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The managed server industry is absolutely exploding. In fact, the entire market is expected to grow from $152.45 billion in 2017 to $257.84 billion by 2022.

Even though more and more businesses are seeing the massive cost benefits that managed services provide, there is still a bit of confusion as to what exactly a managed server includes.

So, if you’re comparing prices and plans for a managed server provider, here is a list of services you definitely should expect.

1. Initial Server Setup

If you’re a business with an existing server, a server management provider can certainly continue management of the server for you once you’ve decided to work with a professional management team.

But ideally, you would get the managed server provider to set the server up for you from the get-go.

Having the server management team handle your initial server setup means that the server will be configured to the highest security standards, with no hidden issues lurking in the server.

2. Server Monitoring

44% of business owners surveyed said they would easily lose $10,000 in only an hour of downtime.

If that downtime comes during a peak period where most of your shoppers are online and looking for you, that damage could be catastrophic. If you’re down, customers will almost always leave your site and head directly to your competition’s site to get what they want.

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So not only are you taking money out of your own pocket, you’re gift wrapping it for your competitors.

You need a managed server provider that gives round the clock server monitoring and intervention to catch any downtime, hiccups or outages and fix them before they become a serious problem.

3. Network Security

You may not know how damaging a hack can be… until you get hacked. Now all of a sudden you’re dealing with:

  • Possibly telling your customers that their private and confidential information has been leaked or compromised
  • Losing face and trust in the eyes of your customers
  • Losing their business forever. And again, they will likely go right to a competitor

If that’s not enough to scare you into taking security seriously, consider the following stats:

  • More than half (60%) of businesses will go out of business just 6 months after getting hacked
  • 43% of cyber attacks are on small businesses
  • 64% of all companies have experienced web-based attacks
  • 62% of businesses surveyed experienced phishing & social engineering attacks

The threats facing today’s businesses have grown beyond the classic phishing, malware, or spyware threats. Today, your server is that risk of a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack.

This happens when compromised systems attack a server, website or other network resources, and cause a denial of service for users.

Basically, your server is getting flooded with packets, so legitimate users can’t log on. It’s a big problem and it’s growing:

  • According to Cisco, the number of DDoS attacks grew globally by 172% in 2016.
  • Nexusguard reports that it observed a 380% increase in the number of DDoS attacks in the first quarter of 2017 compared to a year earlier

New threats are emerging all the time. If we write this article again a year, there will likely be a completely new network security risk you need to worry about. But you don’t need to worry about them if you use a managed server.

4. Support

Your employees can get the same (or better) service you would expect from having an in-house server employee, or IT staff, from a managed server provider.

A lot of hacks and issues come from human error, meaning an employee. Giving them a direct lifeline to someone who can answer all of their questions can save you a lot of time and money.

5. Cloud Setup

This is likely at the top of your list of “must-haves” for your would-be provider. More and more businesses are looking at hybrid cloud solutions these days.

In fact, according to Forbes Magazine, hybrid cloud adoption grew by 3 times in the last year, increasing from 19% to 57% of surveyed organizations.

So much of today’s business happens in the cloud. We’ve all become very reliant on cloud-based programs, so we can seamlessly share information across the network, work from home or remotely without skipping a beat.

But, with cloud technologies comes cloud risks. You are opening yourself up to a whole new list of risks and complications if your cloud isn’t secure and monitored.

Your managed server provider should offer you the support and peace of mind in knowing that everything will be safe, simple and secure.

6. Backup Management

This is definitely an area where you don’t have a problem… until you have a problem.

Solid state hard drives in servers have given us all a lot more durability and lower chances of an HD crash. But those odds are lower… not zero.

Data loss and crashes are still absolutely massive threats to every business in every sector. In fact, about 140,000 hard drives crash in the US every single week, and they don’t exactly warn you before they do.

Trying to recover your data can be time-consuming, expensive and frustrating; with no real guarantee of success.

You need a rock solid backup plan in place, with full redundancy from a trusted provider. This is what makes sure an employee’s hard drive crashing is a minor inconvenience, not a catastrophic week-ruining event.

Let’s Talk About Your Managed Server Needs

We can give you the reliability you’re looking for. Our infrastructure is easily tailored to meet any application requirement. Our staff is available 24/7 to field any of your inquiries or issues.

What can we do for your business? You can view our server management plans to find the best option for your business.

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