Who do we call to host our server in the cloud?

Plenty of businesses have one application that genuinely requires a Windows server, while everything else has moved to cloud services. Buying and housing a physical server for that one thing rarely makes sense any more.

A hosted server puts that workload somewhere properly run, with backup, patching, and monitoring included rather than depending on a box in your closet surviving a Florida summer. You stop replacing hardware every five years, and a power cut at your office stops being a server problem.

What to check before moving:

• Your software vendor's position. Most support hosted environments. A few have specific requirements or licensing implications, and it is better to ask them before than after.
• Your internet connection. The server is now at the other end of it. This is usually fine and occasionally is the deciding factor, particularly if your upload speed is thin or you have no failover.
• How your staff will reach it. Sometimes a published application, sometimes a full hosted desktop, and that choice affects both experience and cost.

We size it for what you actually use rather than copying your existing specification, which is frequently oversized because it was bought to last five years.