Windows webhosting plans give you the ability to utilize many forms of dynamic content and specialized databases. Major points regarding Windows hosting include:

	Windows Server is a commercial product with more support options than Unix.
	Enables web site owners to use advanced features without much experience.
	Windows web hosting provide extensive database integration and functionality.
	Fully-supports FrontPage, Active Server Pages (ASP), VBScript, JAVA the ASP.NET framework, Perl, PHP, CGI, MS Access databases, Macromedia's Cold Fusion, and the Microsoft SQL Server.

For many E-Commerce website owners, the database functionality and support for dynamic scripting languages makes Windows a superior over Unix.

Integral Features Available With Windows Web Hosting

If you're new to Window web hosting, you might be unfamiliar with some of the integral features that you will have available to you. Here is a list of the major components that set Windows Server apart from Unix:

• Active Server Pages -- ASP is a server-side coding technology for building dynamic websites. Active Server Pages are HTML web pages with embedded ASP scripts which are processed on the Windows web server before the page is sent to the user. You can recognize Active Server Pages by the .asp filename extension.
   
• ASP.NET -- is the latest incarnation of Microsoft's Active Server Pages (ASP). It is a powerful server-based technology designed to create dynamic, interactive, HTML pages on demand for your World Wide Web site, or coporate internet.
   
• Microsoft SQL Server -- This is an industrial strength, relational database management system (RDMS) designed to house large amounts of data while providing high performance access to it using the industry Standard Query Language (SQL). Microsoft SQL Server provides an excellent environment for site owners to organize, capture, store, and deliver critical information on their websites. Many E-commerce web sites often will use Microsoft SQL Server as their “backend database” to store information concerning products, web-based orders and client data.
   
• Cold Fusion -- Developed by Macromedia, Cold Fusion is an web application development tool for creating dynamic Windows web server web applications which integrate with key Windows server technologies, such as relational databases and SMTP email. Cold Fusion webpages are processed server-side in a manner similar to ASP and PHP. You can recognize Cold Fusion pages by the .cfm filename extension. For example,www.yourdomain.com/index.cfm.
   
• ASP.NET -- ASP.NET is a revolutionary programming framework that enables the rapid development of powerful web site applications and services. Part of the emerging Microsoft .NET Hosting Platform, it provides the easiest and most scalable way to build, deploy and run distributed web applications that can target any browser or device.
   
• Microsoft Access Databases -- Access is a database management system that provides a means of storing and managing data or information. Microsoft refers to Access as a relational database product since it allows you to relate data from several different sets or tables. Access databases are only available with Windows Web Hosting as an alternative to MySQL databases or the Microsoft SQL Server.
   
• Front Page -- The FrontPage hosting extensions are a collection of software modules loaded on a Windows web server that enable a FrontPage web site to use the advanced functions of FrontPage. If you want to use FrontPage publishing and website management tools, have the ability to manage web and subweb permissions, publish only changed pages, or use any of the FrontPage bots, you need a host with FrontPage extensions installed. Basically, this all means that a hosting account with FrontPage extensions allow you to completely manage your web site directly from the FrontPage software.

Windows Web Hosting versus Unix

Known as Windows NT or Windows 2000, Windows 2003 the Windows web hosting platform is the only credible alternative to Unix/Linux. Windows web Server is the newer hosting platform, and it has all but completely replaced Windows NT. If you see a web host using Windows NT servers, it should be a clue that their systems are probably a little outdated.

The main "advantage" or distinction of Windows servers is that they are configured to be compatible with Microsoft applications, such as FrontPage, Access and MS SQL. Windows servers also offer web developers the use of programming environments such as Active Server Pages (ASP), Visual Basic Scripts, MS Index Server and ColdFusion.

For more inexperienced web site owners, Windows web hosting servers are typically seen as easier to use then Unix/Linux. If you have a familiarity with using other Microsoft applications, then learning how to use Microsoft's Windows hosted applications comes a bit more natural than figuring out the command line structure of Unix/Linux.