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Although the Linux operating system is still a favorite amongst webmasters and web hosting providers, Windows is trailing closely behind and has been gaining popularity during the past couple of years. In the home PC market, Windows is well known as the most popular operating system in the world, with the Mac OS X being a close second. Meanwhile, many regular computer users have never even heard of Linux, despite its popularity in the hosting industry. Windows web hosting is more expensive than Linux hosting, and has a significant number of limitations in relation to software compatibility and licenses. Nonetheless, there is a high demand for Windows web hosting plans, and the majority of major hosting providers offer a selection of Windows hosting packages. The following paragraphs explain the recent rise in popularity of Windows web hosting.

Novice Webmasters and Initial Online Endeavors

As mentioned, Windows has established a reputable brand in the home computer market, and is perhaps the most familiar name when it comes to operating systems. Thus, many novice Webmasters choose Windows web hosting over Linux because of its familiarity and renowned reputation, rather than its features or cost. There are two types of aspiring online business owners  – those on a budget that attempt to save as much as possible while building their first websites to mitigate risk, and those that would like to maximize their chances of success and will spare no cost to do so. Individuals within the latter group are usually the ones that will opt for Windows web hosting for their initial online endeavors.

The Need for Windows-Based Applications

Other than novice webmasters, some business owners have a legitimate reason to use Windows web hosting – Windows-based applications. Online businesses that utilize Windows applications like SharePoint and Microsoft Server need a web server with the Windows operating system installed in order to function. Alternatively, it is possible to purchase a Linux web hosting plan and install virtualization software in order to host a third-party operating system like Windows within the Linux operating system. However, most people are not aware of this solution and instead opt to purchase a Windows web hosting plan for their Windows-based business applications.

Windows Performance and Familiarity

The Windows operating system user interface also contributes greatly towards the rising popularity of Windows web hosting during the past few of years. Windows is known for reliable performance, and Microsoft provides continual automatic updates to web hosting providers and computer users. Thus, while it may take longer to repair certain bugs within the operating system, fixes are guaranteed to arrive, and Windows is considered to be much safer than other open-source operating systems like Linux. Even so, Linux is also reliable and safe operating system, and is a cheap alternative to Windows that is suitable for individuals on a budget, or that do not have a need for Windows-based web applications. Although Windows hosting is more expensive than Linux, the margin is not that large, with Windows hosting plans usually only costing $20-$50 more than their Linux counterpart.

Social networks are becoming more popular on a daily basis with new users joining every second. However, many of these networks are a means of collaborating business. Software devices like Microsoft SharePoint, Yammer and Confluence keep their users in a collaborative space. The original sites that pioneer these ideas are still very much alive. These include, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Facebook and LinkedIn have a strong presence with regards to enterprise collaboration. LinkedIn has an expansive reputation of connecting business professionals with one another. In graduate business schools across the country, faculty emphasizes the importance of using LinkedIn to improve networking. There are currently rumors of LinkedIn going public with the release of a social news service.

Started in 2002, LinkedIn has over 90 million members in 200 countries. It holds the title for the world’s largest professional network. The program allows users to build a profile highlighting their education and work experience while maintaining relationships with similar industry professionals. There are multiple account levels including:

• Basic – free
• Business – $24.95 per month
• Business Plus – $49.95 per month
• Executive – $99.95 per month
• Pro – $499.95 per month

The basic version is free of charge and offers the lowest functionality for users. The business version offers all functions of the free plan in addition to direct emailing, improved search, extended profiles and additional statistics. The business plus monthly plan permits additional direct messages and search results. The executive plan features enhanced messaging and search with full name visibility.

Finally, the most expensive and extensive plan is pro which provides users with full messaging services, premium search services (with more profiles)  and the maximum number of introductory requests.

Facebook is the social networking site that started it all. Similar to LinkedIn, Facebook allows users to create a profile and interact with others. However, Facebook users tend to be younger with casual connections and content that is less business focused. However, Facebook is used as a business tool with regards to advertising and e-commerce.

Therefore, which social networking site is better for enterprise collaboration? Currently, LinkedIn seems to be the leader of business social networking. However, with the continually growing user base Facebook has the potential to be more of a business networking tool in the future. Individuals from all walks of life have a Facebook profile. Therefore, in the next five years Facebook could become number one.

There are many arguments as to why you should not write custom code for Microsoft SharePoint. However, there are plenty of valid arguments for writing custom code. Microsoft SharePoint 2010 is the most recent version of the content management software which is being increasingly used by major corporations to share important files in a web environment throughout the company. The integration of SharePoint and Web 2.0 functionality makes this software an attractive option.

There are three primary reasons to write custom code for Microsoft SharePoint including:

• Interfacing with Line of Business systems
• Corporate branding
• Limitations presented by SharePoint

SharePoint is considered the glue between many different systems.  Therefore, the software is capable of being interfaced with numerous applications. The most basic use is through Microsoft Excel and Access which are considered business connectivity services. However, there are instances when custom code must be written to better communicate with these various systems. For example, when more complicated requirements arise like old systems talking to new systems.

Another idea that warrants proprietary code in SharePoint is corporate branding. All organizations want to brand their intranet as well as corporate SharePoint site. A reasonable level of branding can greatly enhance any intranet site or internal portal. This will improve the user satisfaction from the instant they log in. Also, custom code can offer a uniform interface across all systems which give users familiarity and thus helps streamline productivity.

To be successful when creating intranet and portal projects, you must provide outstanding functionality with the code you are writing. Since most users need to be able to find information quickly, they do not need areas that are difficult to navigate and do not work correctly.

An additional idea is that custom code can bypass many of the advanced limitations set forth by SharePoint. It is always advised to solve most SharePoint problems through Microsoft channels. However, sometimes the demand for specific functions is so high, the only option is to create and implement the requirement yourself.

SharePoint has helped systems communicate at many major corporations across the globe. With the almost endless functionality of the software, most instances do not require the creation of custom code. However, the three aforementioned situations do occasionally occur and warrant further code development. The greatest point to remember is once the code is complete; it must flow in SharePoint and work as advertised.

While you might not have heard about Hosting Controller, it is still a very powerful control panel software that is steadily building a healthy fan base. The hosting Controller software is designed to benefit both the end-user and the web host by providing simplification of daily administrative tasks.    This control panel is also very suitable for those using clustered hosting. Because it’s centralized interface makes managing several servers at once very easy. Hosting Controller also carries support for Sharepoint and MS Exchange, while most of it’s competitors in the control panel market do not. Aside from its compatibility with the aforementioned softwares, Hosting Controller also offers the following key features.

Performance

Most of the problems associated with web hosting stem from high traffic and memory consuming applications. Eventually these problems slow down servers and cause downtime for websites. Hosting Controller provides  a software based load balancer that guarantees optimal performance for your website and server.  This load balancer has the ability to optimize the use of your server space and capabilities.

Simple Installations

Even though most web hosting services offer support for many third-party applications, the installation process involved with these applications can be difficult at times. With the integrated installation utility, Hosting Controller makes the process of installing new applications quick and simple. Some of the more notable softwares that are automatically included with Hosting Controller are: phpBB, WordPress, osCommerce, Gallery, Post Nuke, Web Calender, Joomla and Mambo.

Cluster Management

Maintaining multiple servers can be a complex process that is very time consuming. Improper server management due to an incapable control panel can result in server downtime that can directly affect your online business. Hosting controller let’s you manage multiple servers from a single effective administrative interface. Therefore you no longer have to log into each servers administration module separately, which in itself can take up a lot of precious time. In fact, Hosting Controller was specifically designed for clustered hosting.

Compatibility

Unlike most control panels, Hosting Controller is compatible with both the Windows and Linux operating systems. Although it is compatible with both of these operating systems, it is important to note that the master server must run on the Windows operating system. Hosting controller also has the capability to work seamlessly with both IIS and Apache servers simultaneously within a singular interface.

Even the above features do not begin to describe the efficacy of Hosting Controller. In fact, this software is one of the few notable administrative alternatives to Plesk and cPanel.