What is hosting or web hosting?
Essentially this means to rent space on the internet. There are two basic forms of hosting: web hosting and server hosting.
With web hosting, the ISP provides you with space on a shared server. The space allocated to you allows you to upload your website or important files to the internet. The ISP provides a secure enviroment for your data and ensures maximum speed to all our servers. While hosting sounds easy enough we always need to ask ourselves exactly where these files and websites are being hosted and who has access to them.
It is for this reason that Ionline hosts its servers in a secure data centre with a 24-hour guard and access control. Ionline also has seven days' worth of back-up generator power, should there be a power supply interuption.
Server hosting comes in two forms. The first and most commonly used form is dedicated server hosting. The seconde is virtual server hosting. In the case of dedicated server hosting, Ionline allocates a physical space block for use to host your own server in their secure data centre. Virtual server hosting is a new product (launching early 2009) and will allow you to share one large server but have it look as though you have your own server. Watch this space for more info soon.
How will hosting help my business?
In today's fast-paced world there is little time to browse the yellow pages or look through brochures. The businessman of the 20th century uses Google as his main source of information. A well-managed and well-presented site that is correctlyhosted and optimised will attract business from all over the world. This medium can turn a small home-based business into an international company and increase your business coverage and profit.
How do I get started?
Ionline has various options to suit your requirements.
1. The first step is to decide what type of hosting you require.
Server hosting - select from our options above.
Web hosting - follow the below instructions and then proceed to the one of the options above
2. The second step is to decide on a domain name, this typically looks as such, yourname@yourcompanyname.co.za.
3. The third step is to decide what type of hosting package you require from the following categories:
Windows hosting: this is used to host a website designed with windows components. This hosting type also includes mail hosting.
Unix hosting: this is used to host a website designed with standard components and is the most commmonly used form of hosting. This hosting type also includes mail hosting.
Mail hosting only: This type of hosting allows for mailonly@yourcompanyname.co.za. Mail hosting is used when a website is not required but corporate email is.
Please choose from our available hosting options on the left.
