Technology

Servers & Server Managment

Why do I need a server?

Any business which grows to two or more staff finds that sharing and accessing information across staff begins to become a problem. A Server is an important piece of technology that allows all users to share files, access common information even when away from the office. Servers also provide other important functions such as the ability to share printers, automate back up and centralise the management of software updates and internet security.

Here are some factors that indicate your business may be ready for a server:

  • You need to consolidate & arrange your files becasue your files are scattered over many PC's
  • You are worried about whether all of your important files are secure and are being backed up
  • You need to share hardware such as printers and fax machines for two or more PCs
  • You have employees who travel, frequently telecommute, or work off-site, and would benefit from accessing what's back in the office
  • You keep adding more files onto your PCs and keep running out of disk space
  • You'd like to run accounting software or other line-of-business applications on more than one PC
  • Your business is growing and you have plans to add new computers and employees or even a second location

Benefits of having a Server

  • It is easier to find and manage business-critical information all in one consolidated location
  • You have the ability to store large chunks of information, enabling individual PCs to perform better
  • The busienss can access up-to-date customer information quickly
  • Ability to share email and calendars between your team
  • Information is protected by making it easier to back up.
  • Provides secure access to email & calendars, other files, or to your entire office PC, from another internet-connected computer
  • You can better manage security features and monitor threats to your computer systems

Sure, you can achieve many of these things without a server by networking your PC's, however, these solutions usually prove to become troublesome and unreliable. One good solution for very small offices is a Network Attached Storage or NAS which has many similar features to a full size server and therefore is an excellent starting point. However, our recommendations for any business with 3 or more staff members is to invest in a Small Business Server.