Category Archives: Mobile Phone

When Should I Shift From Shared Hosting To A VPS?

When Should I Shift From Shared Hosting To A VPS?

With storage and data processing moving online, web hosting is becoming more advanced by the day. but the overwhelming set of options leaves the end user spoilt for choice and also confused at the variety of options. A frequently asked question that we often hear is when should a customer shift from Shared Hosting to a VIrtual Private Server or VPS.

Root Access

A major concern for people on shared hosting is that they want to have all the control. They want to know what’s going on with the box that is hosting their website, what is the system status, what version of each software there is, what software should be there, who has access to the box, what hardware should be attached to it and so on. Some software or web applications genuinely require you to have root access to install certain add-ons or to configure some server-wide settings. These settings are such that they would not be permitted on a Shared Host due to its adverse impact on other websites sharing the same server and being affected by the configuration change. Shared Hosts need to keep a check and balance of all the software that will affect their system’s, because they are answerable to all their customers.

Isolation and Testing

Another important reason for switching to a VPS is to have your entire application, file system and maybe even network isolated from others. This maybe due to the sensitive nature of the application or the information stored on the server or may simply be to conduct some tests or experiments. Penetration testing on websites is done by creating a VPS with a mirrored version of the website, so that the actual website is not affected. Even firewalls and protection systems need to be tested in isolation. Testing the Operating System Kernel or making a change in the core files of an OS can be quite risky. No host will allow you to play around with their live servers.

Customized Requirements

When the software developer needs a specific set of requirements, like a specific Operating System or a specific Database Management System, then the conventional shared hosting may just not be the right option. Many a time the right combinations are also not available for developers. A specific database (DBMS) variant may not be available with any hosting company because it isn’t popular. Similarly no host will support a customized Linux version. This means that you will have to install and manage it yourself. If you don’t need to control the hardware of the box, then it makes no sense going in for a Dedicated Server - a VPS would be the ideal choice.

Selling a Service

If you are selling a hosted service, like a web application or an online software or an ecommerce platform, it’s best for you to take a VPS, if not a Dedicated Server itself. The VPS helps you to have full control and flexibility in managing the system and monitoring all aspects of your IT infrastructure. Those selling a “Software as a Service” are sure to need either a VPS or a Dedicated Server. Infact they should not use Shared Hosting which can be affected by various external factors as well as by other users on the same system. VPS systems can be easily migrated to a Dedicated Server and can be put into a production environment easily.

The decisive factor in choosing a VPS over a Dedicated Server is usually the price. A VPS is not a physical machine and hence shares the physical resources with other VPS systems. Whereas a Dedicated Server gives you ultimate control of even the hardware that is running your systems.

Using Social Media To Make Official Communication Informal

Using Social Media To Make Official Communication Informal

Social Media is a buzz word that everyone wants the opportunity of being a part. But many people are very skeptical on the impression it may have on a serious customer about the positioning and image of a business. Social Media Websites are often seen as informal and unofficial hangouts for people and businesses alike. In the recent past more businesses are seeing social media as a tool to reach out to their target market where they are most likely to be noticed. This article highlights some ways in which businesses use social media in an official capacity, yet maintaining a friendly and informal approach.

Customer Support

We know many businesses who use Twitter and Facebook to provide customers with constant updates about their service. A world famous DNS and Proxy service uses Twitter to Report Service Outages across their global data centers. The company posts frequent tweets about maintenance and migration activities and also posts brief updates on server faults and restoration. Some Hardware and Laptop manufacturers now offer technical support on Social Media websites. They handle customer grievances and also provide contact details of their nearest service centers through tweets or posts. Many banks and financial institutions constantly provide safety tips and security reminders to their customers. While these reminders can be annoying for some, the constant nagging may really help people to take security of their account seriously. Although this type of support maybe limited only to forwarding the complaint to the concerned technical team, it offers the customer a quick and easy way to get support by short circuiting a lengthy support process. This can be pleasing for the customer, but can be quite a task for the company to manage.

New Product Launches

A famous Automobile Manufacturer has started posting inside updates and a sneak preview of their latest designer cars. In past years they used to “leak” this information only to a few car magazines which demanded a high price which only a few could afford. Running a teaser campaign for a new product can be done best on social networks, especially due to their brevity and instant nature. You can slowly release bit by bit of the campaign and let it unfold instantly. The beauty of it is that you will be able to get instant feedback about the response and how well it has been received so that you can plan your next campaign or next revelation accordingly. This can also be detrimental to your image if you run a lousy campaign or do a shabby job. You will immediately know whether your campaign was a success or a failure. This is something only possible with social media. In the past many companies have successfully created a pre-launch hype on social media to attract the attention of potential customers.

Informal Banter

Many companies indulge in small talk and entertain inquisitive visitors to their pages or feeds to keep their page active and buzzing. While a bit of such informal talk is fine, when businesses go on a tangent on Social Media, it can get quite intolerable for the people following or subscribing to their updates. Sharing a joke or running a riddle campaign can be quite interesting and may generate a lot of publicity for your business if done well.

Educative Material

Pushing out educative material or academically interesting content can give your business a well needed boost. It not only creates more content for search engines to index, but it also shows your customers and prospective clients how much of relevant knowledge you have about your business. Almost all large corporations either have a YouTube Channel, or Blog or Facebook Page or Twitter Feed constantly buzzing with useful information which is aimed at catching the eye of a potential customer.