What you need to know about servers for your small business

Jake Potter -

A server can elevate your small business as it grows to allow for more ease of access to data across your entire company. By connecting the desktops you use for your small business to the same server, each laptop can access the same sets of information and share that information across all computers.

Acquiring your first server can seem like a big decision, so it is important to understand the aspects of buying a new server. Here’s everything you need to know.

What is a server?

Basically, it’s a computer that serves information to other computers. It provides access to data and information to a group of computers. These different kinds of data include emails, the internet, files, and many more.

Servers are designed specifically to support a large number of users. So as your small business grows in size, it will be able to handle a larger number of employees. This allows all of your employees to connect to the same internet and access to the same information.

Benefits of a server

  • Collaboration: They make it easier for employees to collaborate through messaging and sharing data. Since all data is available to all of your employees, they will be able to easily share images, documents, and other files.
  • Company intranet: You can set up a company intranet with a server to easily share information with your employees.
  • Remote Access: They allow you to set up virtual private networks (VPN). VPNs allow employees to access servers even when at home as long as they have internet connection. This allows your employees to access data located on the server to work remotely.
  • Back up: They will automatically back up data on your computers. This ensures that you will not lose important data or files due to the malfunction of a single computer.

Pricing for servers

The price of a business server depends on the type of server you are purchasing. The cost is mainly determined by the amount of disk space, memory, and bandwidth needed from the server. More complex needs typically require more expensive servers. While servers can be expensive, the benefits offered by them will allow your small business to be more efficient than ever, which is a priceless benefit.

Servers for small business needs tend to range in price from $3,000 to $5,000. For small business owners who do not know how to set up their own server, there is also set up aid included in most packages for a small fee. A typical set up rate is priced between $100 and $150. While the cost may seem daunting, obtaining a server is essential in business growth.

Choosing the right server

There are many different brands that offer servers on the market, so it can be overwhelming to know which one will best fit the needs of your business. The most common brands are Oracle, Lenovo, HP, Dell, Jugitsu and IBM. Understanding the needs of your business can help point you in the right direction for your purchase.

More complex needs require a more complex server. For businesses with more than ten employees, you will want to look into a rack, blade, or tower server. These types are also necessary for businesses that wish to operate an email server, manage complex data, have large storage needs, or use a print server.

If your small business has ten or fewer employees, you can use a smaller server. The brands small business owners should look to in this case are Netgear, QNAP, HP, Synology, and Seagate. These brands offer NAS and Windows Home Servers that will perfectly suit the needs of a budding business. These can easily handle fie sharing, limited remote access, and automated data backups.