Having an entire server dedicated to your internet presence is a great choice for your business. Our most popular solution, the dedicated server allows you a whole server to be dedicated to your business, unlike the other options available, which only offer a partial server that may be congested by other businesses. If you’re experiencing a period of growth, then you’ll want a dedicated server, as it allows you space to grow and ensure that your websites will never be slowed by the growth of another business. But the real question is whether or not you want to work with a managed or unmanaged server.
Here at catalyst2, we offer both managed and unmanaged servers, although we specialise in managed servers. We have been working for many years to help create exceptional services for clients, making it easy for them to create and maintain their websites and internet presence. No matter what your business does, it is really important that you have the right servers backing you up, to ensure that your business is always available when your customers and clients need them most.
As specialists, we want to help you find the perfect solution for your needs, which is why we’ve created this post, to highlight the differences between managed and unmanaged servers and to help you choose the right one.
Why is This so Important?
In the modern world, there is nothing more important than your online presence. So much of the world of business is accessed online through emails, websites and eCommerce sites, all of which need to be running smoothly and efficiently. Your customers aren’t going to wait for your website for long and if your servers aren’t running properly, then there will be a delay.
This delay can impact your customer’s entire experience and it is the only inconvenience necessary to send your customers directly into the arms of your competitors. As a result, it couldn’t be more important to make sure that you’ve chosen the right server, the one that will work with your needs and your budget.
What’s the Difference Between the Two?
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The Unmanaged Dedicated Server
This is a dedicated server, offering you all the space that you need to keep yourself online, even with thousands of people accessing your website. The difference lies in the way that you care for your server. An unmanaged dedicated server provides you with the quality server space that you need while also giving you full control and responsibility for it, including the software. It is often a far cheaper option and a better choice for those who already have the expertise in their company.
Here at catalyst2 will only be responsible for the infrastructure from a hardware perspective. This means that we will make sure that the server is up and running properly, allowing you to make any software changes necessary to keep your business running as smoothly as possible.
This is a great choice for those who want full control over their servers and have the people in place to do so. It’s also cheaper, making it ideal for those with a tight budget.
But that doesn’t mean that it’s not without its problems. In fact, it can be incredibly difficult to manage if you’re not ready for it. All of the important tasks, like organisation, installing scripts, keeping on top of updates, security risks, and related compatibility issues. Security can be particularly important because leaving your server without it can cause untold risks to your operations. Malicious attacks can be aimed at your servers and without constant updates to your security systems, you will suffer greatly as a result.
Not only will this impact your sales in the short term, but it will also affect your reputation in the long term, which could result in your business failing. While it is not impossible to complete these sorts of updates in an unmanaged server, it is a lot of work and you may even have to hire someone to keep on top of your servers for you. This will end up costing you a lot more than a managed server, which is something that you should bear in mind.
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The Managed Dedicated Server
Alternatively, we can offer you a managed dedicated server, which as the name suggests, comes with our management help. This means that not only do we care for the hardware but we also take the other responsibilities on board. This means that we have full responsibility for the care and upkeep of your server.
Many of our clients often choose this because it takes a huge weight off of their shoulders. This is particularly useful if you don’t have anyone within your company to take on the demands. We know that maintaining a server is a big and time-consuming job but our team is full of exceptional engineers who have a handle on monitoring, configuring and handling the server.
This is a great opportunity for many customers to remove the demanding weight of server maintenance. We will deal with the hardware, performance, monitoring, and security headaches that might pop up daily. This will save you so many headaches and our clear, open lines of communication will ensure that you’re always aware of anything that might be going wrong with the server. Even when you’re not in complete control, you’ll still be able to make all of the important decisions regarding your server.
Don’t worry, our managed servers have the best possible security. We know how important security is for customers and their business and we want to keep all of your data as safe as possible. This is why we include a lock-down security protocol to help keep your potential hackers out of your system. Our quality server updates will help to monitor them for any other problems that might have arisen.
Which is the Better Option?
It very much depends on what you want out of your server. If you’re looking for something that you have full control over, that will fit into a smaller budget, then you’ll probably want to choose an unmanaged server. We will still maintain the hardware of your server but you’ll get to choose how you manage everything else, particularly your security measure.
If, however, you’d like a more hands-off approach, a reliable and flexible server solution, then you’ll want to choose a managed server. Here at catalyst2, our hosting plan can be tailored to suit the needs of your business, keeping your business and its needs right at the forefront.
Have Any Questions Regarding our Server Options?
If you have any more questions about our managed and unmanaged servers and which would be the best ones for you, then feel free to get in touch with us today. The care for our customers is our top priority and we are dedicated to ensuring that you find the best server for you and not for us. So give us a call today and we can arrange for a consultation with one of our engineers. Their expertise in servers and your expertise in your business will ensure that we find that ideal fit for your business.
