The Cole Digest, September 6, 1995

For a publisher who is familiar with putting words and images on paper, the prospect of creating an on-line service through the Internet's World-Wide Web can be daunting. Some are choosing to throw a lot of money at the project "so we won't be left behind"; some are building poorly constructed Web sites, and some are just choosing to skip the whole thing.

And, for many publishers, the concept of bringing an alien technology in-house is so scary that they are allowing outside contractors handle their Web presence.

Once a publisher has committed to building a Web site, one of the fundamental questions is how to handle the Web server and its software: Should you go with a service provider? Should you try "co-location" (and what is "co-location")? Should your server be on-site?

Since late 1994, Web service providers have sprung up like mushrooms after a spring rain. Many Internet access providers have offered Web "home page" service along with regular dial-up access accounts. You pay $20 a month for 20 hours of 14.4 dial-up Internet service and you get a megabyte (or whatever) of Web server space. These services are rather limited (you can't run any type of custom database applications; you pay excessively for storage beyond the standard issue, and you'll have a complex Internet address, known as a Uniform Resource Locator or URL).

In addition to these "home page" offerings, though, many Internet access providers have Web site creation and hosting services. The costs for these services range from $75 to $100 per hour, with the on-going costs ranging from $100 to $250 per month (and up; the pricing usually is computed with an equation that takes storage space and number of accesses into account). A more expensive option sometimes available is that of a dedicated Web server located at the access provider's site and can be expensive.

These services are usually aimed at companies that want to use the Web as a marketing device -- a fancy brochure if you will.

Publishers, by the very nature of what they do, need access to their server. They need to be able to run database applications such as guest book registration and, possibly, an application to provide password-access to restricted areas of the server. They need to be able to run applications for on-line ordering of information or products. They need to be constantly updating their information -- for a daily newspaper, updating on a daily basis.

Further, publishing executives want a lot of control over the look of their publications and working through a third-party to develop a Web site would frustrate that control. Not to mention that most of the basic skills necessary are available in-house.

If a publisher doesn't want to step up to setting up a Web server on-site (the cost of bringing in a dedicated Internet line might be prohibitively expensive), there is the possibility of "co-location."

In this scenario, a publisher contracts with an Internet access provider to have the publisher's computer on-site at the access provider's point of presence (in other words, in the provider's computer room). The access provider handles the issues of continuous, clean electricity and continuous connectivity to the Internet. (One of the many potential points of failure of a Web site is the connection between the Web server and the Internet access provider; co-location eliminates that potential failure point -- but doesn't do much about the other places where danger lurks.)

Next week: more on co-location and the arguments for having your server on-site.

Onward.

\dmc

[THE COLE DIGEST is written by consultant David M. Cole, editor and publisher of the industry newsletter THE COLE PAPERS. The DIGEST is made available to PressLink members every Wednesday at no extra charge. Send comments by e-mail to COLE. The COLE DIGEST is the property of The Cole Group, a California sole proprietorship. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of The Cole Group is prohibited. Copyright (C) 1995, The Cole Group. Opinions expressed are those of The Cole Group, unless otherwise noted. [THE COLE PAPERS is a monthly newsletter devoting itself to technology, journalism and publishing. Subscriptions are $117 for 12 issues ($135 outside the U.S.). MasterCard, Visa and American Express cards are accepted. For more information, e-mail COLE, call (415) 673-2424, fax (415) 673-2449 or write The Cole Group, 2590 Greenwich St., Ste. 9, San Francisco USA 94123-3333.]