and capacities which are essential to a thriving business.

When selecting a web hosting company, it is always wise to check that you are going to receive all the services necessary in order to help you run your business without the extra problems caused by a less than adequate hosting provider. A reputable company will give you a guarantee of what you will receive with your dedicated server hosting as part of your contract and this is called a Service Level Agreement.

Here at CWCS, we offer a level of service that we feel is essential to help you make your business successful. If any component of the hardware fails we agree to replace it within one hour, which will ensure that your website doesn't suffer. We also think it is imperative to reboot the server within twenty five minutes if it stops responding at any time. Again, this will mean minimal disruption to your website.

A high level of service is essential when the success of your business depends upon the performance of the dedicated server hosting and a company that wants to help you become a success will happily provide a high level of service.

Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date on our latest news, special offers and useful tips - http://twitter.com/cwcs_hosting.

Shared, Dedicated Or Managed Web Hosting?

There are advantages and disadvantages to all types of web hosting and really the final choice depends upon the specific purpose of your website and your budget.

If you have a website solely for personal use, you will be fine with shared web hosting. As long as you choose a reputable web hosting company and you know exactly what you will receive from your host then you will be able to use your website without any major problems.

If you have a small online business you may be looking for more resources to cope with the demand of a high traffic website plus the high security factor. This again depends upon your monthly budget and the amount of technical knowledge you have. Dedicated server hosting may be the preferred option, but you may not actually require all the resources provided and paid for each month.

If your business is still developing and you still don't require unlimited bandwidth and storage then a virtual dedicated server could be the best option for you. With a virtual dedicated server you will have all the resources but will pay a lower cost.

Here at CWCS, we have managed hosting as an option. It is slightly more expensive, but you won't waste time struggling to understand the technical knowledge as you will have a manager to do that for you, making sure that your server is operational at all times. We are fully experienced professionals who are here to make your life much easier in terms of addressing your website hosting requirements.

Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date on our latest news, special offers and useful tips - http://twitter.com/cwcs_hosting.

Operating System Options

Once you have made a decision to opt for a dedicated server you will then have to decide whether you will use a Linux based system or Windows. A large part of the choice depends upon whether you are already familiar with Windows. If so, then you may want to stay with an operating system that is familiar to you and therefore easier for you to deal with.

Linux is slightly more complicated and will need some instruction to enable you to become familiar with it, but has many benefits to make it an attractive possibility. For instance, Linux is a lower cost option than Windows. This is because Linux doesn't have a security licence to pay for and can pass on the savings to customers.

Windows provides a much larger range of software than Linux, although these do cost more. Linux has a reputation for being more reliable than Windows which will be an important consideration for anyone with a business to manage. Windows on the other hand is a far more popular company and therefore is compatible with a larger selection of hardware manufacturers.

Whichever operating system you choose for your dedicated server, the web hosting company should be able to offer a range of solutions for your business and also a twenty four hour support for any difficulties you may experience. Here at CWCS, we have the option for you to choose managed hosting to help you through any difficulties with a Linux or Windows operating system. Basically the choice of operating system comes down to a cost benefit analysis.Contact us today to learn more about our dedicated Windows servers or dedicated Linux servers.

Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date on our latest news, special offers and useful tips - http://twitter.com/cwcs_hosting.

When Should You Move To Dedicated Hosting?

Shared web hosting is perfectly adequate for anyone with a personal website or who is just building a business. With a personal website or a new business the daily traffic probably won't be too high and you won't use many of your available resources. If you have shared web hosting you could be affected by problems with other websites, but initially that won't be too much of a significant problem, and with a reputable company such as us at CWCS, any down time will be minimal.

Eventually, the traffic volumes to your website will increase and as your business becomes more successful you will require more memory and storage than previously. You will also be thinking more about security options, especially if you have payment options on your website or are collecting sensitive personal details from your customers.

A dedicated server becomes an option at this point as it has higher security levels plus unlimited resources as you aren't sharing with any other websites. However, depending upon the development of your business you may not be at the point where you can justify the cost of dedicated server hosting or managed hosting. This is where a virtual dedicated server will be a viable option. By splitting a server into several virtual servers you have your own resources within a larger unit. However, because you are still part of a physical server the cost is shared by all the virtual servers in the unit. A virtual dedicated server could be the perfect solution for your website hosting.

Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date on our latest news, special offers and useful tips - http://twitter.com/cwcs_hosting.

Do You Need Web Hosting Support?

Whether you are building a website for personal use or building a business site, web hosting can be confusing to most people, whatever technical knowledge they may have. From the simplest of queries to the most complex problem, it is better to have a support network to help you find the optimum solution as soon as possible. This is of the utmost importance to anyone with an online business as time is money and down time is wasting your valuable resources.

The type and amount of support received will depend upon the web hosting provider and should be a large factor in who you choose to provide your web hosting. One of the crucial aspects of a support system is the person you will speak to if you telephone with a problem. If you can only contact a call centre then you should be prepared to speak to a different person each time you call and explain from scratch about your system. Here at CWCS, we provide each client with a project manager as well as having a team of dedicated experts to assist you on a twenty-four hour basis. We guarantee to respond to emergency emails within ninety minutes during business hours along with a team who have knowledge of all aspects of your dedicated server hosting in order to assist you as quickly as possible.

Without a full support service, you may find that your dedicated server hosting experiences security problems and down time which will inevitably have a negative affect on your business.

Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date on our latest news, special offers and useful tips - http://twitter.com/cwcs_hosting.

Is Managed Hosting An Affordable Solution?

Large business owners will usually benefit from having a dedicated server for their hosting requirements as they will need large resources such as memory and storage with added security for their website. Managed hosting can be a cost-effective solution for a business to enable the technological aspects to be dealt with by someone who is an expert in IT.

With managed hosting you will receive many benefits including a team of experts which are available twenty four hours a day to assist with any problems, full data back up to avoid the loss of important data and a hardware replacement guarantee.

Deciding to upgrade from shared hosting to a dedicated server hosting is essential for a business with large traffic volumes and expanding custom, but it be complicated to deal with all the technical issues, and whilst you are still learning you may experience downtime. This will, in turn, affect your business as customers expect you to be available around the clock. You can solve this problem by employing your own team of experts who will look after the dedicated server hosting but you won't have any guarantee of their expertise and may have to provide training which is expensive and time consuming.

With managed hosting here at CWCS, we have a team of people who are all fully trained to deal with all aspects of a dedicated server and we also provide a full support team to assist you with any queries you may have. We welcome contact from everyone to enable us to help you succeed.

Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date on our latest news, special offers and useful tips - http://twitter.com/cwcs_hosting.

Which Type Of Web Hosting?

One of the largest factors when selecting web hosting is the cost, whether paid monthly or yearly. It is also important when selecting a cheap web hosting company that you are paying for all the essential services you will require, but not paying for anything superfluous to your requirements.

If you have a website which is solely for your own personal use then you won't need lots of resources such as unlimited bandwidth or storage, and shared web hosting on one of the low priced plans will serve you perfectly well. However, if you are building a business you may need more resources and will probably need to upgrade your web hosting package after a few months. In this case it would be wise to choose a cheap web hosting company that is flexible and will allow you to upgrade to a package which is better suited to a business with high traffic.

If you have an established business with a high volume of traffic you are going to have to consider whether a dedicated server will better suit your hosting requirements. A dedicated server will enable you to have unlimited resources which you won't be sharing with anyone else. Managed hosting is an option as you will have someone to take care of all the technical side of your business, while leaving you free to continue building your business.

Here at CWCS, we have many options that will suit a range of situations from someone with a personal website to a large business which requires extra resources and support.

Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date on our latest news, special offers and useful tips - http://twitter.com/cwcs_hosting.

Why choose Virtual Machines?

Virtualization has been around for some time now, and is becoming a popular choice for many businesses on a tight budget looking for the same level access, as with a dedicated server.

Using a virtual server has no restrictions to the operating system and software configurations, your website/web application can be set-up exactly the way you need it without no restrictions in place. The dedicated server is the obvious solution for high traffic/performance intensive websites, although the virtual servers may be an option if you are on a tight budget and need some of the benefits a dedicated server can offer.

Virtual servers work with a number of client machines installed onto the main virtual server node, these machines are called 'containers' and each container can include its own operating system and software running. There are many security advantages of running a virtual server over hosting on a typical shared hosting environment. Each container has its own partition which segregates your own hosting environment from all others on the same node.

A virtual server gives you complete control over all the services running on your server, you can restart individual services such as mail/databases and web server software from with the control panel. You also get SSH access as root to perform any tasks which is not possible via the control panel included.

Overall, virtual servers are a cost effective alternative to dedicated servers, however you may want to still consider a dedicated server for business critical hosting. Contact our sales team to find out our services can benefit your business.

Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date on our latest news, special offers and useful tips - http://twitter.com/cwcs_hosting.

Managed Hosting Is A Positive Option

There are many benefits to managed hosting - an option which is unfortunately often overlooked. There are many reasons why you would benefit from this type of website hosting, with advantages for anyone who wants to spend less time looking after the hosting of his website and more time on the necessities of the business itself.

One of the main advantages of managed hosting is the time aspect. By having someone to take care of the management aspects you are able to spend more time on your business, such as dealing with your customer queries and the day-to-day maintenance of your business, knowing that your hosting is being taken care of.

Managed hosting can be a cost-effective solution because it does give you so much more time as well as having high performance hardware which will provide numerous benefits as you are not sharing the web site hosting with anyone else.

You receive personalised support which means that you will have access to your own technical support team when you need them, usually around the clock. This constant support also gives a guarantee of minimal downtime and higher security levels as you will receive system updates and data back up.

Here at CWCS, we have two UK data centres owned and managed by us, offering twentyfour hour support for your hosting. Our managed hosting has a team of experts all fully trained in all aspects of information technology in order to leave you free to build your online business without worry.

Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date on our latest news, special offers and useful tips - http://twitter.com/cwcs_hosting.

How Secure Is Your Website?

Building an online business is a time of hard work whilst you are building your website, perhaps learning as you go along, and also about you trying to build an online reputation as someone that can be trusted by potential customers. Keeping your website free from harmful viruses and protecting customers' data is a very serious practice. The Data Protection Act is there to protect a person’s identity and all details should be kept confidential. The leaking of any personal details could not only result in trouble for you but also lose the trust of your customers.

When you sign up for a contract with a web hosting company you should ask questions about the security provided and ensure that you are protected. If you are going to be taking payments on your website you will need to double check security against the possibility of unscrupulous hackers. When a weakness or loophole has been found, hackers could take advantage and obtain your customers' credit card details and therefore, money. Even though you are not personally responsible for the theft of personal details, your customers will understandably blame you as you should have made sure your website hosting was secure.

The web hosting company's server should be housed in a secure environment free from all security risks so that you are able to concentrate on building your online business knowing that you are safe from security issues. Here at CWCS, we believe that web hosting security should always be a number one priority and house our servers in totally secure web site hosting environments.

Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date on our latest news, special offers and useful tips - http://twitter.com/cwcs_hosting.

The Price You Pay For Web Hosting

Selecting a reputable web hosting company can be a complex task, especially if you are learning how to build a website and the technology that accompanies it. Even if you are an expert in the world of online business it is important to know what to look for in a web hosting company. There are many different prices on offer from low cost to expensive, but how do you know what you are paying for?

It is always necessary to do some research into different web hosting companies and what they are offering you before signing any contract with them. If you are not familiar with technology and online business, perhaps because you are only just building a business, it may a good idea to obtain advice from someone who is familiar with the necessities of hosting.

Here at CWCS, we advise you to contact us with your website hosting requirements and we will be able to help you choose the hosting package that will best suit your needs. We have a range of different web site hosting packages at different prices so we are confident that you will find what you need without paying more than you have to.

Sometimes you will see price plans that are much cheaper if you sign up to a contract of a year or more. These can be very good value but you should never sign up to a long contract in order to save money unless you are sure the package will be satisfactory for the life of the contract or you could end up out of pocket.

Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date on our latest news, special offers and useful tips - http://twitter.com/cwcs_hosting.

Benefits Of Managed Hosting

Managed hosting can be beneficial to websites of all sizes, from the small online business to a large company with several websites. Choosing managed hosting will give you peace of mind and security as your website will be managed by a team of professionals around the clock to make sure that there are no problems. This leaves you free to concentrate on actually running your business without having to worry about problems with the maintenance of your website.

If you are new to internet business and you have little or no knowledge of the technology then this would be a cost-effective option for you. Basically the company who provide your managed hosting take care of all the running of the actual website on your behalf. When you initially build a website you really have to spend time learning about the intricacies of how web site hosting works, about the security aspects and about all the other factors relevant to a website.

Choosing managed website hosting with a company such as us at CWCS will mean that you are receiving affordable hosting with someone to run your website far more efficiently than if you had to gain technical knowledge from scratch. We also provide twenty-four hour support by email or telephone seven days a week with someone to answer your queries.

Select a company that has a guarantee of almost total operational time as this is an important factor in the smooth running of your business. The company that supplies your managed hosting should be maximising your return on your investment.

Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date on our latest news, special offers and useful tips - http://twitter.com/cwcs_hosting.

How Much Bandwidth Is Enough?

Choosing a web hosting company is a complicated task which can easily end up with you paying excess money out each month for a poor service. There is so much competition on the internet that finding a cheap web hosting company isn't difficult, in fact you can easily find companies that offer unlimited services at a reasonable price. However, before signing a contract with a web site hosting company it is important to look a little bit deeper into what you actually receive for your money.

Bandwidth and storage are the two main factors when selecting your web hosting company. It is difficult to work out how much bandwidth and storage you will use, especially if you are new to the Internet but it is essential that you try to decide on an estimate. You can work out a rough estimate of required bandwidth by calculating the average page views multiplied by the average page size, multiply this by the average number of daily visitors and then again by the number of days in a month. You should multiply this total by an emergency amount of bandwidth, for example 1.5. This will give you a rough idea of your requirements on a monthly basis.

However, what happens if your website traffic goes up and you need more bandwidth? You may find that you are charged extra money for going over a certain amount, even with unlimited plans. Here at CWCS we believe that you should be totally aware of what you are paying for and we can advise you of the website hosting that will best suit your specific needs.

Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date on our latest news, special offers and useful tips - http://twitter.com/cwcs_hosting.

Virtually The Answer

Most operating servers have to be available 24/7. If they are running for such a period but not always being utilised, then it's a waste of computing resources and operational costs. A possible solution could be to own a virtual server environment to reduce the amount of physical servers actually needed, thus greatly reducing overall costs.

Virtual dedicated server hosting is a product that is designed to allow the creation of multiple virtual servers on a single Windows server. Each of these virtual servers is stored as a hard drive image file and functions as an independent computer running its own operating system and individual set of applications. Virtual dedicated server hosting can be ideal for numerous reasons. Primarily, though, they are used in development environments and are used for server consolidation. The reason why the virtual dedicated server works so well in development environments is because it allows developers to test potentially ‘buggy’ software on a variety of different operating systems without having to worry about crashing the system.

Imagine an old Windows NT Server running an application that won't run under any other version of Windows. If the hardware the application is running on stops running, a possible solution might be to create a Windows NT virtual machine on an existing dedicated server and run the application from there.

Should a crash occur and, heaven forbid, a virtual machine destroyed then it would be a matter of recovering a single file. Virtualisation ultimately saves money and space.

CWCS provides a selection of virtual dedicated servers at highly competitive prices.

Who's The Host?

One question for someone new to web hosting may be what platform their server should operate around. There are a number of choices available and it can steal away many of hours of the day doing research on the topic. The crux of the matter is, there are two main web servers: Linux and Windows.

Microsoft developed and owns the Windows operating system. Linux is generally free. The cost of running a server does not affect the overall cost of a web hosting package. Buying a Windows hosting package can prove to be just as cheap as or even cheaper than a Linux web hosting package. It just depends what is available from the providing host.

A lot of people automatically assume that because a PC comes with Windows that a Windows website hosting package is the obvious choice. Not so. The web account will most likely be accessed through FTP or a control panel that both platforms support, even though some of the FTP commands differ slightly for each.

The debate over reliability and stability seems to find favour with Linux. The main reason being that Windows is the most widely-used operating system for the PC so hackers tend to go for the larger target. Linux is reported to perform faster because it is not bogged down with tons of extras. At the end of the day, web hosting will partly dictate goods speeds and reliability.

CWCS provide website hosting options for both Windows and Linux at competitive rates.

Moving To A New Web Host

There may come a time when the decision migrate to a new web host will be made. Maybe the current web hosting isn't providing adequate enough management or technical support is just not up to scratch. Most web hosting promises support on a 24/7 basis, but not all have the experience to back it up.

So the decision has been made to move, but there are concerns in the camp that problems could occur. One of the issues is the possible change of IP address. If the IP is static then the transition between old and new is relatively hassle free, providing that there are not major concerns about leaving the web site down for a day or two. If the process involves dynamic sites with databases, it can prove to be a little bit more difficult, but it is the same principle.

Firstly, find good web hosting and sign up for an account. Secondly, make a back-up of the site at the new website hosting server by copying over the whole structure. Thirdly, the crucial part involves changing the DNS to point to whichever of the new web hosts has been chosen. After this, it would be a logical step to wait until the DNS change has filtered through the net. If Google is relevant to your plan and they are fetching from the new webhost/IP address, then it's all been a great success.

We at CWCS provide a range of website hosting packages to suit anyone wishing to change to a new improved system.

Internet Protocol Addresses

Every server on the internet is assigned a unique number - an IP (Internet Protocol) address. Think of the number as a telephone number which allows other computers to find and gain access to files no matter where they are. An IP address is 4 bytes, and each byte is an octet which can have a value between 0 and 255. There are billions of possible addresses.

There are plans to expand the number of IP addresses with the introduction of version 6 of the Internet Protocol. IPv6 has IP addresses which are 128 bits wide. This provides the potential for an unlimited number of unique addresses. It will, however, take several years to implement because of the heavy cost of upgrading the i infrastructure.

In the web hosting industry there are two types of IP address:

- Dedicated IP address (also called static IP) means that a website has its own IP address

- Shared IP address means that multiple websites share the same address

Due to the rapid increase of the number of registered domain names and the finite number of IP addresses, web hosting providers are forced to use shared addresses where it is possible. In fact, hundreds of websites quite often share the same address. Static IP website hosting is no longer the norm and usually is less cost effective in this age of increasing users.

CWCS provides three different web hosting plans for both Windows and Linux at very competitive prices. Visit our site to see our range of website hosting packages that we offer.

The Key Information Relating To Reseller Web Hosting

Reseller hosting is a particular form of web hosting that has grown in popularity over the past few years. The owner of a reseller account has the ability to split their hard drive space or available bandwidth to host websites on behalf of third parties. The reseller will purchases the host's services at wholesale prices and then sell them on to customers for a profit. This type of web hosting is especially popular among web designers and developers as it is a great way to offer clients a complete package which incorporates the entire finished product.

The typical web hosting reseller might be a web design firm, web developer or systems integrator who offers web site hosting as an add-on service. Reseller hosting is also an inexpensive way for website hosting entrepreneurs to start a company. Most reseller hosting plans allow resellers to create their own service plans and choose their specific individual pricing structure. Many web hosting resellers are able to establish their own brand name by simply customising the control panels and the name servers.

The owner of the reseller hosting is usually not responsible for the maintenance of the web server. This is often the work of the web host. The reseller will normally communicate directly with the customer, but any hardware, software or connectivity issues are forwarded to the server provider.

CWCS provides reseller packages for both Windows and Linux at competitive rates. We also offer 24/7 expert first-class technical support by both telephone and email.

Firewall Protection For Dedicated Servers

Anyone who has had a bad experience with a virus, worms or any other malicious software will really appreciate the potential importance of a firewall. More so if the person or company is running a server which provides a service to internet clients (not Virtual Private Networks), which could potentially support over one million users per month via the web. The firewall is used in conjunction with a web server purely as a security measure. The function of the firewall is to accept or deny the transfer of data to and from external sources.

The dedicated server firewall is established and operates around a particular set of rules or criteria that forces the data being transferred to adhere to them. If the criteria are not met then the data does not pass through. The ‘trust level’ of the internet is generally regarded as extremely low, due to the fact that worms and viruses can be easily sent over the internet through emails or websites visited. These worms or viruses can be extremely harmful to a computer and dedicated server hosting, and may even render it inoperable.

There are two types of firewall - software and hardware. The software firewall, although effective, can use up a lot of resources if the dedicated server is hosting a busy website. The hardware firewall takes a lot of stress off the work, allowing the dedicated server to use its own resources and thus not compromising performance.

CWCS provides high-quality dedicated server hosting with dependable firewalls.

Virtual Hosting

Anyone requiring to host more than one domain name on a single computer will quite often use the option of virtual web hosting, sometimes on the same IP address. Virtual web hosting is one of the most popular options available for hosting at the moment. This is mainly due to it being one of the most reasonable forms of web hosting available in today’s market.

Virtual web site hosting is also known as shared web hosting and it allows the owner of a website to host his/her site on a web server that will be shared with other websites. In other words, the server of the virtual web site hosting company will allocate its services and bandwidth to more than one website. This makes the costs slightly cheaper than that of a dedicated server and thus an ideal solution for the small to medium sized website;, especially if they don't experience heavy traffic on their site.

Many small-to-medium sized businesses opt for virtual servers for internal purposes, where there is a technological or administrative reason to keep several separate websites, such as customer extranet website, employee extranet, internal intranet or intranets for different departments. If no security concerns are present in the website architectures, they can be merged into one complete server using virtual hosting technology, which can reduce the management and administrative overheads and the number of individual servers required to support the business.

At CWCS we offer a range of packages to suit the budgets of small and large businesses at very competitive rates.

The Name Of The Game

With an ever-increasing number of interactive games being released that allow the player to go online and explore a whole new vast world of entertainment, dedicated servers to support the games are always eagerly anticipated. Online gaming brings the additional benefit of playing someone real, not just a generated character.

The dedicated servers, commonly known as dedicated game servers, collect data from players and distribute it to other players. This process is more efficient than peer-to-peer, but it requires a separate computer to host the server application. This is where the dedicated server comes in. There are, of course, professional servers that read data and transmit enormous amounts of data, feeding the players as fast as they need it. The luxury of such a setup did not come cheap at $200-$700 a month. Eventually prices came down as subscribers increased 1,000 fold.

Game servers can be either listen servers or dedicated server hosting.

- Listen servers typically run in the same process as the game client, allowing a player to host games and participate in them at the same time. Unfortunately the server is usually terminated when the client does, and they usually involve a low number of players.

- Dedicated server hosting runs totally independent of the client, and are quite often run on dedicated hardware in data centres. These provide more bandwidth and processing power and are the preferred choice for most PC-base multiplayer games.

We at CWCS provide dedicated servers that satisfy the demands of modern computing.

Wonder Web

There are many questions to be asked and indeed answered before the decision is made to invest in web hosting. Often people ask if they need to change their domain if they get a new host?. How do they upload their site online? How does one register a domain name or even what is a domain name? There are as many answers as there are questions but there are perhaps a few essentials that should be addressed before finally deciding on a web host.

There are certain distinctions between the various types of web hosting. Shared hosting means sharing a server with other clients and this can mean a slow server if some have heavy traffic. There is also colocated web hosting which is where a server is purchased from a hardware vendor, such as Dell or HP, and the server is then supplied to the host and plugged into its own network. The web host is responsible for the availability and access of the network whereas the owner is responsible for any support or maintenance that may be required should anything unforeseen crop up.

Unmanaged web site hosting is similar to colocation except the server is leased from the host and not purchased by the business or user. There is also a limited amount of support included with such a deal.

Prices of each web site hosting option vary from supplier to supplier and it's not always a good idea to shop on the cheap. We at CWCS provide problem-free solutions to web hosting in the UK and each package comes with comprehensive support.

Who's Managing To Web Host?

Sometimes it's just not possible to set the time aside to maintain a website, but they won't maintain themselves. The easiest solution would be to opt for managed hosting where various services are offered such as management of operating systems and core applications, assistance with the migration of sites and applications, regular off-site backups as well as consultancy and advice on applications.

At CWCS we provide first class web hosting services to suit the needs of any business or user. Various packages are available to meet the requirements of most companies but should there arise the need for a specific solution, we will always to provide reliable on the spot technical support.

Friendly customer service should come with reputable managed web hosting packages twenty-four hours a day, 7 days a week, and this can be an invaluable asset should anything go wrong. The chances of something going wrong with any given computer system at any given time are quite high. Computer systems are good when they are working but when they go wrong they can be a headache, and that's why managed website hosting could be the perfect solution to the business or user needing that extra bit of help.

Another crucial element of managed website hosting is data backup; this is why managed web hosting is so dependable. No-one wants to risk losing a whole day's or even a whole week's data if anything goes wrong with the system. Most managed hosting incorporates daily backups ensuring nothing is lost.

Benefits Of Dedicated Servers

Many companies started off with a simple website that provided the customer, or whoever the target was, with just a little information, access and support. Gradually over time the site experienced more and more hits. The meagre website that once got two hundred hits per month now gets thousands upon thousands per month and things start to run very slowly. The next step to keep up the momentum and prevent everything from coming apart at the seams is to look at the web hosting.

A dedicated server is one option perhaps worth investigating for anyone serious about
developing their website’s profile. Dedicated servers have their own processor, hard drive, RAM and bandwidth and do exactly what they’re told. The ownership of dedicated servers also means that you can control who accesses the content of your website.

Dedicated server hosting can, however, cost that little bit more than shared web hosting, but the extra money spent on dedicated servers ensures significant benefits over other options. For one, server providers usually allow you to customise your own dedicated server hosting, meaning you select and pay only for the features you want.

In this fast-moving, competitive world of technological advancements that seem to be progressing at an accelerated rate, how are companies expected to keep up the pace at a cost effective price? Here at CWCS we provide a cost-effective solution to the growing choice of dedicated server providers. It's a choice that will help you reach the rest of the world, not reach deep into your pockets.

Dangers Of Cheap Web Hosting

Once you've decided to go all out on the web hosting front, the first thing you need to do is decide how much to spend on the new system or even how little to spend. The problem with the latter is that spending too little on the cheapest web hosting company can turn out to be a false economy. It can be very tempting to scrimp on the spending to save some money. However, without spending a decent amount on web hosting, the chances of problems arising in the future are high. With lack of spending comes lack of support and this can be a crucial element of web hosting should a spanner appear in the works.

Some problems with opting for cheap website hosting services is that you will probably be sharing the server space with other companies that have probably opted for the same reduced package. This may lead to complications if the other company or companies use mailing lists to send spam, for example. If this is the case then there is a very high possibility that each and every domain hosted by the server could end up being blocked by anti-spam software, resulting in your company also being blocked.

We at CWCS provide affordable website hosting packages that suit all clients' needs. We also provide reliable support without the need to break the bank. So, before deciding on a cheap web hosting company, think about whether it's worth saving pounds at the start only to be hit with a large hike in costs later. In today's business, false economy is not an option.

Why use a developer solutions provider?

Why be anything other than passionate about your business? You want to do well, make money and expand – otherwise you wouldn't be reading this. As your business grows, your web presence also needs to develop; to grow and expand alongside your real-world expansion. This means that you will need to innovate, find new ways of displaying information and interacting with clients and customers, while providing a cutting-edge commerce-enabled site that looks good. All this takes time, and time is money.

Using new technology can sometimes entail a sharp learning-curve. Developing web applications and creating dynamic, good looking and powerful websites is a lot easier if you can liaise with knowledgeable staff who know what they are doing and can solve common problems quickly. You need people who can provide solutions to aid in your development.

It makes a great deal of sense to use a web hosting, virtual or dedicated server provider who are as passionate about their business as you are about yours. This means having staff who are skilled in the provision of solutions to your developer problems, who can iron-out hiccups and keep your web site or server running smoothly and efficiently.

Here at CWCS we are proud to call ourselves a developer solutions provider. Our support staff are not only friendly, but also passionate about web hosting and server provision. This means that you can spend more time being passionate about what you do well, secure in the knowledge our passion will keep you online and productive.

Take control – use web based control panels

Modern web hosting plans do more than just serve up web pages. They are powerful business tools which can add considerable value to your online business presence. The control panel which comes as part of your web hosting plan can be used for day-to-day management of your site, but also to do things like set up and administer e-mail accounts, enable FTP access for staff and customers, automate regular tasks, add MySQL databases and users and automatically respond to emails to certain addresses.

There are a variety of control panel applications around – but the industry is dominated by one name which has become the de facto standard: Plesk. The Plesk control panel is used by web hosting companies world wide and is very powerful whilst remaining easy to use.

Managing your web hosting plan is now not just a job for experts. The web-based control panel has an interface which is easy to learn and allows for complex tasks to be handled with a few mouse clicks. Want to add a blog to your site and allow customers and staff to comment on your goods or services? This can be done easily and quickly using the control panel application. You can also set up forwarding for e-mail addresses or arrange new e-mail accounts with the minimum amount of bother.

At CWCS, our web hosting plans allow you to control your online business. We can arrange for upgrade paths between plans without loss of data or service. We use the Plesk web-based control panel to allow you, the customer, to have the maximum amount of control over the service you are paying for.

The cost benefits of virtual dedicated servers

Virtual dedicated servers hosting is very popular because it is a cost-effective solution to a potentially expensive problem. A single piece of hardware (the managed hosting company's server) is partitioned into multiple virtual servers, all capable of running a variety of operating systems and software. One server can then be allocated to several customers – but because the hardware is shared, the costs of running a server dedicated to your web presence are minimised.

Small and medium sized websites which have reasonable bandwidth needs and do not expect a very large amount of traffic will benefit from the savings – and will be able to have full root access to the operating system, allowing them to install the software they need to make their web sites productive.

When looking for a virtual dedicated servers provider, it makes sense to choose a company that has specialist knowledge and experience in making these package work effectively for you – and have technically competent support staff to ensure that your site stays up and running for the longest possible time.

It is no accident that VDS hosting is used by the majority of customer websites all over the world. Virtual server hosting technology is a robust and affordable way of taking more control of your web hosting environment, without the expense of providing your own hardware and infrastructure.

At CWCS we are specialists in providing virtual dedicated servers. Our support staff are experts in their field and fully trained to assist you with queries or solve technical problems. Our virtual servers come with full root access and you can choose from a variety of Linux distributions to fully customise your server environment.

Starting your own website

When you’re just starting on the road to a web-based business presence you might be a little confused about which managed hosting plan is right for you. Do you go for the cheapest, or do you need one with a few more bells and whistles? Then there are things like PHP5 and MySQL. Do you really need them? What do they do?

If you have a simple website, then a starter package is affordable and will probably cover your needs. However, if you would like to develop your site, commerce enable it and make it easier to manage, then you should think about a plan that includes access to PHP5 and MySQL.

PHP stands for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor, a powerful scripting language that can create dynamic content and can be embedded within standard HTML code. This means, for example, that the content of a text file can be read and inserted into a web page, providing a very easy way of changing and updating content or blog entries. If you’ve ever looked at websites like Facebook or YouTube you will have seen the power of PHP in action.

MySQL (My Structured Query Language) is a relational database management system that allows for the display of database queries on web pages. For example, a database containing information about products, prices, discounts and stock levels displayed in an online catalogue, allowing customers to browse through goods and make informed purchasing decisions.

Here at CWCS managed hosting we provide a variety of affordable and powerful plans for all levels of e-commerce and web site development. If you are unsure of which managed hosting plan is right for you, please call one of our friendly customer service representatives.

You may know the cost, but what's the value?

There's an old saying about short-sighted business people: “They know the cost of everything, but the value of nothing”. When you are making the decision to use a web hosting service, or deciding on a dedicated server or virtual server solution, then cost is, of course, important as you will want to minimise your outlay. However, don't lose sight of the value that is added to your web hosting or server plan by other very important factors.

Technical support is something you don't miss until you need it – and if the company you are using does not give you guaranteed uptime and friendly and efficient technical support whenever you need it, you will end up paying more than just a financial cost. The damage to your business may impact adversely on your profitability and your image.

Having a provider offering web hosting in the UK, in a UK based data-centre with 24/7 technical support via telephone and e-mail is just as important as saving money on your web hosting or server plan – and sometimes more so! If your website is critical to the success of your business, ensuring that your plan includes a dedicated in-house project manager can add incredible value to your day-to-day operations.

CWCS web hosting and dedicated and virtual server plans include a variety of options which allow your site to remain productive. Our state-of-the-art UK based data centres have features which add value to any of the plans you select. If you need to speak to a real, live person in order to get a problem resolved quickly, our support staff are both efficient and approachable. Mission critical hosting includes a dedicated, in-house project manager to help out. The cost is affordable: the value is superb.

Your hardware, but who's giving you infrastructure?

Deciding to take the plunge and purchasing your own dedicated server hardware gives you more control over your internet presence. Getting your own dedicated servers is relatively easy – you can make the comparisons you need to source the exact specification to suit the development of your site. Once you've done that, you need to sort out the connectivity, access, security and support. That can be harder – and if you are going it alone, very expensive.

Colocation dedicated servers offer a great solution – you can keep your very own server hardware in a secure data storage location that offers a variety of bandwidth options, and also allows you to choose other important details like the number of IP addresses your business requires, switchable port requirements and the amount of power your server will need.

CWCS colocation offers plans to suit a variety of business sizes. We already have the infrastructure that can provide your business with everything you need for a successful web presence – your hardware just plugs in and we look after the rest. You also get physical and virtual access to your hardware 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our data centres are secure and protected from man-made and natural disasters, ensuring that your data is safe and your web site stays up.

Colocation dedicated servers provide you with the best of both worlds – your own hardware, configured the way you want, running the software you need – tied into the unparalleled infrastructure of an existing secure and modern data centre. This is an affordable and efficient method of expanding your business operations.

Making a success of e-commerce

Is it time for your business to start to take advantage of the plethora of available customers out there in cyberspace? The decision to commerce enable your website should not be taken lightly, and there are some pitfalls you should try your hardest to avoid. Choosing a web hosting plan from a company with a reputation for reliability and excellent support can minimise the chances of things going horribly wrong.

Your e-commerce platform is only going to be as reliable as the web hosting company you use, so look for both experience and an infrastructure that will support your needs. You should choose your web hosting plan wisely – there is nothing more off-putting to prospective customers than pages loading slowly due to insufficient bandwidth, or transactions taking too long to process because your payment processing package is inadequate. The worst thing of all is when your site goes down and everything grinds to a halt.

Good design can make your site easy to use – but try to get the balance right when providing information: too much can be off-putting, too little can make your site seem lightweight. The more professional your site looks and the easier it is to use, the more sales you will achieve.

CWCS web hosting plans offer 99.9% guaranteed uptime, a variety of bandwidth options to suit your needs and all plans include friendly, fast and reliable technical support. Running a commerce enabled site can provide your business with huge benefits. Start in the right direction by using a web hosting provider that has a proven track record where it matters most.

Which SQL is good for me?

When you're considering starting or upgrading a web hosting plan, you may want to consider the benefits of using databases to manage and structure the data you are collecting or displaying on your website. Using a database in conjunction with a web hosting plan can provide significant benefits. To use databases within a web hosting plan requires the use of structured query language (SQL) and you will see that different plans allow the use of MySQL and MS SQL.

What is the difference between the two and which is right for me?

MySQL is open source software – freely available to use without restriction. MS SQL is proprietary software, owned and licensed for use by Microsoft. Some would argue that this gives a benefit in that MS SQL is well supported and frequently updated. MySQL benefits from the fact that it costs nothing, and that a host of support is available on the web.

Both kinds of SQL are great for creating dynamic web content – and if you have ever visited commerce-enabled sites then you have probably interacted with web databases using these technologies. If you are using a Windows based server and you are familiar with products like Access, then MS SQL will probably make your life easier. If you are familiar with Linux and the operation of MySQL already, you will know the benefits this powerful application can bring you.

CWCS web hosting plans provide for the use of both MySQL or MS SQL, so you can choose a plan that is going to be suitable for you. If you have any doubts about which version of SQL is the best for you, our customer services representatives can help give you the information you require to make an informed decision.

Location, location, colocation

Things are going really well. Your website has taken off and your business is expanding. You are thinking of taking the next step. You've even purchased your own server and are contemplating setting up your own data centre. How much will it all cost? Can you really afford to do it? What are the things you need?

There are a host of things you need to consider, apart from the expense and infrastructure required for the physical building and connectivity. Security, back-up power supplies, access, technical support and fire and flood protection, to name just a few! Luckily, colocation web hosting services can give you peace of mind while providing you with everything you need to keep your hardware up and running, your data safe, secure access to your server 24 hours per day, 7 day per week, while also protecting you from the kind of disasters that could seriously impact on the survival of your business.

With colocation web hosting you are spared the expense of setting up the infrastructure to support your server. It has been proven to be an extremely cost effective way of gaining the benefits derived from owning and operating your own hardware, with the added benefits of security, access, safety and support being provided by the colocation service.

CWCS colocation web hosting provides a service that keeps your hardware secure in a state-of-the-art secure data centre in Nottingham featuring the best modern security and safety provisions, while also allowing you full access to your hardware 24/7. If you are considering further expansion of this kind, give us a call.

Why would I use Tomcat?

You may have noticed that CWCS virtual dedicated servers come with a host of functional software, including the most popular web server in the world – Apache. Tomcat is also available and can be installed on request – but what is Tomcat and why would you use it?

If you want to use JSP pages or servlets on your website, you must use a servlet container such as Tomcat because Apache does not support these. Servlets are Java technologies that extend the usefulness of web servers. They are platform and server independent – meaning that you can choose specific servlets to enhance the usability and functionality of your site. Servlets are generally thought of as one of the best ways of creating interactive web-based applications such as browsing online catalogues, and commerce enabling applications like shopping carts and checkouts. Many example servlets are freely available on the web – java.sun.com is a good place to start.

Apache is written in the C/C++ programming language, which makes it blindingly fast at doing what it does best – serving up web pages. Tomcat, on the other hand, is written in Java, interpreted at runtime, and therefore somewhat slower. The good news is you can link both servers together, so gaining the functionality of Tomcat to parse servlets and JSP pages, while retaining the speed of Apache when serving standard HTML and PHP pages.

CWCS web hosting will install Tomcat on your Virtual dedicated servers on request. Full functionality is achieved by the use of recommended operating systems and some additional software.

Avoiding the common mistakes

If you are new to web design and are making use of a web hosting plan to give your business a net presence for the first time, it is easy to fall into the trap of trying too hard. Yes, you want your website to be eye-catching and modern, and you want to take advantage of the latest technologies to show that you are at the cutting edge of technology, but you don't want the whole thing to look like a design disaster.

One of the most common mistakes that new designers make is to take advantage of all the 'bells and whistles' that are available, regardless of whether they are suitable to your specific situation. Rotating icons and flashing banners are a good example of things which can look great for ten seconds, but become very annoying after a very short period of time.

The best designers use web hosting to try to balance functionality, usability and aesthetics. Functionality assumes that interfaces to online queries, forms or database functions are easy and simple. Usability means that users should be able to access the information and features they require without a problem. Finally, aesthetics is the imperative to give your site a professional look which remains in keeping with your branding and sales requirements.

CWCS web hosting plans give you access to a wide variety of professional web creation tools, operating system software and bandwidth choices, allowing you to create good looking sites that will add cachet to your business and increase your sales of goods and services.