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Web Hosting, Web Hosting UK, Dedicated Servers, Managed Hosting, Dedicated Server | CWCS
Up until the year 2000, UNIX or Linux servers were dominant in the world of web hosting. But with Windows 2000 Server, followed by the 2003 version, and now Windows 2008 Server, Microsoft has begun to play catch-up.
A fierce debate rages between Linux server and Windows Server advocates. The conventional wisdom is that Linux wins out because it’s “open source” (the software is free), more secure and copes better with high traffic.
But sometimes passion can obscure facts. In reality, a well-maintained, professionally managed, Windows Server can be just as secure and reliable as any equally well-run, competing Linux setup. What’s more, there can be some advantages in going down the Windows route.
First there’s the familiarity of software on the server itself. It’s Windows, which is installed on 90% of the world’s desktops, so you will benefit from being able to navigate it quickly due to familiarity with the setup.
Then there are the web applications that can be built on a Windows web server. Windows Server supports a programming language called ASP.NET. In the right hands this language can form the entire framework for your website, from the site pages themselves, to customer databases, to “in-browser” software such as calendars, calculators, and even complex programmes like word processors.
Therefore, especially if you have a developer to hand who prefers to work in ASP.NET, the Windows Server route is one to consider.
At CWCS we provide a rich range of Windows Server packages at competitive prices.
With the recent growth in virtualisation software, Virtual Dedicated Servers are an increasingly viable web hosting option.
Virtualisation is a means of creating a software based “computer within a computer”. This might sound a little baffling, but the more you think about it the more useful it becomes.
It’s easier to grasp if you imagine a scenario. Say you have a friend who is raving about the benefits of the Linux operating system when compared to Windows. Imagine having a chance to try out Linux on your own computer, independent of your Windows install, and being able to launch your Linux machine from your Windows desktop. This is virtualisation in action.
Developers have taken this a step further and introduced entire virtual servers “in software” within what you might call a “master server”.
These virtual servers behave in identical ways to physical, single machine, servers. Virtual dedicated servers can be rebooted, they can have whatever operating system is preferred and they can be configured to perform equally to a physical server, but without the higher cost overheads of that physical server.
A virtual server can come in very handy to a client looking for a dedicated hosting solution but at a more manageable price. Virtual Dedicated Server rental can cost around a third of the price of the full-blown physical server solution.
Here at CWCS we offer a robust range of Dedicated Virtual Server hosting packages, with excellent hard disk space, processor and RAM options.
A Content Management System (known as a CMS) is website authoring software which is installed on your web hosting server that enables users to write and publish their content in a transparent, straightforward way, using just their web browser.
Content Management Systems have grown rapidly over the years in terms of the variety of packages, level of complexity and numbers of users, from chess clubs to schools, to enterprise level global organisations.
The big advantage of a CMS is that it takes the hassle out of web page creation and publishing. Before the CMS, web page creation and publishing was managed by programmes such as “Front Page” and “Dreamweaver”. However, it soon became clear that where sites required upkeep by more than one or two individuals, licensing and software training issues became awkward impediments to progress. Paying what could easily run into thousands of pounds for web development software to enable users to publish their pages to a site was not a pleasant prospect for businesses. It is easy to see why the CMS option has gone mainstream in the past decade or so.
There are however a vast range of CMS solutions to choose from: from “Open Source” packages best hosted on a Linux server, and commercial packages such as Microsoft’s “Sharepoint”, best hosted on a Windows Server.
Take advice from an IT expert on which package is best for you. At CWCS we support both Windows Server and Linux server web hosting, so can cater for the full range of CMS requirements.
A dedicated server is a single server devoted entirely to hosting your website.
Renting server space from a hosting company is akin to renting property. You can either go for the one-bedroom flat in a sizeable block or the five-bedroom house, with a beautiful garden all to yourself.
The one-bed flat is the shared website hosting option: your website occupies space on a server shared by numerous other users. The five-bedroom house is the dedicated server: you have the place to yourself; there’s more space, and room for many more visitors at a time.
For many companies, the shared hosting option will be absolutely fine. It’s typically a reasonably priced setup which matches their cost, size, traffic and bandwidth requirements perfectly.
However, for some companies, their websites may have expanded in size, complexity and traffic demands to such an extent that they have to go for that sumptuous five-bedroom house, especially if their website is now “mission critical”.
However, you should budget for a cost increase if you are moving from shared to dedicated website hosting. The monthly rental for a dedicated server can be significantly more than the cost of the shared option.
The decision on shared hosting should not be taken lightly, but can yield peace of mind and eventually “Return on Investment”.
Here at CWCS we offer a range of unbeatable managed hosting packages for your dedicated server, with benefits such as a brand new server, unlimited bandwidth, 24/7 expert technical support and an assigned project manager.
With almost any web hosting package, you’ll be offered a number of email mailboxes as part of the deal. A hosting package with CWCS will give you up to 200 mailboxes as standard.
A mailbox provides you with an email address that matches your company’s domain name, such as peter@example.co.uk – which becomes the email address for an employee at “example.co.uk”. Your email address then becomes an instant, remarkably simple marketing tool that promotes your business whenever you email someone.
You should also explore webmail. This is a way of viewing, writing and sending emails through your web browser, and it’s provided as standard by most web hosting companies.
If you intend to use a lot of email, you should avoid treating your webmail as your main email programme, because the amount of mails the mailbox can hold at any one time is restricted by the amount of dedicated server space you’re renting.
A tip is to set your home email to “always delete from the dedicated server” when retrieving from your domain’s mailbox. That way you keep the size of your rented mailbox under control.
However, as a method of viewing your new emails whilst you are on the road, webmail has some big pluses: it’s an advert-free zone, unlike some mass-market, browser-based email programmes.
Furthermore, by using webmail you are looking directly at incoming emails in real time, the very second they arrive. Most desktop home email programmes cannot match this level of immediate access. Webmail is a great way to catch those business-critical emails you need to see “like yesterday”.
Colocation hosting is a form of hosting in which a third party data centre houses your company’s server for you. E.g., your company’s web server could be securely sited off your premises.
However, the usual arrangement is that your company’s own IT staff will continue to manage your server via remote access – this is the “co” part of “colocation”.
Sometimes the phrase used for a colocation centre is “carrier hotel”: actually “hotel” is a good word to evoke the five-star care we at CWCS guarantee your hardware.
The colocation option is typically favoured by small to medium sized businesses that has a complex telecommunications setup and may be looking to cut the costs of managing their own data centre. This is especially so for companies growing in size and expanding across different locations.
Sometimes companies starting out want to avoid altogether the expense and complexity of setting up their own data centre, so opt for colocation hosting right from the beginning.
Financial considerations aside, it simply gives you peace of mind to know that your vital equipment, equipment that forms the engine-room of your business, is looked after. Also, worry over matters such as minimising fire risk, backup, parts replacement, and air conditioning are out of your hands.
At CWCS we have offer a good selection of colocation packages to suit all budgets. We have system administrators on hand with qualifications in managing Linux and Windows 2003/2008 servers, and we also offer fantastic technical support at reasonable rates.
If you’re a small business setting up a website it’s likely you won’t have a designer in-house, so you are almost inevitably going to find yourself needing a website designer and external dedicated server.
Before speaking to any design companies clear your head and your desk, switch off your mobile and computer, sit down with pen and paper, and think long and hard about what you really want from your company’s website.
The costs for small business websites do vary but can range from £250 to thousands of pounds depending upon complexity. Be aware that adding an e-commerce feature in particular can increase website design costs.
The trick is to find a designer who understands you, your company, its vision, and whom you feel you get on well with, at an affordable price.
Don’t rush this procurement. Consult colleagues, any friends in the web industry, and scour competitors’ websites. Plus, if you find a company you want to work with don’t necessarily be deterred by an expensive first quote. You can always try some amicable negotiation.
Once you’ve found your designer, you should feel confident to let them talk direct to your web hosting company.
At CWCS we are happy, with your authorisation, to talk to third parties. In fact it’s often better to let the experts talk directly, as long as you’re kept informed. We can help your designer decide such matters as the best hosting package for you, and whether to go for a Linux server or Windows server.
When it comes to web hosting, there are many benefits to all three of these different services. Provided you know what your e-business needs, you should be able to take advantage and pick the most suitable system.
A shared server is an excellent starter system. You effectively hire space on a server. It is the cheapest option and provides a specific set amount of bandwidth and memory. Having a variety of different clients on your shared server, most of whom you will know very little about, may cause some slowing down, but for a small website this is perfect.
A dedicated server is a complete server, hired purely for your business. This avoids some of the greater problems of clogging or of monopolisation of the bandwidth by other websites. It also allows you to specify any precise requirements you have, such as extra memory because of the number of video blogs you have. Larger companies with a greater e-business ambition tend to move quickly to dedicated servers.
If you own your own hardware, then you can obviously leave it at home or in the office. Colocation offers the opportunity to move your hardware to a specially designed well maintained environment to keep your server, information, clients, orders and reputation free from fire, flood electricity surge and a whole host of other dangers.
Whatever the option you would like to try, talking to our team at CWCS puts you in contact with award winning experts with a wealth of experience in web hosting for internet businesses like yours.
With all the investment that goes into the development of your business onto the internet, we sometimes forget the product. Some businesses have been surprised by the interest shown in certain internet friendly products from their range. Often cheaper and smaller items are bought in much larger numbers online than their larger counterparts. This is partly due to the lack of familiarity the customer has in internet buying, and also the lack of trust the customer has in the postal service. Since both can go wrong, it is not surprising they feel a need to “test” the service before they are comfortable spending large amounts.
Thanks to this, there is a growing trend to market smaller items differently than more expensive goods. There may well be a hook for larger items in a car showroom – say, offering car vacuum cleaners at a discounted price; but on the internet they may prove to be a much more successful seller. As traffic increases however you might find that your requirements may change considerably. The kind of requests for one part of your business may not require so much attention, or memory space, than a more dynamic sideline. This is when web hosting is the primary consideration.
It may be that a dedicated server can handle these two sides of your business better than a shared system. Some businesses have found that by treating these newer markets separately, you can maximise your business potential.
At CWCS we specialise in web hosting and can advise you as to what a dedicated server or colocation hosting can do for your enterprise.
Most people, when they start running a website for the first time, like to get as much of an understanding as they can of the products they are using. They look for large, well respected, trusted companies to help them achieve their goals. The idea is that if you are in the same boat as so many others, then there will be more people to help you.
Certainly this is very true in the case of Windows servers. With over 80% of websites run on them and a huge multi-national corporation behind it, you won’t find a safer bet. The real benefit of going with a large company, of whom you are already familiar with, is that you probably know how to do the basics. There is no need for the instruction manual to find where certain functions are, since you already use it at work, or at home on your own PC.
Also, since Windows servers are the industry standard, you can be assured that any new software will come out on the Microsoft packages first, because programmers know where the market is, and will almost always try to aim to reach the biggest share.
At CWCS we have been working with Windows servers for over a decade, and our award winning team have solutions for even the simplest of problems. We are proud of our web hosting services and can offer a Windows server or a Linux server to suit any and all of your needs.
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