Web Hosting Technologies

• Dot.net (aka ASP.NET), ASP – i.e. Microsoft technology
  ASP.NET( Active Server Pages for .NET)—A set of .NET classes used to create Web-based, client-side (Web Form) and server-side (Web Service) applications. ASP.NET was derived from the Microsoft Active Server Pages (ASP) Web technology and adapted for use in the .NET Framework. Also called managed ASP and formerly known as ASP+.

• Open source: Java, PHP, Perl etc – ie, Linux/Unix technology
  PHP is without doubt the most popular server-side scripting language for the web. PHP hosting plans support MySQL and PostgreSQL databases; Python, Perl, and CGI; FrontPage 2003 Extensions, and most importantly Fantastico - which can be used to install FREE scripts ranging from Mambo and PHPNuke to OsCommerce and Zoops.

Tip: Trying to put square pegs in round holes is ultimately futile, so let your applications be your guide. Don’t assume that you need to use Windows NT to run your site with Frontpage extensions. Many applications created for Windows NT will actually be more efficient if they are rewritten for a UNIX environment. Don’t worry about figuring this out yourself, but bear in mind that a host who offers both Windows NT and UNIX will be more flexible.

• ColdFusion
  Still the fastest way to build and deploy powerful Internet applications, ColdFusion MX 7 introduces powerful new application services including rich Flash forms generation, structured reports, and dynamic generation of printable documents. It opens up a new world of applications beyond the browser.