CenturyLink is one of the larger telecom companies in America serving millions of customers. They are not well known for providing web hosting, but for large customers looking to have their websites hosted and managed offsite, they do offer the service. They will put your server into their own data centers and manage the hardware and network connections for you. This is an excellent option for growing businesses that don’t want to have to have a dedicated IT staff working on their website, but still need a quality experience for your customers.
Uptime & Reliability
Extremely Reliable Hosting
The reliability really can’t get much better than this. CenturyLink is a multi-billion dollar company that specializes in data communications work. With that in mind, you’ll be on their network and in their data centers. Of course, this means you’ll be getting the fast and reliable services that they are well known for.
Features
Customized Features
CenturyLink doesn’t have pre-defined packages like most other hosting providers. Instead, you will work directly with an account rep to ensure you are getting the exact services you need. This is essential for anyone who needs a high end hosting experience like is being offered. Of course, it can be a hassle to negotiate each feature that you need, but once done you will be left with a great service.
For most people, however, this is not going to be the right option. If you’re looking for shared hosting or VPS options, for example, they can’t help you. The features offered are tailored specifically for larger corporations so if you’re just running a simple site, this is not the right solution for you.
Support
Corporate Support
Not surprisingly, you’ll get good support from CenturyLink. In fact, they can handle all the hardware and data center work that needs to be done. You’ll be responsible for the actual content of your site, but when it comes to supporting the actual hosting, they do a great job.
Pricing
Custom Pricing
You’ll get a price based on the services you need. They don’t have set prices for packages or anything like that. For large corporations, the prices will be negotiated at the time you sign up and then you’ll pay for them from there. This is obviously not how most hosting companies work so if you don’t want to deal with this type of hassle, you’ll have to find another option. Most large companies that would use this hosting solution, however, are very familiar with this type of thing.
Summary
Perfect for Large Corporations
If you’re looking for hosting for a very large corporation, this might be the right solution. If you’re just looking for traditional hosting options, this is definately not the right choice for you. One nice thing about CenturyLink is there is really no middle ground. Either they are a great option or they are way out of your range.
Pros:
- Very Well-Established Company
- Extremely High-Tech Network & Data Center
Cons:
- Not for small customers
- It will be expensive