As an example I came across a new reviewing site called Hostpedia.org. They have a name that plays off of the concept of Wikipedia, but to the best of my knowledge they are not by any means a wiki themselves, just another site providing hosting reviews.  I have to give them kudos for a catchy 2.0 sounding name, although I do not necessarily agree with their push for HostGator.com.  It wouldn’t necessarily be my top choice on any given day of the week.

They cover a large number of web hosting topics such as:

• Mid-Sized Business Web and Application Hosting Services Spending by Size of Business and Vertical Industry, 2006-2011
• Small Business Web and Application Hosting Services Spending by Size of Business and Vertical Industry, 2006-2011
• Enterprise Web and Application Hosting Services Spending by Size of Business and Vertical Industry, 2006-2011
• Hosting and Data Center Services: global market forecast model
• Application Hosting Services: global market forecast model
• The Business Case and Market Outlook for Outsourcing Network Operations and Services Hosting
• Web.com Finds the Yin to Its Yang in Merger with Website Pros

These range in price from $250 for a report to close to $4k.  This type of information or research can be invaluable if you are looking to craft your services or offerings to companies in this area or move into the hosting business yourself.

With server prices continuing to get cheaper, the primary cost these days is one of professional support and support systems.  Bandwidth is becoming less of a factor as well, the primary cost driver is people.