Signed on July 30, 2002, the legislation’s goal is to create oversight at publicly traded companies and independent auditors so investors are not fooled by phony profits and revenue. Among the several results of Sarbanes-Oxley is the creation of an oversight board for accounting firms that audit publicly traded companies. It also stresses independence of auditors and financial analysts; addresses corporate responsibility at publicly traded companies; and protects whistleblowers.

At no point does the word “software” appear in the text of the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation. But in order to achieve the type of audit trails and records keeping required to be in compliance, most companies will use some type of content or records management software.

Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley is widely cited in the literature of software companies. It requires each annual report of a publicly traded company to contain an “internal control report”, which states the responsibility of management for establishing and maintaining an adequate internal control structure and procedures for financial reporting; and contains an assessment of the effectiveness of the internal control structure and procedures of the issuer for financial reporting.

Section 409 says that companies must disclose information on material changes in the financial condition or operations of the issuer on a rapid and current basis.

To read a summary of the entire Sarbanes-Oxley legislation, visit: http://www.aicpa.org/info/sarbanes_oxley_summary.htm.

You’ve been running an online business for quite some time. Now that your online business is about to expand because of its growing number of clients, it requires a great deal of everything than ever before- disk space, bandwidth, security and more. Your current web hosting service might not be able to meet your ever changing needs, and so there is a need to change the way you handle all the necessary data to keep your online business running smoothly.

How would that be possible then? From the very simple form of hosting service – shared hosting, switching to server hosting could make things a lot easier.

Why Go For Server Hosting?

It offers online businesses these advantages:

-maximum security for the data, and the connection itself

-back up in case of data loss, and other inevitable circumstances

-maximum reliability; 24/7 technical support

-scalability, as online businesses only pay for the bandwidth to be used

and many others.

Server hosting gives online businesses what they need- freedom, functionality, the best security, technical support and more.

The catch here is to choose which kind of server hosting is best for your business. There are a variety. Choose from unmanaged or managed hosting, colocated hosting, or making use of a managed dedicated server (dedicated server hosting). Each of these has distinct characteristics from the other. In order to know which is the best for your business, it is important to get in touch with the experts for consultation.

Managed Hosting

As the name suggests, this is the type of server hosting that allows clients to have the freedom of tweaking various settings for their sites without having to be bothered with the core technicalities. The provider takes care of the maintenance, and a huge part of the technicalities. The only thing that a client needs to do is to rent a server. It’s like renting a house and entrusting it to the caretaker.

Colocated Hosting

Just like managed hosting, colocated hosting gives client a great deal of flexibility, as they are able to choose the server’s hardware configuration as well as the software being run on it. The client will be responsible for the management of the server, but the company will become responsible of the Internet connection, power supply, and the care of the server equipment.

Managed Dedicated Server

This is ideal for clients who wants to free themselves from issues of technicality and other unforeseen issues, as the provider will be the one to maintain the dedicated servers. Any company with a managed dedicated server is also capable of quick upgrade if needed.

Choosing among the three types of server hosting might be the most confusing part of all. It has to be thoroughly analyzed – what is needed for the online business, will there be frequent changes for the site, and many other questions should be answered before coming up with the right choice. Talking with the experts could also help you figure out which type will bring the best out of your site.

Companies which invest for using server hosting has increased in number. This is because of the several advantages it could bring for online businesses. There are many types under server hosting. These are colocated hosting, dedicated server hosting, particularly managed dedicated server, and the managed hosting. One of the most sought after types is the managed hosting.

The Nature Of Managed Hosting

In managed hosting, the provider lets clients rent their servers, and at the same time, manage it for ease. Let’s face it, not all online business owners are technically inclined. Some of them hire someone to manage the server that they rent, however, this could get very costly. Managed hosting provides a solution among most businesses with a limited budget. It has become famous because of many advantages. But what are really the benefits that an online business can get from managed hosting?

Features And Advantages

- No separate cost for server equipment. This applies to managed dedicated server, and colocated hosting, too. Hosts provide a server for the client’s use. No need to buy a huge and costly equipment just to enjoy freedom in installing all those desired applications for maximum functionality of sites. Plus, enjoy Internet connection as one of the features of the hosting service. This alone could be a big saving, as servers (including basic equipments such as routers and the connection) could range from $5,000 up.

- Scalability. Basically, clients pay for the bandwidth used. One advantage for managed hosting is that, clients can easily upgrade (or downgrade) bandwidth use if there’s a need to. No bandwidth will be paid and put to waste.

- Excellent Technical Support. The hosting provider normally takes care of all the technicalities- monitoring, repair, back up and more of your server. This means, that clients would have less worries when inevitable technical issues arise. Most hosting providers regularly back up the data of their clients for use in case of loss of data or corruption.

- Excellent Security. No worries about the server security- the hosting provider will take care of that. Be secured from viruses, unauthorized access and other threats. Clients will be able to focus on their online businesses as the company takes care of everything technical.

Aside from the fact that this option is budget-wise, it is one of the easiest ways to start off an online presence. Clients who are into managed hosting could save time from server management and maintenance as well. They could freely focus on the business itself, thus, there will be possible increase of sales and profit. Whether a company is small, or big, these are the things that clients could enjoy from server hosting, particularly if it is managed by the hosting company.

Managed hosting entails the provision of a server for organizational use. A client, the organization, leases the server from a hosting provider. The hosting provider provides monitoring and other support of the server while the organization is leasing it. Hosting provides beneficial services to the organization leasing the server and the services provided could go towards increasing an organization’s efficiency.

Hosting typically entails storing an organization’s information and data in a server. The information is meant to be accessed over the internet. The access ranges from organizational access to public access. Managed hosting gives the organization the power to control certain components of the server. Since the organization leases the server for the organization’s specific use, they are able to control the softwares, applications and hardware that accompany the server. This includes choosing the operating system to use with the server and connecting hardwares like printers to the server.

All computers within an organization are usually hooked to the server allowing the employees to share work with each other using softwares, which enhance data sharing. The efficiency of the workers is enhanced since they can all simultaneously work on documents accessible through the server. The hardwares hooked within these server networks are shared among the employees of an organization. This saves up on the cost of buying several computer accompanying hardwares to hook up to individual computers within the organization.

The organization requires the server to function at all times to allow the employees to undertake their different duties. Servers just like any other available technologies are bound to face malfunctions or break downs. The organization is simply a user of the server and may not have the knowledge to handle the break downs or malfunctions when they occur. Managed hosting provides monitoring and evaluation services to ensure that the server and its accompanying hardwares function optimally throughout. Monitoring the server allows the detection of any problems and they can be immediately fixed before they affect the entire system. Intrusions into the system can also be detected and prevented.

The management of the server also extends to ensuring that the server is accorded the highest level of security at all times. The server contains organizational information, which is usually sensitive and should not be accessed for malicious use. The hosting services ensure that the server’s firewall is up and running throughout. Anti virus softwares are also installed to the server and updates are carried out to ensure that the software provides the server the highest level of protection.

Managed hosting services also extend to updating the server and its softwares in line with technological advancements. An organization may not necessarily be aware of the latest technological advancements, which can enhance how the server performs. The hosting service providers take it upon themselves to carry out the updates as part of the services they offer.

Managed hosting is simply internet hosting where the client gets to lease a server to use for organizational purposes. The server leased by the client is not shared by anyone else and is exclusively used by the client only. This type of hosting allows the organization to control the server including choosing the software, operating systems and hardware to accompany the use of the server. These servers are found in data centers, which operate like colocation facilities. They offer environmental comfort, involving providing heating and ventilation systems, with regards to technologies used indoors and provide back up power systems for emergency use.

The managed hosting service extends to offering the client support when it comes to the use of operating systems. Since the client has the control over which operating system is used; the operating system used on the server depends on the client’s choice and the client’s level of familiarity with the operating software. The price and availability of the application software is also factored. Some of the operating softwares used on servers include Windows server and the Linux Red Hat Enterprise.

Open source operating systems are also available at no cost. They include Fedora core, OpenBSD, Debian, FreeBSD among other Linux and BSD systems. The management and support extended to an organization’s operating software depends on the managed hosting plan, which the organization opts for. The support extended to the server’s operating system involves carrying out upgrades on the system. The data’s rate of transfer, or bandwidth as it is popularly known, is usually high through server use.

The client usually gets into an agreement with the hosting service provider with regards to the organization’s monthly bandwidth limit. Different providers have different billing rates, which are usually tied to the bandwidth level used by an organization in a given period of time.

Managed hosting extends to infrastructure administration, which entails ensuring that the server and its components function optimally are required. The server security is also handled by the hosting provider who ensures that firewalls are running and providing protection to the server and all the information passed through it. All the applications and softwares used by the server are also monitored to ensure that they are functioning efficiently. Back up of the server documents is carried out to ensure that data can be recovered in the event that the server malfunctions and data is lost.

The management service also includes carrying out system upgrades when necessary and in line with technological advancement. Different hosting providers provide varied management services and the services could extend to performance tuning, Antivirus updates, detecting intrusions into the server, application monitoring and management, user management, database administration among other services.

Different hosting plans provide varied services that the client receives from the provider. The plans determine the level of management extended to the server and its components from the hosting provider. The managed support is offered is through, fully managed, managed, self managed and unmanaged plans.

Starting a business is the greatest challenge that businessmen face because so many expenses are involved in terms of capital. You can end up spending so much if you do not know how to go about this business.

Due to inventions and techniques in business, there are new ways that you can make lots of money. This is through e-marketing. This process involves the use of websites to sell and buy products. In order to have a functional website, managed hosting should be involved. This is simply the service provider of your website who is in charge of ensuring that your website is working and that the tabs, graphics and other necessary details are included on it. In the recent past, managed hosting was quite expensive due to few service providers but this service is now cheap due to competition.

There are some primary considerations that you need to make when selecting a hosting company. This includes the managed hosting type, the features that you will receive and price. As a company, you can decide on the type of service that you need like a fully managed website or if some of the employees in the company can cater for some portions of web management, in case there are some, then they should have some experience in this field. It is however recommended to hire an expert rather than relying on an employee.

The features that you will be offered also needs to be considered, if you are new in the business, it is good to ensure that you service provider is able to handle all the administration duties that are necessary in keeping the server in a working position. Look also at the disc space and the bandwidth; these are the clearest consideration that determines the effectiveness of a hosting company in terms of speed and customer access.

Managed hosting is affordable in the modern situation, this is because of competition. Many hosting companies have emerged with unique features so as to attract customers, it is good to take advantage of this situation and select the one that has best and unique services and at the same time, one that is affordable. In some cases, you can be offered some contract of about six months; this will help you determine if the host company is unique and factual in compatibility with the performance and services. Worth noting is that there are some hosting companies that might trick you into signing multi-year contract, do not accept this even if the monthly payments are of quality.

A hosting company should also offer you advanced security services such as complex VPN jumphosts, managed firewall configuration among others. Full cycle monitoring should also be availed by the hosting company as part of their features as well as disaster recovery. These features should be offered as part of the services and no extra costs should be administered.

Have you been looking for a better way of getting organized and running your business more effectively? The answers to your worry lies in managed hosting. The service caters for all of your business needs by supporting your network operations. For one to run a business and at the same time manage their servers is impossible. This is why there has to be a technical team to administer your network operations and ensure that the company’s websites run well and serve the needs of the company.

Outsourcing for managed hosting is beneficial to the business in that it saves on the cost. Instead of having to hire the services of an IT specialist and other people to help out, the host service will come fully staffed. There are those that specialize in network problems, others with the network and the rest with other services that you also be unaware of. Being highly skilled, professional and experienced, the hosts will ensure that not even at a single time will your site have errors or go down. At very affordable rates, you will get the managed hosting service look after your network and web needs at anytime. If the system needs an upgrade, most will do it for free or for a very minimal cost.

These hosts are the best to outsource since they too bring with them other benefits. Unlike when you would have to deal with a new IT personality every other time, you get an alternative. This is due to their reliability, credibility and trustworthiness. It’s therefore unlikely to have your system invaded with malware, virus or exposed to other forms of insecurity. The hosts are able to provide a back up system that protects all of your company’s data in case the worst happens. This would never be the case were you dealing with different IT personalities or doing it all by your own.

Managed hosting companies overlook other factors such as the size of the company, the amount of work that needs to be tackled or the level of the company. The hosts offer their clients high quality services and packages that cannot be got from any other provider. Whether the company is huge, medium sized or small, the same quality services are provided. By outsourcing, you will not only be availed with high quality services at low prices, but also, you get to learn form them. As they work for you, you will manage to learn on how they work. They also give advice on dos and don’ts to avoid falling at risk of bringing down the company. As a result, a long term partnership is created between the two parties.

The hosts are available all around the clock and so, whenever you are in need of their services, you will always get someone who is ready to listen and help. With such a dedicated team, there is no less to expect than the very best from your business.

For online business, the rate of competition is on a steep increase. It is for this reason that it is imperative for business owners to find ways to create a cutting edge over competitors. One of the major ways through which to do this is getting managed hosting through a collocation service provider. This is especially considered important for medium sized businesses as it gives them the opportunity to establish effective web presence. Also, it eliminated the need to hire IT staff on a full time basis therefore cutting down on costs.

With this plan, you entrust your website with the company offering he services since a dedicated server is placed on their premises. In addition to this, it is important to note that these services also come with additional features that increase the benefits of using the internet to increase revenue and attract more clients. At the end of the day, managed hosting has great benefits tied to it and it is for this reason that it is important to explore what these are.

The Site is handled professionally

As far as business is concerned, there are occasions when the smartest choice one can make is hire professionals to deal with certain crucial responsibilities. There are several factors that need to be looked into with a hosting plan such as programming of software as well as maintenance. This is what makes it possible for clients to find your site with ease and at the end of the day; it has a great impact on the amount of revenue received. By hiring managed hosting professionals, you ensure that these needs are perfectly met and more importantly, it gives you a lot of free time to concentrate on other pressing business matters. What is more, since they have expertise in the field, you can rarely go wrong or experience any setbacks.

Save Money

As a business, it is always important to find ways through which to save money. This therefore calls for the need to make cost effective decisions. if you decide to host a web-in-house there will be several costs involved such as buying servers and other components that are needed to make it effective and it is important to state that these do not come cheaply. You would also be required to hire professionals and task them with the responsibility of ensuring that the IT aspects are well addressed. This is also an expensive venture and it might cost you thousands of dollars.

It is precisely for reasons such as these that hiring managed hosting is the most viable option. With this kind of service, these are matters that you don’t have to fret about. You will only be required to pay a flat rate and this is inclusive of the maintenance fee. The only thing that will be required of you is updating the website for your visitors by adding more information. Additionally, there are some services that are known to additional services such as back-ups and applications that make your infrastructure stable.

Managed hosting offers the client a total package to take care of all web solutions of the client, without the need to hire administrative and technical support teams to operate and maintain the server. Unmanaged sever hosting gives the option of providing dedicated servers which will be run and maintained by the client’s company. This practice is cost efficient for small and mid-sized businesses in need of a reliable business solution that will benefit not only the client but the customers as well.

Dedicated servers offer applications hosting services depending on what the client needs for his business. Applications software is expensive and has exceeded the buying power of small and medium sized businesses. Virtual servers offer ASPs (application service providers) without the need to maintain expensive in-house based servers. It also offers a cost effective solution to run business applications as the need to hire people dedicated to maintain application services are limited, if not eliminated completely. This gives the business more time to focus on growth rather than focus on the computer aspect of running the business online.

This would also make it possible for a small business to access and run complicated software with ease and relative mobility. All of this could be done without expensive hardware set ups as the application software could be executed on any PC that runs on Windows, Apple, Linux, Palm OS, and other mobile devices. This would translate to huge savings on the client’s part while increasing profits as well.

Managed hosting and high performance application services will remain popular as the need for online application services continue to grow in the market. This is a great solution to a small company in need of dedicated servers to perform an online task. There is no need to maintain and upgrade costly servers as the ASP will handle all aspects of server performance that includes installing firewalls and anti-virus security.

There is no need to hire a technical support and administrative team dedicated to the maintenance and performance of a particular application service. This is the new age of web marketing. Managed hosting is the complete solution for a web based business in need of an efficient and dedicated server to handle the tasks of maintaining a strong online presence in the market.

Using Vaultwise SSB allows block-level I/O capture which gives a complete, bare-metal picture of your server including the operating system, all applications and configuration information.  With real-time performance, SSB is the only backup solution that can run on production systems: this means ultra-high performance, multiple restore-points on live, production systems and less than 5% operating overhead during backup execution.

SAN Managed Backup vs. Tape Backup

Many hosting providers will tell you that their tape backup solution is the way to go. We strongly disagree. With tape backup your data is stored on low-tech tape media, which is made up of moving parts that make it vulnerable to breakage and data loss. The data is often spread over many different tape volumes, which increases data restoration time by an additional 2 to 5 minutes to mount each tape. Further, It can take several days just to retrieve your tapes to begin the process of recovering your data as most providers send tapes off-site to protect the customer.

With SAN Managed Backup, your data is stored on highly reliable disk media, which has no moving parts, uses RAID redundancy technology, and delivers almost immediate access to your data. Unlike tape, which stores data in a linear manner, disk behaves more like a mirror that reflects all your data at once. This makes it far easier and faster to recover partial or entire data. In the aftermath of data loss, all that matters is recovering as fast as you can so that you can get back to business. Waiting on slow data restoration can mean revenue dollars ticking away with each second. Our SAN Managed Backup makes sure you don’t waste time or take a needless hit on your bottom line.

Industry-Leading Technology

Designed from the ground-up using industry best-practices and  high-performance proprietary technologies, Utropicmedia’s backup service powered by VaultWise®is second-to-none.  We chose VaultWise for it’s leadership in the Server disaster recovery field, board feature set, and multiple suites of services ranging from tape backup alternatives to application-aware backups.  No other solution can offer block-level continuous data protection coupled with the ability to restore individual SQL tables or Exchange mailboxes.

Fully Managed Service

We manage your entire managed backup solution including initial setup, configuration, monitoring, and ongoing management. Through the Vaultwise platform you have the choice of backing up and restoring data through a web interface. The data from your server is regularly backed up to equipment through our secure network.

Enterprise Reliability, Exceptional Value

Our VaultWise® Managed Backup is an enterprise-level solution that is reliable, high-performance and flexible.i  You can choose from monthly and yearly budgeting options as well as selecting from simple file backup features to more complex bare-metal recovery and application awareness.  Utropicmedia premium BGP4 bandwidth blends are always included so you never have to worry about reliability with the 100% uptime SLA.  Talk to us today and find out how we can satisfy your backup and disaster recovery needs.