RAM is an abbreviation for Random Access Memory. This is a type of computer memory, that, unlike other storage devices like hard disks or DVDs, permits the data to be accessed directly without reading the previous content saved in it. Each time an application is launched, it is stored in the RAM, because it may be accessed much quicker than if it was read from another media. In terms of the web hosting service itself, more RAM means that more web applications can operate simultaneously on a certain server, particularly if they are resource-demanding and are accessed by a great number of of people at the same time. Different from a shared web hosting plan where the resources of a certain account could be flexible and sometimes depend on what other end users consume as well, a VPS includes a guaranteed amount of RAM that can be used all the time. That memory is allocated to one server only and won't be used by other clients even in case it's not being used.