( sometimes called internet site hosting, website and Webhosting ), is the business of housing, serving, and maintaining files for one or more Web sites. More significant than the computer space that is provided for Web site files is the fast connection to the Internet. Most hosting services offer connections on T-carrier system lines. Typically, an individual business hosting its own site would require a corresponding connection and it would be pricey. Employing a website hosting service lets many corporations share the price of a fast Net connection for serving files.

A number of Internet access suppliers, for example America Online, offer subscribers free space for a small Web site site that is hosted by one of their PCs. Geocities is a Web site that offers registered visitors similar free space for an internet site. While these services are free, they are extraordinarily basic.

A number of web hosting companies describe their services as virtual hosting. Virtual hosting usually implies that their services will be transparent and that each Web site will have its own domain name and set of e-mail addresses. In most uses, hosting and virtual hosting are synonyms. Some hosting companies let you have your own virtual server, the appearance that you are controlling a server that is dedicated entirely to your site.

Dedicated hosting is the supply of a dedicated server machine that is devoted to the traffic to your internet site. Only very busy sites need dedicated hosting. Many corporations purchase their own servers and place them on a site that provides fast access to the web. This practice is called colocation.

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