Companies of all sizes benefit from application hosting. Removing the complications of on-site equipment and infrastructure management is attractive to even large enterprises with robust IT teams. However, the sector helped most by this approach is small businesses.
Advantages of managed application hosting
Small businesses tend to have one common hurdle to overcome as they grow and develop: the lack of support resources. When it comes to application hosting, many small businesses need an easy solution to help them with time-consuming tasks such as patching software or upgrading hardware.
The needs of small businesses don't stop there, and neither do the benefits of application hosting.
Hosted applications of all types
The software-as-a-service industry has grown considerably in recent years, particularly as business managers become more comfortable with cloud technologies. Now, SaaS companies have a full range of offerings, including a variety of popular applications that can be hosted in the vendor's data centers. This means small business administrators don't have to look far to find the hosted application services they need.
Filling resource gaps for small businesses
When comparing IT resources, small businesses typically have a long way to go before they catch up with larger enterprise that have larger IT budgets and can devote more time and effort to their technology. However, smaller companies don't have to stay in the dark ages.
Application hosting removes the worry of building out an IT department. Because the service provider makes the required applications accessible via its own infrastructure, users are able to utilize these resources in the same manner as a large enterprise.
"[B]ecause many small businesses don't have an on-site IT team, web hosting services provide technical support that can help get a site up and running should any problems occur," BusinessNewsDaily contributor Chad Brooks pointed out.
In this way, the small business has a partner in place to assist with the establishment of services, as well as resources to fall back on should any problems or concerns arise.
Boosted IT security
Service providers can also ensure that small businesses have the proper security protocols in place. Data protection is often a main concern for this industry, as many smaller organizations don't have the robust safeguarding resources needed. This is where a partnership with a SaaS vendor can become valuable. Instead of scurrying to guard against the latest threat, small business owners can rest easy knowing their sensitive data is protected by the service provider.
Capital savings with managed application hosting
Establishing and hosting the infrastructure required for today's business processes is an expensive endeavor. This makes managed application hosting even more attractive for smaller companies that may not have the capital needed for such an undertaking. SaaS can help a small company save considerable time and resources, enabling administrators to devote this money and effort to other important areas of the organization.
Shifting the internal focus
Overall, managed application hosting is often the most beneficial for small businesses with less IT resources as it allows administrators to focus on mission-critical projects and initiatives while still ensuring that application needs are met. This approach not only helps fill resource gaps and save funds, it can also boost operational efficiency and guarantee that employees have all the tools they need to complete important tasks. In today's business environment, the ability to arm staff with robust, affordable technologies is paramount.
With a managed hosting partner like Hostway by its side, a small business can devote its attention to growing itself without having to worry about maintaining or managing its application infrastructure. To find out more, contact Hostway today.