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Top 10 Things to Look for in a SharePoint Hosting Provider

The use of SharePoint hosting is an excellent decision for many business owners. SharePoint provides an incredible set of tools for keeping your business online, organized and productive. Once you make that decision, though, you need to find a quality SharePoint hosting provider. Here are the top ten things to look for when choosing a SharePoint hosting provider:

1. License and Certification - Ask a potential SharePoint hosting provider about their licensure and certification. As with any Microsoft product, SharePoint requires a license, including an ASP License Agreement for anyone offering SharePoint hosting. Check for the license, and be sure the hosting provider has the license in place before you buy.

2. Protection - Because you will be using SharePoint for collaboration for your entire business, you need a provider who protects your server against virus and hacker attacks. They should have firewalls and virus scans in place, and all protective measures should be up-to-date.

3. Equipment ownership - When providers are leasing equipment or acting as resellers, they are not in a position of control. Likewise, they are limited in liability for the service and equipment. If there is a problem with the equipment, your provider will be forced to call in tech support from the company from which they are leasing. If there is a problem with service, the provider is unable to do anything to correct it. If the thought of hearing your provider say "Well, we really can't do anything" is disturbing, then you should make sure your provider is offering their own services and using their own equipment.

4. Guarantee - Does the SharePoint hosting provider offer guarantee? Whenever possible, select a provider that offers a Service Level Agreement (SLA) guarantee for uptime. Many providers also incur a financial penalty for not living up to the SLA guarantee, which helps ensure that they are living up to their agreement.

5. Support - Any SharePoint hosting provider should provide a copy of their support policy somewhere on their web site. If you need 24/7 support capabilities, be sure to read every detail. Not all providers offer the same level of support, nor do they all offer telephone support. Those who do offer telephone support do not always provide a toll-free number, so you should consider whether you will be racking up long-distances charges every time you need assistance. Ask the provider if they use their own support tech staff, and ask about the level of training the staff members have. Do they even have Level 3 support? Be sure that your provider can give the technical support that you need, when you need it.

6. Data backup - Because of the importance of the information that will be on your server, it is essential that your SharePoint hosting provider offer backup. Check to see how often they perform server backups and what methods they use. Many providers perform server backups on a nightly basis, and you should expect them to do so at least every 48 hours. Any longer between backups and you risk losing a significant amount of information in the event of a server crash.

7. Redundancy - Redundancy is an essential element of providing SharePoint hosting. Redundancy prevents the site from experiencing downtime due to problems with a server or a power outage. Providers should offer clustered servers and backup power supplies, at the very least. It doesn't hurt to find out how long the provider's backup power supply will work during a power outage. (A two-hour blackout in the city where your server is located should not mean two hours of your site being unavailable.) Also, see if the provider has features in place to protect internet connectivity, storage, and cooling of the servers. Providers should not have any issue with giving you specific details of how they can ensure your satisfaction as a customer.

8. SharePoint Version - It may sound trivial, but it is always a good idea to find out which version of SharePoint the hosting provider is using. SharePoint 2.0, for example, is optimized for use with Office 2003 applications. Make sure your Office applications are compatible with the version of SharePoint that is being used by your hosting provider. You may discover that you need to upgrade Office.

9. Hosting Plans - Look at the plans offered by the SharePoint hosting provider. If you need a dedicated platform, then you need a provider who can offer one. If their plans do not allow for the number of users you have, then you will need to have the option of adding extra users. Does the SharePoint hosting provider offer a control panel for users and a control panel for administrators? With two control panels, users can make their own basic changes to their SharePoint setup. If there is only one control panel, users often have to submit requests to administrators for even simple changes, like changing the display name. This can be tedious and time-consuming for everyone involved if you have very many end-users.

10. Cost - Compare costs. The most expensive SharePoint hosting provider may not perform as well as a cheaper provider. You should also check the fine print to look for hidden fees. Select a SharePoint hosting provider that can meet your needs while staying within your budget.

Because SharePoint hosting can assist in making projects, and your company, more successful, it is important to choose the right hosting provider. In case you have made it through the list and still haven't selected one company, many providers offer a free trial. This gives you a chance to see if the service, and the provider, are right for you.