Virtual private servers (VPS) have been the go-to hosting option for individuals and small businesses for years. Despite the technology’s popularity, many people don’t even know it exists or what makes it different from other server configurations.
A virtual server works the same way a physical server does; the only difference is that it’s not tied to any specific hardware. The entire server is stored as a single image on a disk, allowing multiple servers to run on a single physical machine and letting you or your host move your server to any machine you need. The private part of the VPS moniker means companies get the virtual server all to themselves without sharing access to it with any other clients.
Is VPS Cost-effective?
Regardless how proven any form of technology may be, implementing it can cut a business’s budgetary throat unless it saves time and money. VPS has the power to do both. Opting for VPS gives companies the same advantages they’d get from using a dedicated server without the high cost.
How VPS can Save a Business Time and Money
Because the server is virtual, rather than physical, the company using the server is not the one forced to maintain it. The hosting company provides the maintenance, freeing up the client’s IT team to focus its attention on other tasks or cutting down on the amount of training or number of employees needed altogether.
Companies also cut costs by being one of multiple businesses sharing a virtual machine, instead of requiring an entire physical machine, while remaining isolated from surrounding clients. Only authorized admins have access to each virtual environment, keeping each environment wholly private.
Additional Advantages of VPS
Because VPS dedicates an entire virtual server to an individual company, companies are free to install custom software and select the operating system for the server. Each server has a dedicated IP address, a greater amount of storage space and bandwidth than shared servers provide, and deep administrator access. Companies that manage multiple company websites reap those benefits for each individual site. Although your company doesn’t have to maintain the physical server, it still has the power to manage the virtual server however it sees fit.
Enhanced security is another benefit that comes with handing over server maintenance duties. The service provider is the one who deals with any security breaches and overall server protection. This once again lets companies focus their attention on other aspects of their website or business.
The massive amounts of space and bandwidth also mean VPS is scalable. It can grow as substantially as a business does, or even downsize to match. Companies that find they may not need as many features as they first believed can usually change their subscription options, and reduce their subscription costs, at any given time. A VPS is even more scalable when it’s run by a cloud host; cloud VPS hosting keeps the cost of hosting low while still giving users an almost-unlimited reserve of computing and storage resources.
While VPS may still require a higher investment than using a shared server, it also comes with a higher level of functionality. VPS delivers the freedom and flexibility companies crave to run their websites in a way that best suits their needs.