Remote hosted mining
The first form of remote mining is remote hosting. This model suits users with a high level mining experience and know-how and who require a high degree of control over their mining hardware. Under this model, the mining hardware is hosted in a remote datacentre and the user assumes full control over the setup and configuration of the mining hardware. Under this model, the miner pays a fee to the hosting company that would cover maintenance and electricity costs. This helps the miner handle the risks associated with maintenance of the kit as well as any risks with the shipment of the hardware. On the other hand, it presents the miner with risk on the initial hardware investment and requires much more time and technical knowledge to implement successfully.
It can therefore be summarised that the benefits of remote hosted mining are tight control over the mining process, maintenance support and subsequent ownership of the hardware. The big drawbacks are risks associated with the procurement of expensive hardware and the very high cost of entry, both in terms of investment and technical experience.