December 18, 2010 – Japanese and Korean clients have been renewing their contract with me. I have been running an online English tutorial center for 3 years and the business is expanding. Clients usually renew their contracts before Christmas so that the tutors I employ will be ready with their syllabi after Christmas break. This date could’ve been the end of my business. One of my encoders noticed that she keeps on getting a pop-up on her computer screen telling her that she needs to run an .exe file. Fearing that the file may harm the computer, she unplugged her pc from the network and reported the incident to me. I called my server host and they worked on the issue. They found out that a malware has gotten into the system.

I had an unmanaged server before. I employed a full-time technician who did all the troubleshooting and maintenance of the network. We had virus and malware attacks. One computer has been hacked. The technician cannot handle it all and he quit the job. I’m left with my employees. We didn’t know what to do when a computer doesn’t work so we ended up not using it. Working computers went down to 13. Business was slow then, and I thought I’m spending more than my overhead expenses. It was almost over then.

One of my suppliers suggested that I have my network managed by online hosts. He suggested that I do a little internet research on which providers provide full technical support for managed servers. I had to think about it for a few days before I decided to switch to another host who provide managed dedicated servers.

My server provider literally lifted my online boutique business to new heights. Even at 13 computers then, I noticed that the order-taking began to pick up speed. The connection is much faster than before. I even talked to them about the issues with the computers I had and they provided technical support. Managed servers proved to save a lot of time and money because I didn’t have to hire my own technician anymore, and since everything that is going on is being resolved remotely, I can call my server provider for help even when I am not onsite. Productivity is definitely increased and my business is doing better than ever.

My provider also took care of the server’s security, so that suspicious mails will be blocked from the system unless we they have verified it is safe. I recommend online entrepreneurs to get managed servers. All I did was make a single phone call to my host, and they saved me, my business and my clients! It was like calling 911, and they can actually resolve the issue without having to send anybody on site. If it wasn’t for that superb technical support, I would’ve been starting from scratch again.

About Kevin : Kevin Abrahams is professional writer and server admin. Specializing in dedicated servers , Kevin writes from his experience owning and operating websites.