Web hosting technology develops at a rapid pace. So much so that often what is new technology today is old news tomorrow.  As more and more business start to see the value derived from operating online, web hosting will continue to evolve and develop at a dramatic pace. Many businesses will be able to take advantage of this and gain a more global reach while at the same time cutting costs and improving efficiency. Let's take a look at some of the technologies that have changed the face of web hosting to date, and some that will continue to shape the web hosting world into the future.

Content Management Systems

A decade ago, a web designer was the only person who could make changes and update the content of a website. Today, content management systems allow an easy interface where even less technologically-minded people can update the content of a website. Initially, the technology was quite expensive but as with many things, the costs have come down dramatically. So much so that some of the top-ranked content management systems are open source and therefore free. You may certainly have heard of names such as Joomla, Wordpress and Drupal. These are three examples of leading open source content management systems. Content management systems empower business owners and help them to manage the content of their websites.  CMS impacts on the hosting requirements of a business. Web hosting platforms have to be able to accommodate the different content management systems and their requirements.

Browsers and Browser Applications

Most people are familiar with web browsers and have their favorites that they use. As technology evolves, web users are constantly on the lookout for browsers that provide them with more accurate and efficient search results. Browser applications are also not limited to personal computing. With mobile phones becoming more advanced, many people are now using their Smartphones to browse the Internet.  Hosting providers now have to increasingly keep abreast of not only advances in the computer industry but also the technology relating to mobile phones.

Communication Technology and VOIP

Voice Over Internet Protocol technology has been around for some time. There were some skeptics that doubted it would ever significantly change the way the people do business. However, developments in the VOIP industry have done just that. Today, there are few businesses that don't use Skype or other popular VOIP platforms to make phone calls. VOIP places unique demands on web hosting in that it requires a steady and high-quality internet connection to maintain call quality. As more people use VOIP technology, the demands for improved web hosting will continue to grow.

The New Market Place of Social Media

Perhaps the biggest buzzword in terms of technology in the past year or two is social media. Almost every company that has any kind of web presence will be linked into Facebook and Twitter.  Social media provides an affordable and convenient way for businesses to interact with their customers and other businesses.  It has become one of the most powerful marketing tools available today and just about everyone is clambering to get onto the bandwagon. Social media is increasing the online presence of businesses and web hosting companies are being forced to keep ahead of the game by providing more efficient and secure servers on which to host their clients' websites.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is technology that is becoming increasingly popular with businesses from all over the globe. By definition, cloud computing refers to internet-based computing where online resources such as software and applications are provided to end users as they require it. It is the one technology that will probably have the greatest influence and impact on web hosting into the future. Cloud computing is a complete shift in thinking from the traditional way of web hosting. Instead of mainframe and client relationships, servers are now more broad-based virtual platforms required to offer more defined internet services to their customers. Examples of large companies that provide cloud computing services are Google, Amazon and Microsoft.

Software as a Service Technology

In the web industry, this is more commonly referred to as SaaS. A popular example of SaaS would be Google Enterprise. What SaaS does is provide technology at an affordable rate so smaller businesses can compete with larger enterprises. It is a highly competitive industry and one that is demanding more attention from web hosting service providers. Now it is no longer just the large corporates that web hosts need to pay attention to. Smaller businesses and organizations are also demanding the same level of technology and efficiency from their web hosting providers.