A dedicated business server offers unstoppable performance that isn’t often found in a shared cloud-based service. If you want to provide the highest level of security, customization, and flexibility for your website, a personal server is precisely what you’re looking for.
While servers will always help your employees collaborate or share information, some complete their functions better than others. Before you purchase your first server, we recommend asking yourself the following questions to ensure you’re getting the best product for your needs.
5 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Small Business Server
When using a mobilized server, like Triofox, you’ll receive all the benefits of a traditional business server, except it boosts your remote workers’ productivity without compromise.
1. What Can I Afford?
The budget you have is a reliable barometer for what you can buy for your business, but you also have to consider how quickly you’re scaling. If all your company needs is a print and file-sharing server with basic capabilities, you can get away with a lower-end device.
Still, if there’s any indication you’ll need to replace what you have in the near future, it’s better to shell out a bit of extra cash. Lower-end servers are less scalable and break down more often.
2. Is it Scalable? (Are Their Parts Replaceable?)
There are three common types of physical servers: Rackmount, Tower, and Blade. All of them are technically scalable, but blade servers offer the most bang for your buck because they’re the cheapest to install and operate. Blade servers also have the highest number of bays.
Rackmount and tower servers have their uses. For example, a small tower server will help out freelancers who need a server that’s both quiet and stays cool with prolonged use, while a rackmount server allows businesses to swap out the underlying chassis, usable power, and fan.
3. What Workload Will I Be Running?
Websites and applications are dependent on different types of servers that are specific to a business’s needs. For example, most eCommerce businesses will need a web, email, application, and file server, but if they’re using video, they’ll have to add on a streaming server.
Most companies will go for an all-in-one solution because they provide the best options for scalability, although they will be more expensive. To start, purchase a server that is catered to your specific needs, then add more servers into each bay as needed.
4. How Will the Server Protect My Data?
Even if you have zero remote workers operating in your company, you still need a server that protects your data. Your clients and customers expect you to keep their personal information private, but that’s only possible through encryption, passwords, and multi-factor authentication.
Although you can’t necessarily prevent physical theft or natural disasters, there’s a lot you can do to stop hardware failure and computer viruses from within the server. Use a cloud backup solution to ensure critical business information is accessible and safe no matter what.
5. Does it Have Server Virtualization?
Server virtualization is the process of dividing a physical server into multiple isolated and unique virtual servers with the use of a software application. Each virtual server can run its own independent operating system. There are several benefits of server virtualization, including:
- Cheaper operation costs
- Higher server availability
- Increased server performance
- Simplifies server use
- Faster workflow completion
Although this feature is more widely used by large enterprises, small businesses can significantly benefit from server virtualization, even if they never scale to the size of a big corporation.
