The service that enables users to post Web pages on the Internet is known as Web hosting. The host, called the hosting service provider (HSP), provides the technologies and services that are required for Web sites to be viewed on the Web. A Web host provides its client’s access to a Web server that stores the pages and downloads them to recipients’ computers on request. When a recipient accesses a Web page, his/her browser, be it Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, connects to the server.

Most businesses find it difficult to own and operate a Web server as it is very expensive and requires solid technical know-how. Making use of this opportunity, Web hosts come into play. They accept the responsibility of storing a client’s Web site and enabling Web site visitor traffic flow through their computers to get to the client’s site. In return, they charge a rental fee from the client. Quite expectedly, many individuals and small businesses leave it to Web hosts to be free of these “hassles” and use their resources elsewhere. Web hosts are, however, not responsible for the contents of a Web site or the development of database-driven components or code.

Free Web hosting from sites like Yahoo! and GeoCities offer limited service depth and quality of service just because they are free. Paid services offered by Internet service providers (ISPs) or HSPs, however, offer a reliable set of services.

Paid Web hosting includes three types of services: shared, dedicated and managed. In the case of shared hosting, several Web sites are shared on one server. Although less expensive, they are incapable of handling large amounts of storage or traffic.

In dedicated hosting, a Web site is allotted its own server. As a result, webmasters exercise full control over the back end of the server, including choice of operating systems.

Apart from a dedicated server, managed hosting also provides extensive technical support, maintenance and monitoring services.