No business wants to see their systems or website offerings go offline, even if it’s for a few minutes. They want the most uptime possible. For many businesses, uptime goes beyond a matter of preference; it’s a requirement.

That’s why uptime is often the biggest concern when utilizing cloud-based hosting. Any features a webhost might advertise are meaningless if they can’t deliver the uptime you need. If you have strict uptime requirements, you need a host that can guarantee it under a Service Level Agreement (SLA).

Most businesses are looking for an uptime of 99.99%. While that might seem like an excessive percentage, those extra decimals make a big difference. For example, a webhost using a Tier 1 data center can offer an uptime of around 99.671%. That might sound like it’s close enough to the 99.99% you’re looking for, but a Tier 1 data center allows for 28.8 hours of downtime per year. With the average cost of downtime at around $260,000, that’s not a price most can afford.

A Tier 4 data center is required to hit the 99.99% standard. Tier 4 data centers provide true fault tolerance, with all power supplies and cooling equipment being independently dual-powered. This allows for no more than 26 minutes of total downtime in a year.

Can’t I Have 100% Uptime? 

Unfortunately, no business in any industry can guarantee perfection. In the case of webhosting, servers are complex machines sending data across the world almost instantly. It’s an amazing feat when you think about it. But even with all of the redundancies and precautions in place, a system can be down or require a quick reset, even if it’s for a minute.

There’s human error to factor in as well.

The good news is that with a Tier 4 data center guaranteeing 99.99% uptime, it’s likely you’ll never actually notice your systems go offline, even though they might on rare occasions. You should be wary of any company offering 100% uptime, as they really can’t guarantee that.

Meeting Uptime Requirements with Our Hosted Private Cloud 

At Expedient Technology Solutions, we offer customizable hosting and IT solutions to meet the specific needs of our clients. For those who need top-tier hosting services at a price that won’t break their budget, we have our hosted private cloud. This option provides a simple, affordable cloud experience that can meet the strictest uptime requirements.

Unlike big-brand hosting solutions like AWS, our hosting works on a flat-fee model, so you won’t have to worry about inconsistent data spikes that disrupt your monthly projections. With ETS, there are never any hidden fees, so you’ll know exactly what you’ll be paying every month.

If you want a stress-free IT® experience, ETS is here for you. Our Dayton-based IT consultants can help you figure out exactly what you need.