Should my startup build our own web server, or look for a hosting option?

And a whole host of other issues. Not to mention some purely physical concerns, like losing your net connection in an ice storm, or just plain realizing that you have to scale up to 10 boxes and you didn't leave yourself enough room to do so in the closet. With a hosting provider and a proper SLA (service level agreement), all such things are only a matter of money away.

The real question basically is whether to go with a hosting provider where you have physical access to the machine, or a more fully-hosted solution. And honestly we'd need to know more about your business to give a good answer. Every web business I've been in (I think I'm going on 7?

) used hosting providers where they were our machines, and while the provider would keep them running and do simple maintenance (reboot #5, etc..), it was on us to keep them updated with all the latest software and so on."Power pipe and ping" is an expression you'll here - basically the hosting provider will guarantee that your machine stays up and is accessible, but from then on its up to you. But if you're small - if you're a garage operation with 2 Web Development|developers and a salesman? And none of you want to be an admin and have to worry about stuff like that?

Then one of the fully hosted solutions is the way to go. There are 1 and 2-man operations all around the world now getting started exactly like that. Got an app?

Host it, done.

Engine Yard offers you the best of both worlds now with their AWS based Solo offering for low end low touch and low cost site operations or their fully managed traditional Slice based offering. Give them a call.

For a startup, a host is good. I think even Mahalo|mahalo used one. (not to say they use one now).

The company I work for runs our own servers but if the Internet|net, Telephones|phone or Electricity|power is out then we are out as well. If you have a lot of traffic to your site you will need a large server and a lot of bandwidth and speed. Same goes if you get some one else to host it for you.Do your research on hosting sites and see witch give you the most guaranteed up time and the most bandwidth for the best price.

But if you do host it your self know where your faults will be. Good luck with that.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.