It is crucial when managing your small to a medium-size operation that you are confident your server is the best one you can afford. Smaller businesses that are not ready for cloud-based servers are prime candidates for quality, on-site servers which can provide the necessary server features while allowing you complete control over your virtual networking environment.
If you are using your server for tasks such as print serving and document sharing amongst less than 25 users, a server with a lower-end processor, and 1GB to 2GB of RAM, with 500GB to 1TB of RAID storage the cost will be around $400. The high-end servers used for tasks such as database serving, file sharing, video storage, messaging and conferencing need multiple processors, at least 16GB RAM, flexible storage having many redundancies, plus a high-end server operating system, costing thousands of dollars.
If an operating system is not included, you might end up spending $1,000 for high-end server OSes like Windows Server 2008 R2 good for 1-5 users. There are less expensive options including:
Microsoft Exchange Server: handles e-mail starting at $699 (standard edition, $3,999 for the Enterprise edition)
Microsoft SQL Server: database management approximately $900
Microsoft's SharePoint Server or Citrix Presentation Server: file sharing and collaboration costs from $400 to $3,000 or more.
Your server is the apex of all your operations. They should work consistently throughout the day, week, and virtually always. Downtime for a server is a rarity so, with that in mind the following compilation is composed of servers recommended for small business because they are reliable, secure and accessible:
IBM's z Systems Enterprise earned "best in class" for its reliability, accessibility, and security among every server platform. IBM also received a top rating as a server for Linux and was given an acclaimed 3rd place for their quality customer service reviews. Only 1% of those answering questions regarding IBM hardware were dissatisfied with their products.
IBM ratings showed they had the lowest amount of downtime compared to all other servers surveyed. The IBM z Systems Enterprise won this category and also was the lowest in annual calculated minutes of downtime which was just 0.96 minutes.
Solid credentials combined with cost-effective performance. This server is a suitable choice for small to medium-sized businesses. The TX1310 is an SMB-focused server. It includes an unparalleled reliability guarantee stating that Fujitsu will refund the purchase price and replace the server should it break down during the first year.
The Lenovo company built upon the top traditional features of ThinkServer. The TS150 is a 4U enterprise-class server that is similar to Dell's T20. It is considered to be the most cost-effective in this price range. It features support for RAID 0,1,10 and 5 utilizing its controller which is onboard.
The PowerEdge T30 server can help small business owners by consolidating applications and data from their multiple desktops, workstations and mobile devices to a single server which increases productivity.
Specially designed and engineered for the SMB market as it is both quiet and compact. Servers are custom built providing real-time tracking. A 24-hour burn test is included along with an 88 point QC check. Each server comes with a three-year warranty and a free recovery USB stick featuring diagnostic utilities.
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