Last time in Web Hosting Server Service Types Explained – Part I, I have covered Email hosting, DNS hosting, Game server hosting and Remote backup service. This time I will cover the File hosting and Application specific hosting.

Let’s start with File hosting: File hosting services are for those who want to store large number of static non-webpage files, such as software by developers as free downloads with General Public Use licenses or for paid ones, backup files, documents, videos, music, and images for both business and personal purposes. There can be file hosting service for multiple users or a single user, which are termed hosting and storage respectively.  There is also a One-click file hosting that will be familiar to most. They are the sites like ImageShack, Megaupload, and RapidShare. With one-click file service, users upload a file form their computer hard drive to either a public folder or private folder, depending on the type of service and permissions set by the provider for free, basic or paid account holders.

Application specific hosting: This is the type of hosting set for hosting only a certain type of businesses or software to make sure the customers are getting the quality service in their niches. It consists of Blog hosting, Guild hosting, Image hosting, Video hosting, Wiki hosting, Application hosting and Social network hosting.

• Blog hosting: As the name conveys, Blog hosting is the hosting of content management systems, namely the blogs. Weblogs are becoming popular either to promote through the articles or to express one’s thoughts to share and get comments form others. There are free and paid blog hosting providers. Most of the legit free blog hosting  providers let you host your blog under a subdomain name of theirs and most of the time with their specified blog software. But with paid blog hosting providers, you can have your own domain name associated with your blog and choose any type of blog software you wish to install and run; free open source ones or the paid licensed ones. Maintenance of the blog is mostly through the web-based admin interface but deeper tweaks require file access through FTP or SSH.
• Guild hosting: Guild hosting is intended for the gamers but unlike with Gamer server hosting, guild hosting is for outside the game events. Guild hosting let the gamers to create forums to discuss about their gaming strategies, enroll new members to the guild, provide guild codes and plans of raids, set tournaments and other gaming events. Guild hosting service also provides add on tools and applications for tracking a gamer’s character upgrades, status,  items, and points in the game.
• Image hosting: With image hosting, users can upload images on the internet, which are then stored on the provider’s server. Users are then given several types of image codes to display the images in the forums or blogs using HTML or BBcode, to directly link to the image in the emails, to display the images in thumbnails form; some providers provide more options to share your images like auto embedding into your own photo album to display as slideshows. There are both free and/or paid providers.
• Video Hosting: Video hosting is like image hosting but this time dealing with video clips. users are given multiple options to share the videos with video hosting as well, and best of all users can stream, the videos free of charge without worrying about bandwidth or connection fees. Video hosting providers, the free ones in particular, gain income from sponsors and advertisers on their video hosting sites. Like with image hosting, video hosting provides a user friendly environment for the users; choose the video clips from the hard drive, upload, set video titles and descriptions and be done!
• Wiki hosting: Wiki hosting is not referring to getting a normal web hosting package and installing the wiki software on your own. Wiki hosting is where users can create their own wiki section without any installation hassles. it is also known as wiki farms, where many users and owners of online communities come in to register for wiki section of their own. There are free and paid wiki farm providers, but more with free providers. Free or paid is not a concern with wiki hosting, and what needs to be concerned is the restrictions provided by wiki hosting providers. Some wiki hosting providers service only certain group of people as in education and government officials, while all others service everyone. Wiki hosting providers earn income from inserted advertisements, but at the same time giving you option to upgrade for a small fee to have an ad-free environment with your wiki.
• Application hosting: Application hosting provides hosting services for the owners, programmers, and developers, the application service providers, to give computer-based services to the customers over a network.
• Social Network hosting: Social network hosting is a web hosting service specializing in hosting social network sites along with additional applications to have the sites run smoothly. You are either provided with the script or you have to have your own licensed script, which are most of the time made available to be purchased, either as leased or one-time payment, through the social network hosting providers.

Once again, thank you for reading this far. I will be explaining the other services in upcoming Part III. Stay tuned!

By: Kaung

<<< Part I | Part III>>>

Tagged in: Application specific hosting | File hosting