| Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting is like driving in | | | | popularity every day because it supplies customers |
| the middle lane - not exactly the dedicated fast | | | | with a happy medium, for less cost. |
| track, but unlike the inferior shared hosting lane too. | | | | "If you look at virtualization technology today, it's |
| Right now however, the VPS path is looking wide | | | | coming into maturity," Childs said. "Most developers in |
| open, with more and more choosing that route over | | | | today's climate don't necessarily want to initially invest |
| shared and dedicated solutions. TopHosts examines | | | | in a fully managed dedicated service without test |
| why the trend continues and what to expect down | | | | driving the hosting organization first. On the flip side |
| the road. | | | | they don't want to go through a shared platform |
| With a VPS plan, small businesses can take | | | | either. VPS let's them focus on developing rather |
| advantage of dedicated services for about the same | | | | than managing." |
| cost as a high-end shared solution. Simply put, VPS is | | | | Childs explained that evolving VPS technology is |
| a server within a server, allowing Web hosts to | | | | providing many of the same advantages of a |
| partition a single unit into multiple "virtual" machines. It | | | | dedicated solution. Every day, developers and small |
| acts as a dedicated server but, like a shared solution, | | | | businesses are growing more comfortable with the |
| the cost of hardware and software is distributed | | | | power and capabilities of a VPS solution, Childs said, |
| across many clients. | | | | which also keeps them free from having to manage |
| VPS Popularity Surging | | | | a larger infrastructure environment. |
| John Enright, Vice President of Marketing for Affinity | | | | Difference from Dedicated Minimal |
| Internet's Gate.com, believes VPS hosting is currently | | | | According to Enright of Affinity, there's virtually no |
| taking off and will gradually steal more and more | | | | difference between a VPS plan and many dedicated |
| business away from dedicated and shared. | | | | server solutions out there right now, thanks to |
| "Every year VPS plans become a more appealing | | | | improved technology. He says today's virtualization |
| alternative to high-end shared hosting customers and | | | | isolates clients extremely well from others on the |
| a more attractive alternative to dedicated solutions," | | | | "box" and - unlike being in a shared environment |
| Enright said. "VPS is truly carving out its own niche | | | | where too much CPU or bandwidth consumption |
| and I think in the next 5 years it will overtake shared | | | | affects a client's Web performance - VPS customers |
| and dedicated servers, which are the options of | | | | are rarely impacted negatively in any way. |
| choice right now." | | | | "A couple of years ago, VPS might not have been as |
| One of the primary forces driving the VPS rush, | | | | fast as dedicated, but that's no longer the case. I |
| according to Enright, is the evolving technology | | | | would say there's no difference between your typical |
| behind it. When the virtualization concept began | | | | VPS account and a low-end dedicated server plan," |
| about six years ago, servers could not maintain a | | | | Enright said. "When you log into a VPS you have root |
| significant amount of customers, and the servers | | | | access and when you run typical Unix commands you |
| that did so were "high end" making it unappealing to | | | | can't tell if it's VPS or dedicated these days." |
| end users and Web hosts alike. The Virtualization of | | | | A Stepping Stone |
| servers also once demanded more resources and | | | | With technology improving and VPS costs coming |
| required a great deal of overhead costs. | | | | down, many more are also looking to VPS as a |
| Finer VPS Technology | | | | stepping-stone or the next best thing after a shared |
| Today however, VPS servers are vastly more | | | | hosting plan, or as a step before investing in a |
| powerful, with almost no overhead costs associated | | | | dedicated plan. Childs of CWH says it's very common |
| with it Enright explained. Prominent VPS management | | | | these days for clients to outgrow their shared plan |
| software programs, such as SWsoft's Virtuozzo, | | | | and ask to migrate over to a VPS account. |
| Plesk, Ensim, H-Sphere or Sphera, have also come a | | | | Childs also noted that more and more Web hosting |
| long way. "VPS remote management interfaces are | | | | providers themselves are offering VPS as a |
| incredible these days, and they're so powerful and | | | | stepping-stone, to improve and enhance their own |
| easy to use," Enright said. "The technology's open to | | | | business. Growing companies, that want to offer |
| so many more right now." | | | | more services but can't quite compete in the |
| Thanks to the improved technology surrounding VPS | | | | dedicated hosting arena, see VPS platforms as a |
| solutions, Web hosts are finding it easier to offer it, | | | | great opportunity. |
| which is in turn driving prices down and making it | | | | "VPS hosting is a very hot market right now, |
| available to a wider market. With technology also | | | | because many hosting companies that are growing at |
| delivering much more power and convenience, the | | | | the moment want to jump from a shared hosting |
| service is becoming just about as attractive as a | | | | company to something with bigger revenue |
| dedicated service, at a much lower cost. | | | | potential," Childs said. "Moving into the high-end |
| A Happy Medium | | | | dedicated market may be quite a jump, so a lot of |
| Will Childs is Director of Partnerships for Canada Web | | | | companies are using VPS as a stepping stone for |
| Hosting (CWH), a leading provider north of the U.S. | | | | their own internal growth. |
| border. Childs says VPS hosting plans are growing in | | | | |