There is perhaps no name more recognizable, in the world of web services, than GoDaddy.com The domain registrar has branched out from its roots, offering dedicated server hosting and other service options that make it a one-stop shop for any web developer’s needs. Its corporate backing means that GoDaddy is a strong contender in the dedicated servers marketplace, though it is certainly not the cheapest of the low-price hosting companies that populate the wider web.

A Variety of Options: Linux and Windows Dedicated Servers

Often, shopping for a dedicated servers means settling for a server based on a Linux operating system. And while that is fine for the vast number of dedicated server clients, it simply is not acceptable to many enterprise users and small business owners who must integrate with Microsoft’s proprietary technologies on a daily basis. GoDaddy, unlike many of its competitors, offers a choice between Windows Server 2008 and three different Linux operating system installations.

Windows Server 2008 products do, of course, cost slightly more than the Linux offerings that GoDaddy gives to its customers. Whereas the lowest-priced Linux plan starts at just $80 per month, the comparable Windows plan boosts that price to roughly $90 per month. However, that’s still a relatively low price for a Windows dedicated servers, and most customers will be happy to pay an extra $10 for the convenience of using Microsoft technologies and software.

GoDaddy Offers Budget-Friendly Linux Pricing

A dedicated server can be secured through GoDaddy, though the domain registrar’s prices aren’t of the “bargain basement” variety that some customers may be looking for. The company’s cheapest Linux dedicated server comes in at $79.99 per month on a month-to-month basis, or $70.99 per month if customers prepay an entire year. However, for most people looking for a dedicated servers, a 12-month prepayment is simply not in the cards. This base plan comes with a dual core Intel Core i3 processor, 2GB of RAM, and two 160GB hard disk drives. Bandwidth is limited to 5TB per month.

From there, GoDaddy offers six distinct Linux dedicated server products, which can be based on CentOS, Fedora, or Ubuntu installations. The company’s top-of-the-line plan, on a month-to-month basis, costs $199.99 per month. For that fee, customers get an Intel Core i5 process with four cores, 16GB of RAM, two 1TB hard disk drives, and a whopping 15TB of monthly bandwidth allowance. It’s a strong plan, but it’s not necessarily a dedicated servers.

GoDaddy Offers a Dedicated Server Running Windows, Too

Windows Server 2008 products purchased through GoDaddy have identical hardware configurations and bandwidth allowances as the six Linux-based products the company offers. However, because GoDaddy must pay a hefty licensing fee to Microsoft for the right to use their operating system, the monthly price comes out to between $10 and $20 more than competing Linux products. It’s still a dedicated servers, but it does lose its competitive edge because of these fees paid on behalf of customers.

For that reason, the company’s entry-level dedicated server running Windows Server 2008 will cost customers $89.99 per month. That’s a $10 premium over the identical server running Linux. At the high-end of these six plans is the server known plan known as “Memory Hog.” It offers the same hardware and bandwidth allowance as its Linux counterpart, but increases the monthly fee by $20 to a total of $219.99 per month. For enterprise and Microsoft-devoted customers, however, this is still a significant saving over many competing dedicated hosting companies.

GoDaddy’s Uptime Guarantee

It’s normal to think that a corporation of the size and scope of GoDaddy would have impeccable uptime. And, by all accounts, they do. But unlike many of their competitors, they guarantee only 99.9 percent uptime. That’s a stark contrast to competing guarantees of 99.99 percent, or even 100 percent. It might seem like a minuscule difference, but it can be the difference between nonexistent downtime and several hours of a blacked-out server.

Of course, if the company does fall below its 99.9 percent service guarantee, they’ll refund customers a prorated portion of that month’s hosting fee. And because their operation is indeed so large, they are bursting at the seams with support options. Customers will find a toll-free technical support and customer service hotline paired with discussion forums, a knowledge base, 24-hour live chat, email communications, and a support ticketing system with priority-based filing. The company’s large staff ensures that support turnaround is quick and helpful — and that’s something that the smaller companies sometimes cannot offer.

A Dedicated Server with Corporate Backing

When it comes to finding a dedicated servers, GoDaddy certainly has some of the lower prices online. They aren’t the lowest, but that’s because they’ve got a large operation to finance. That large operation may be worth the few extra dollars per month, as GoDaddy manages to bundle everything from dedicated servers and email hosting to firewall security and domain registration. For the convenience of a large corporate operation, bundled services, and one bill to rule them all, GoDaddy is a strong contender in the marketplace for a dedicated server.