In a surprising move, GoDaddy announced that they will be exiting the Dedicated Server Hosting market. GoDaddy is ending the sale of new dedicated servers and forcing current customers to either move to one of their VPS servers or find a new hosting provider. This decision could signal bigger changes in the market, with more hosts focusing on virtualization and reselling hosting.
At InMotion Hosting, we do not agree with this trend. We remain dedicated to the freedom and security that dedicated hosting provides. We also remain committed to owning the hardware our customers use and have no plans to resell hosting from another provider.
Why GoDaddy Is Discontinuing Its Dedicated Servers
In a recent Support Center article, GoDaddy announced it is retiring its dedicated server product line, seemingly in favor of virtualization.
They are now requiring customers to either move to a comparable VPS at the same or a lower price point or transition to a different provider. The article encourages customers to proactively move their hosting to a new VPS or dedicated provider and offers a free one-month coupon to assist with the transition.
The article does not specify when they will power off the old dedicated servers, but this will likely happen shortly after they complete migrating accounts.
This sudden move and quick turnaround leave many in the industry questioning why GoDaddy resources support this decision. Speculation points to a shift toward full virtualization and cloud-based solutions, which would help GoDaddy save on overhead costs and increase profit margins.
VPS vs a Dedicated Server
According to GoDaddy’s article, the reason given to its customers is “VPS offers comparable performance (CPU, RAM and Storage)…” While virtual servers can be affordable and scalable, many functions are best handled by a dedicated server.
One significant issue is that virtualization will not be possible on the new VPS servers, meaning customers who rely on this feature will have to find a new hosting provider.
Many customers either want or need the freedom and security dedicated servers provide. An isolated environment with dedicated resources is ideal for high-performance sites or anyone concerned about privacy and security.
The Value of Dedicated Server Hosting Solutions
Dedicated servers have long been considered the most flexible and secure web hosting service. With a dedicated hosting plan, you retain your server with no shared hardware or software. To better understand the differences between hosting types, consider the following analogy:
- Shared Hosting is like living in a dorm room with roommates and other dorms in the same building. It’s tightly packed and highly regulated to ensure everyone can live together.
- VPS Hosting is like moving into your first private apartment. You have your own space and utilities, but it’s still a shared building, so your neighbors’ behavior can sometimes affect you.
- Dedicated Hosting is like owning your own house. You are entirely separated from other homeowners, and resources are yours alone. Other people’s actions have a much smaller chance of affecting your hosting experience.
Learn more about different types of web hosting.
Dedicated hosting offers several advantages:
- Superior performance thanks to your dedicated hardware.
- Dedicated CPU and RAM so you don’t have to worry about others using up your resources.
- The most flexibility to optimize and configure your server as needed to meet your specific demands.
- Unparalleled security that keeps you safe from backdoor hacks from other users’ actions.
- Full control over access to your server, ensuring that others’ poor choices don’t impact your bottom line.
InMotion Hosting’s Commitment to Dedicated Hosting
As the Assistant Product Line Manager of Dedicated Hosting at InMotion Hosting, I can confidently say that we remain fully committed to our dedicated hosting line. Not only are we maintaining it, but we’re also growing it, bringing new technology, and bringing new offers to our customers. We regularly update our offerings to ensure we always provide the best hardware on the market at the best price.
In a recent conversation, Erik Soroka our Director of IT and Dedicated Server Product Line Manager, had this to say:
“Here at InMotion, we pride ourselves on the flexibility and scalability we can give our valued clients because we manage our own Data Center spaces.
I’m proud to establish long-term commitments and partnerships with some of the world’s top-tier Data Centers so that we can provide services beyond traditional shared and VPS hosting environments. Our clients shouldn’t have to ration resources with their neighbors and sacrifice performance. That’s why we are committed to our dedicated hosting services. The peace of mind that comes with knowing your server is yours and yours alone is priceless.”
-Erik M. Soroka, Director of IT and Dedicated Server Product Line Manager
Dedicated Server Hosting Plans at InMotion Hosting
Customers who choose InMotion Hosting can expect top-tier features and specs. An InMotion Hosting dedicated server plan includes:
- Traditional SSD and SSD NVMe
- Disk space storage up to 2×6.4TB
- 99.99% uptime
- Free SSL Certificate
- DDoS protection
When you need support, our Advanced Product Support team is available 24/7/365 to assist with your questions. Additionally, our Managed Hosting team, comprised of server administrators, can assist with complex server-level issues and configurations.
This all boils down to one simple point: while other hosts are moving toward full virtualization and forcing their customers to conform to their platform, we are doubling down on dedicated hosting. We will continue to invest in and grow our dedicated hosting offerings and services.