Why should my business have a server?

This is the question plaguing many small businesses today. In this article we will address the key reasons to have a server. This is a common area that small business (especially) gets taken advantage of and wastes a lot of money.

First, what is a server...

A computer that is set aside for group use or networking tasks. It “serves” or shares with, the other computers connected to it. A server is really that simple. In my home I have a small old computer that runs my firewall and has some space for file sharing. This way any computer I am on has access to internally shared documents. The myth perpetrated by the “big guys” is that you must have thousands of dollars in equipment to achieve a goal. This is not always true. Networking an office building with 50 computers does not mean you necessarily need a network much more complicated than an office with 5 computers. It is more dependent on what options and features you want.

Common uses of a server:

File Server – Share Files:

This allows all computers (or some if you set accessibility options) to access files and/or change the files. This is probably the most common use of a server by small businesses. At L2 we use these to pass customer quotes, new product info and corporate documents from each department. This is also good for backing up your files in case of workstation failure.

Network Server (LAN Server) – Manage the network:

This option gives you greater flexibility over your workstation computers and how they can use the internet connection. You could censor sites, internal computers and servers and/or specific folders, add passwords, log and monitor traffic, add security options etc..

Application Server – Shares Programs:

This is similar to a file server but it will share programs instead. This will allow your workstations to access a database or software application without having it on the workstations themselves. You can also send out new updates to all your workstations. The server will only have to download the update once and then distribute it to all your workstations. This is a faster option then all your computers connecting at once to download an update.

Remote Access Server – Share Desktop:

This is a great tool for remote locations. You can log into your computer as if you were in front of it. You see the desktop and control the computer the same way you would if you were there.

Costs Involved:

The cost is the total cost of the solution, not just the cost of the equipment. Who is installing and maintaining this equipment? You have to factor labor and the level of technical “know how” that is needed in the total cost of ownership. But servers can also save money. A technique we use for everything from engineering firms to gold farmers (gold farmers use automated programs to make money in video games, usually needing to run multiple copies of the game) is using a very powerful sever with multiple control stations. The cost per station is usually a fraction of the cost for a computer that would be needed, and having this “super computer” actually can boost productivity allowing massive files and projects to be a snap.

Make sure the equipment you buy adds to the solution and/or has other value added features for your business. Like the above mentioned “super computer” helps with rendering for the engineering firm, saving huge monthly bandwidth costs to outsourcing. This is a total solution.

The largest cost involved for most small businesses is the operating system that runs the server. No one ever mentions that these can run on XP or Vista! Microsoft server is very expensive and Unix based Operating Systems require more technical knowledge then most small businesses have access to. The cost of the equipment is usually about as much as a high-end computer.

We can help every company, small or large, create a cell phone network that will allow information to flow freely. Whether it is voice or data, FLO can help you setup a reliable and affordable mobile infrastructure.

Full Business IT Infrastructure Setup and Support, including, but not limited to:
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- Exchange/Email Setup/Configuration/Maintenance
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