Dedicated hosting is basically renting a server solely for your use. It is much like a colocation service except that you do not have to buy your own server, preventing large initial investment. Dedicated hosting comes in two forms: Managed and Unmanaged. When dedicated hosting term is used alone, it is generally refers to "unmanaged" dedicated hosting, while "managed" dedicated hosting is commonly referred to as a managed hosting.

The Dedicated Hosting plan is designed for individuals, small businesses, and organization requiring a dedicated server. Examples of server usage may be but are not limited to one or more of the following: Web Server, FTP Server, Telnet/ssh Server, Mail server, Document Server, VPN Server and Game Server. A dedicated server provides a freedom and security not present with shared hosting. Edula offers dedicated server hosting on Linux and Windows servers.

Unmanaged dedicated hosting plans commonly include support for hardware, operating system, web server, and that is pretty much it. It is consumer's responsibility to manage the server, which includes third-party software installation, applying security patches, making backups, and other maintenance tasks. Dedicated hosting plans differ by hardware options, operating system, backup and monitoring service, bandwidth and level of technical support. If you do not have technical experience in managing your server, a managed hosting service should be considered instead.

If you have a specific hosting requirements requiring unique server configuration, third-party software installation, or specific performance and security requirements, you have no choice but to choose a dedicated server hosting. You should also choose a dedicated hosting over shared hosting when your website traffic increases, and also when you experience a noticeable delay in loading your website compared to your site launched initially. Checking your web statistics will show you the details of increased traffic.

You should research carefully before signing up for a dedicated hosting service. Find a web host that offers good network stability, good customer references, and the one providing great technical support.

This article is written by Scott Seong, President and CEO of Edula, Inc. If you have questions or comments about this article, please forward them to feedback@edula.com.

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