Posted on August 12th, 2010Rackspace is one of the most popular web hosting companies in the entire world, with hundreds of thousands of customers and various hosting plans that are designed to meet the needs of almost any webmaster. Since its inception more than a decade a go the company has been steadily growing and amassing a client base that can rival that of any web hosting company. Every year Rackspace has new plans and services available, as they are constantly expanding their capabilities and offering more to their clients. This year, Rackspace has added Windows cloud server to their repertoire.
Rackspace OpenStack
Approximately one month ago, Rackspace announced the release of a new open-source cloud platform that they will be utilizing for all of their cloud hosting plans. The OpenStack project is one of the first attempts t create a software that is open source and manages the functions of cloud servers. This project will undoubtedly lead to a smoother experience for both the webmaster and site visitors. It seems as if the entire web hosting industry is moving towards cloud hosting because of its ability to create massive server networks that are capable of performing intense computing for thousands of web sites simultaneously. To compliment this new addition Rackspace recently announced the addition of Windows web servers.
Rackspace Windows Cloud Hosting
The aforementioned open source project is creating the ideal platform for powerful Windows web severs to interact and form a massive network that may one day be capable of powering sites as large as Facebook! However, for now Rackspace believes that their new Windows cloud hosting service is perfect for small to medium sized business owners in need of a comprehensive, flexible and easily expandable solution. Rackspace is providing all of their Windows cloud customers full administrative access to their own custom server configurations, as well as the ability to upgrade on demand, add new IP addresses, and perform other management tasks with no apparent restrictions.
How Much Does it Cost?
Rackspace’s Windows Cloud hosting is very different from every other form of hosting because you only have to pay for what you use. In fact, the rates are currently set at about $0.08 per hour for 40 GB disk space and 1 GB of RAM. In comparison to other web hosting companies that are currently offering Windows cloud hosting this price is highly competitive. The new service is just being released to the public, however it has been under the beta testing stage for months now, with hundreds of individuals testing and developing the system rigorously every day.
The new hosting service is offered with a full service level agreement, a plethora of features, and the world famous support that Rackspace is famous for. Ultimately, the cost of Rackspace Windows Cloud hosting will depend on your needs as a site owner and the amount of server resources your site uses each month. If you are only operating a small web site then you may not even need the extensive capabilities of this new service, as it has been specifically designed to accommodate the needs of online business owners.