Plain and simple, Web Hosting makes it possible for individuals and businesses to put up Web sites on the Internet and allow these Web sites to operate 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week, 365 days-per-year.  A hosting company is not called upon for the creation or design of a Web site — that is up to you or a Web design firm to handle — but when it comes to actually making the Web site usable and accessible to the millions of people with Internet access, hosting is required.  Web Hosting is a necessary piece of the Internet puzzle because hosting companies maintain a constant connection to the Internet.  They also operate with specialized computer hardware and software designed specifically for handling the complex task of serving up whatever media and technology a Web site has to offer.  This allows for Web sites to be accessed anytime, anywhere, by anyone.