Re: [cobalt-users] Web Hosting

[Greg Hewitt-Long <greg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>This does not relate to Cobalt products, but being that the vast majority of
>us are involved in the Web hosting business, I think this discussion will be
>beneficial.
>I deal with several businesses that have little to no experience with
>computers in general, and most do not have a Web presence before I start
>working with them.
>Frequently I get asked something like "Why do I need a 'web host'? I've
>already got [DSL, cable, dial-up God forbid] internet access. Why do I have
>to pay you X dollars per month for 'hosting'?"
>Without getting into a long-winded technical discussion on "hosting," I made
>an analogy of hosting to television. Anyone can buy a TV for relatively
>cheap, turn it on anytime and watch programs.
>However, to provide content for television, you would have to buy a studio,
>and fill the airwaves 24/7 with your content. Or, you could rent out a
>studio.
>I then explain that the "studio" is my Web server, on and accessible 24/7,
>ready for people to "tune in" with their "TV's" (Internet access) and view
>the Web site. The cost of "broadcasting" Internet content is very expensive,
>as it is in television, but the cost is lowered because there are several
>other sites I host on the server.
>This analogy seems to work most of the time, but some still have a glazed,
>blank look on their face. I'm sure some of you have been placed in this same
>situation, how do you handle the question of "why do I need hosting"?


I use a similar analogy, but go further into technicalities (perhaps I shouldn't) -

ie, I explain that to provide 24x7x365.25 (don't forget the leap year) availability actually requires a little more than a couple of T1s and a generator - that to do it properly requires, 3 redundant O Class connections - 0.5 Million a go - preferably 5, then a data centre with hurricane/earth-quake proofing (5 million with all the routers and fibre installed into the building) and a 24 hours staff - at least 0.25 million for top quality staff - enough to cover 24 hours and three levels of power supply (about 1-2 million) - and then you have world class hosting.

Of course, I explain that we can't afford all this either, that's why we spent a long time researching partner companies to make sure that they could provide all that.  We rent the space and infrastructure from them, and resell it to companies like them.  Spreading the cost makes all this a little more affordable than trying to do it all yourself!

If any customer then thinks they can go it alone and do as good of a job, I go for a beer and say to myself "Sod them!  I don't deal with muppets... they would almost certainly have used too much support to make money from them - I'm better off without that kind of customer...."  etc, etc.

regards

Greg Hewitt-Long

>Thanks,
>Paul
>
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