Hoster

Hoster is a term used in information technology to denote a person or enterprise that provides hosting services for websites, applications, or data. A hoster makes storage space, connectivity, and related services available on servers that are accessible over a network, typically the Internet. In everyday usage, the more common terms are "host" or "hosting provider," while "hoster" appears mainly in older texts or specific industry contexts.

Common services provided by hosters include web hosting, where websites are stored and delivered to visitors; file hosting or file sharing, for distributing files; and game or application hosting, where software runs on remote servers. Hosting offerings can range from shared hosting to virtual private servers, dedicated servers, and cloud hosting, often with ancillary services such as domain registration, email, security, backups, and technical support.

Business relationships are often governed by service level agreements (SLAs) and pricing models based on storage, bandwidth, and compute resources. Hoster operations may occur in data centers they own or lease, use colocated infrastructure, or rely on cloud platforms. Data protection and privacy regulations, such as data residency and breach notification requirements, influence how hosters operate and manage customer data.

Etymology and usage notes: The term "hoster" is uncommon in contemporary English and may be encountered in historical or technical writings. In most contexts, "hosting provider" or simply "host" is preferable, and some languages use different terms for the concept.