More than ever, our business space is being shaped by data. Surely, the future of e-commerce will be shaped majorly by how well your organization can source and use quality data. Aside from helping you make smart decisions, it gives you an edge over the competition and promotes scalability.
In this blog post, we will dive deep into what proxies are while exploring their main features. We will also shed light on the differences between the multiple types of datacenter proxies available to you.
What Are Proxies?
Proxies are computer software that stands between your local machine while sending out requests and the server that sends back what you are searching for. It operates as an intermediary that accepts the requests from your computer before transferring them to the target web server.
Proxies have both hardware and software components. The hardware either resides in a large corporate data center (in the cloud) or in selected residential homes.
Besides keeping you anonymous on the web by hiding your internet protocol (IP) address and location, they render forbidden geo-locations useless.
Main Features Of A Proxy
- Equipped with its IP address.
- It could be used to filter encrypted data
- Provides an additional layer of privacy
- Enhances security
- Could be configured to use cross-domain resources
- Helps deliver geo targeted adverts.
Types Of Datacenter Proxies
- Shared datacenter proxies
- Dedicated datacenter proxies
Major Differences Between The Types Of Datacenter Proxies
- Available to multiple users
While dedicated datacenter proxies are often reserved for only a single user, shared datacenter proxies are made available to multiple users simultaneously. This could make the shared proxies inferior to private proxies in some use cases where a consistent connection needs to be sustained. However, if your goal requires very little need for it, then consider a shared datacenter proxy, as they are considerably cheaper. Click here for more information on shared proxies.
- Susceptibility to IP address blocking
Your data gathering is more likely to be successful with a dedicated datacenter proxy. Because multiple users sharing the same IP might be trying to access the same server, which causes an apparent network overload from a single IP address. Although shared proxies are the cheapest option, this price tag could come at the risk of getting banned.
- Location Options
Shared datacenter proxies need to be used in countries with higher usage rates to cover the costs among multiple users. They become unprofitable in locations where only a few businesses request IP addresses. This makes the sample size of available countries to choose from small. This is unlike dedicated datacenter proxies, which are available in almost all UN-recognized countries.
Some Possible Use Cases Of Datacenter Proxies:
You have read the technical differences between shared and dedicated datacenter proxies. However, as an entrepreneur who seeks to maximize profit while scaling your business, you should be yearning for where you can use these efficient tools. Here are some practical use cases that can help your business:
- Market research: A data gathering tool built on proxies gives you an edge over competitors. You can easily find tons of market data. This could be a problem because you need a solution that avoids CAPTCHAs, IP blocks, and geo-restrictions. This is what datacenter proxies offer you.
- Monitor website changes: Do you want to keep a watchful eye on the changes your competitor makes? Or do you want to check your website for errors and defacements? You can simply create a snapshot of a web page’s HTML code which you will consistently compare with recently scrapped data.
- Price Monitoring: Products’ prices change thousands of times every day. You need a price-tracking and monitoring solution to stay ahead of the competition. With the number of data scraping you’ll need to do to keep this profitable, you need a relatively cheaper proxy. This is what makes datacenter proxies powerful but ever-dynamic.
- Review Monitoring: Your website’s ranking on search engines could be improved by tracking and responding to customer reviews. However, an ineffective proxy tool could earn you a block from your target website. Also, your marketing goals and the brand’s online reputation are greatly boosted using datacenter proxies.
Conclusion
There are multiple tools available in a business. As an entrepreneur, you are faced with the unique task of selecting the best tool for a scenario. Proxies especially require special attention. They are the biggest investment you will make toward your data-gathering campaigns. You need the non-technical but comprehensive differences between these to make an informed decision.
