Hosted services are becoming a more attractive and realistic options to the small business owners. Realizing that proper client/server setups and hardware can sometimes carry a significant investment - many small business owners are opting to take the monthly fee approach.
A hosted solution provides a user or users with the power of a larger software package for a fraction of the cost. You also offload the responsibility of administrative tasks to the hosting company. Management items such as updating, monitoring, troubleshooting, securing and backing up servers are delegated to the host and not the customer.
Some examples of hosted solutions are:
1. Mail - from simple email POP3 hosting to Exchange hosting services - email has become a staple of the modern business world. Exchange hosting is extremely beneficial to small businesses because it allows you to take advantage of the full capabilities of Microsoft Exchange. This includes features such as calendar and contact sharing.
2. Web - most small businesses do not want to bother hosting their own web site. With so many web hosting options and companies nowadays, there is no common reason that a small business needs to take on the responsibilities of hosting their own website.
3. Sharepoint - An up and coming software suite in the eyes of the small business. Sharepoint is a powerful collaboration utility that is very customizable to suit the needs of almost any business. It allows for a company intranet right out of the box and offers many free templates and user community online.
4. Anti-Virus - Yes, even anti-virus is offered as a hosted solution. If you have multiple computers but have no server, the benefit of using hosted antivirus is the control you have over those particular AV installations and the ease of keeping licenses managed (i.e. renewals). Most of the time, not only is hosted AV easier to manage and more effective, but cheaper too!
5. Backups - Automated off site backups are a convenient way of making sure your data is protected and backed up with little to no intervention on your part. Online backups can be a "set it and forget it" type of deal - simple to implement but invaluable to have.
For more information on different types of hosted services, please visit http://www.vcsolutions.com
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