Web Hosting Trends in 2018

Canadian Web Hosting opened its doors in 1998 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Back then, the company consisted of two childhood friends with a love for tech. Fast forward over twenty years later and we are no longer a two-person team, but a dynamic company of over sixty employees. We started off with a handful of servers and now have servers in the thousands in both Western and Eastern Canadian datacentres. We not only specialize in traditional web hosting but also cloud and VPS hosting, while offering a variety of security, backup and web services.

The point is, technology is constantly transforming and advancing to fit the needs of customers, and Canadian Web Hosting is evolving with it. Check out the web hosting trends we’re expecting this year and how our company fits into this bigger picture. 

 

1. Cloud Hosting

 

Cloud Hosting is quickly becoming the industry standard when it comes to web hosting. It’s trusted, affordable, and offers the highest uptime possible (the amount of time a server—and therefore your website—stays up and running).

But what is cloud hosting? The cloud, despite its mystical name, isn’t all that perplexing. The cloud itself is essentially a group of physical servers locked securely in a climate-controlled room. This cluster of servers is what we call the cloud. Cloud hosting provides hosting on virtual servers and it receives its computing resources from this underlying network of physical servers.  

While traditional managed hosting involves an environment where resources such as RAM, Disk Space and Bandwidth are fixed—resulting in a locked monthly price—cloud hosting is a bit more flexible. Its virtual resources can be used 24/7 and it uses a pay-as-you-go model so customers only pay for what they use. Cloud hosting is so cost-effective because it scales computer power up or down, based on the amount required to match an active server in real time. You don’t have to worry about your website going down due to a server crash or increased web traffic because there are always enough replacement resources. 

This cost efficiency makes cloud hosting a great option for customers who have outgrown their shared hosting plan but don’t have a large IT budget to spend. Customers are able to leverage key technologies and industry-leading VMware virtualization for on-demand hosting and high resource availability, all at an affordable price.

Lastly, cloud hosting offers protection against hardware outages. Because cloud hosting customers get access to a server that is hosted virtually and no longer tied to one specific hardware server, if there is a possible disruption, your server will automatically fail-over to the next available server keeping your site online.

Affordability, scalability, and flexibility are what set cloud hosting apart from shared and dedicated hosting plans, and why cloud hosting has become a web hosting trend. Canadian Cloud Hosting gives you the best of the cloud ecosystem and is an always-on company with services and support available 365 days a year.

 

2. Green Hosting

 

Servers work around the clock to power billions of websites on the world wide web today. A massive amount of energy is consumed in this process.  

Green hosting, or eco-friendly hosting, uses green technologies to minimize the environmental impact of web hosting. Green hosting can be achieved through different means like powering a data centre with renewable energy, carbon offsetting, using energy saving appliances, and planting trees and plants around the vicinity.

Green hosting appeals to customers with a concern for the environment looking for options to reduce their ecological footprint. Going green has more benefits than meets the eye: along with helping our planet, it sets an example to others and demonstrates corporate social responsibility. 

Consumer awareness of the environmental impact of web hosting is increasing and many web hosting companies are beginning to offer green hosting services at no additional cost. As internet usage continues to rise, as will the need for green hosting.

Canadian Web Hosting is proud to offer green hosting. We are a 100% hydro-powered web hosting provider with data centers that use highly scalable, green hosting solutions to create a positive energy footprint on our communities across Canada.

 

 

3. Higher Forms of Personal Security

 

2017 was an onslaught of data breaches and cybersecurity meltdowns, with hundreds of thousands of computers (and the people behind them) affected. Most recently, there was a release of a new set of bugs, in the names of Meltdown and Spectre, that are a threat to all processors. With all of this taking place, higher forms of personal security online will no doubt be a web hosting trend this year. 

Fortunately, there are many different precautions individuals can take in being more vigilant when protecting their information online, including:

• Host locally: Pick a local hosting company so that you know your data is protected by your country’s privacy laws
• Be password savvy: Keep your passwords unique and access them safely using a password management system
• Keep updated: make sure all of your devices and browsers are up-to-date with the latest Operating System, which will fix software bugs and offer new security features
• Upload files securely: If you’ve ever uploaded files to your hosting account, you’ve most likely heard of FTP (File Transfer Protocol). SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) offers the highest level of protection when uploading files online as it authenticates user and host identity
• Browse safely: When inputting sensitive information online, look out for an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) Certificate in the top left-hand corner of the browser (in the shape of a closed lock), which will confirm whether your connection is secure and your information kept private
• Put up a defense: Shared hosting firewall devices leave the possibility of unauthorized access by any other customer sharing the same firewall. If your website contains sensitive information, it may be wise to put up another security layer in the form of a dedicated firewall.
• Backup regularly: Always backup important files as a precaution of unanticipated events like hardware and system failures, malware and virus’, and human error.

 

4. Net Neutrality

 

Net neutrality, also referred to as the open internet, ensures that all web traffic is treated equally. It states that your Internet Service Provider cannot offer a higher cost option to say, Twitter or Netflix, at the promise of a faster and stronger connection to these sites. Net neutrality gives every website an equal chance at success, and thus, opens up the internet to all users.

Here at Canadian Web Hosting, we’re all for net neutrality and grateful that it is a standard in Canada under the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

Net neutrality is how the internet has been conducted since the onset of the world wide web in the late eighties. Unfortunately, over the past few years citizens of the United States have had to put up a fight for this freedom. In 2015, under the Obama administration, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) passed regulations to legally protect net neutrality. However, on December 14, 2017, a new vote passed repealing net neutrality at a 3-2 vote.

What does this all mean for web hosting?

 

• If you live in the US, or are a Canadian who wants to enter the US market, you may need to pay ISPs if you want your website to be accessible
• The landscape of the internet may change. With the financial restrictions put on by ISPs, entrepreneurs and small businesses may not or be able to afford the additional fees, and as a result, there will be less ingenuity and diversity online. 

Currently, large companies like Amazon, Google, and Facebook are beginning legal battles against the repeal of net neutrality and advocacy groups are preparing to fight. Brining back net neutrality is going to take a myriad of judicial battles. Prime Minister Trudeau and the CRTC state that they will continue fighting for an open internet. We are eagerly hoping for the best in the fight and believe that all websites should be treated equally and given fair game on the internet.

 

What do you think is in store for web hosting in 2018? Do you agree with our forecasts? Let us know in the comments below.