The expansion of Web-based business functions and applications continues to sustain strong demand for hosting infrastructure services - both public Internet-facing Web sites and applications and internal business processes. Demand for hosting infrastructure services is expanding as business of all sizes seek more flexible and optimization-oriented infrastructure solutions, given change in technology, service delivery models, and overall attitudes toward third-party service provision. IDC's Hosting Infrastructure Services research keeps clients informed of industry trends and their impact on the market. The service also sizes the market and analyzes new opportunities and challenges and what they mean for hosting service providers.

This service covers the following segments of the hosting infrastructure services market:

• Shared Web hosting services
• Dedicated hosting
• Complex managed hosting
• Colocation hosting services
• Virtualized and on-demand services
• Content delivery network (CDN) services

Throughout the year, this service will address the following topics:

• Hosting services market evolution
• Hosting services market segmentation
• Value-added strategies and customer uptake
• Emerging trends and issues in CDN services
• Service provider strategies and competitive positioning
• Industry alliances and partnerships

Our research addresses the following issues that are critical to your success:

1. What is the market for hosting infrastructure services, and who are the market leaders?
2. How are hosting infrastructure service provider strategies evolving to meet customer needs?
3. How are service providers and businesses responding to evolving utility-/cloud-oriented hosting infrastructure service models?
4. How will the different types of hosting infrastructure services (shared, dedicated, complex managed. virtualized, and colocation) evolve over time?
5. What are the market dynamics in the CDN services space, and how are providers positioning themselves in this market?
6. How is the small business hosting market evolving and who are the emerging key players?

IDC's Hosting Infrastructure Services research examines how hosting service providers are positioning themselves to compete in the market. This service reviews strategies, market positioning, value proposition development, and future direction of selected providers in the hosting infrastructure services market, including:

Akamai, AT&T, CSC, EDS, Equinix, Go Daddy, Google, IBM Global Services, Internap, Limelight Networks, Microsoft, Mirror Image, NaviSite, The Planet, Qwest, Rackspace, SAVVIS, Sungard, Terremark, Verio, Verizon,and Yahoo!.

This service focuses on the following core research. In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct additional research on specific topics, or emerging market segments, via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.

This study provides a detailed five-year forecast of the hosting infrastructure services market and market trends analysis. In addition, the study includes an overview of market structure and industry segmentation.

This study examines the continued evolution of the content delivery network (CDN) services market. It identifies key industry trends and places them in the broader context of the hosting services market. This study includes a five-year market forecast and profiles of selected CDN service providers.

This study examines the hosting infrastructure market from a demand-side perspective, focusing on the Web site implementation, outsourcing, application, and spending strategies of large and medium-sized U.S. businesses.

This study provides a market share analysis and competitive profiles of the major hosting market participants.

IDC offers a complete market intelligence solution customized to meet your business requirements. The array of products and services available to you includes:

• The opportunity to have your specific questions answered through personal interaction with industry experts who cover the topics and markets in your service
• Around-the-clock access to our market intelligence on idc.com, IDC's personalized Web experience
• A view of the market's future with 12 months of continuous intelligence about its direction and the reasons behind it, along with actionable advice for taking advantage of existing and emerging opportunities
• Special client discount pricing on purchases of research from other services
• Complimentary admission to IDC's annual Directions conference, where you'll hear our latest forecasts and network with IDC analysts and other industry professionals
• Complimentary invitations to monthly executive telebriefings, interactive forums designed to provide you with insights about research and strategies directly from IDC analysts

To find out how our flexible packaging options can meet your specific business needs, please contact your IDC sales executive.

As a privately held company, IDC believes that our customers are our primary constituency. A large percentage of every revenue dollar is reinvested back into our products, including more analysts, more geographic coverage, and extensive primary research.

Our steady growth over the past 10-plus years reflects our commitment to investing in our customers.