Dedicated server hosting and Colocation Server are two of the common terms frequently used by webmasters. Here is a explanation of the difference between the two.

A dedicated server hosting is one of the very well known type of web hosting service. Dedicated servers are used by large organizations and enterprises as they have to manage large amount of data. This service is further distinguished as Linux Dedicated Server Hosting and Windows Dedicated server hosting, depending on the platform a customer chooses.

A customer leases an entire server from a web hosting provider, it is as good as owning a server yourself. The customer has the privileges of using the server as per their own choice. One can opt for Managed Dedicated Server Hosting solutions, in this the hosting provider takes care of the maintenance, data back-up, security etc. A dedicated server provides an assurance of better security and speed.

With a dedicated hosting solution, one has the complete freedom to modify the server settings of sever hardware components and operating system as per business requirements. Depending on the web hosting service provider, one can get the dedicated server customized as per requirements. A control panel alongwith the server can add to the ease of managing the web hosting accounts. With a dedicated server, one gets complete administrative access to the server, enabling customers to install, uninstall, modify, delete, upload, download anything of their choice.

Colocation which is also referred as “Colo”, is a Web server hosting service offered by Web hosting providers. In this type of hosting solution, a customer can place his own server hardware in the data center of a third party. The customer is required to have their own server hardware and software licenses to place in the data center. In this type of service, the customer has the flexibility to manage, secure and take care of maintenance of their servers. In this, the data center provides only the space, security, redundancy etc. Colocation service is one of the most expensive type of web hosting service. Only people with good experience in server administration opt for such a service. Also, the maintenance, upgrades of the server needs to be taken care by the customer themselves (Some of the web hosting providers do offer managed collocation services too.).

Both these types of server hostings have their own advantages and disadvantages. With a dedicated server hosting solution a customer gets all the services provided in a collocation hosting solution, except that the customer does not own the hardware. Whereas, in Colocation Hosting solution, the hardware is owned by the customer, therefore the customer needs to bear initial set-up costs and the charge of placing the hardware in the facility of a third party.