What is "managed hosting"?
Briefly, "managed hosting" means that the management of the hardware, the running of the networks and the critical patching of your servers is someone else's responsibility. You don't own the hardware, though it will be supplied with the necessary routing equipment and network connectivity. You can choose your operating system and the whole caboodle will be set up for you, ready to go. The main point of having managed hosting providers is that they will handle most of the administrative tasks on the server, leaving you free to concentrate on your business. As with any other business arrangement, make sure you have a well-written contract and that you are clear exactly where each party's responsibilities begin and end.