Web Hosting Services -- an Explanation

A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that provides individuals, organizations and users with online systems for storing information, images, video, or any content accessible via the Web.

Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server they own for use by their clients as well as providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data center. Web hosts can also provide data center space and connectivity to the Internet for servers they do not own to be located in their data center.

The scopes of hosting services vary widely. The most basic is web page and (small) file hosting, where files can be uploaded via FTP or a Web interface. The files are usually delivered to the Web ""as is"" or with little processing. Many ISPs offer this service for free to their subscribers. People can also obtain Web page hosting from services such as GeoCities. Web page hosting is typically free, advertisement sponsored, or cheap.

Web page hosting is generally sufficient only for personal home pages. A complex site calls for a more comprehensive package that provides database support and application development platforms (e.g. PHP, Java, and ASP.NET). These facilities allow the customers to write or install scripts for applications like forums and content management. For e-commerce, SSL is also required. The host may also provide a Web interface (e.g. cPanel, Interworx) for managing the Web server and installing scripts as well as other services like e-mail.

Some hosts specialize in certain software or services (e.g. e-commerce). They are commonly used by larger companies to outsource network infrastructure to a hosting company. (Source: Wikipedia)