Windows Small Business Server 2008 for ‘grown-up’ networking | Steve Wright, Director of BMS Digital Solutions
Steve Wright is a director of BMS Digital Solutions, a Microsoft Certified Partner and Small Business Specialist in the Midlands area. The company has 16 years’ experience in providing consultancy, support and managed IT solutions to small and medium-sized businesses.
|
Question: Our small business has recently expanded quite rapidly and our PC base is now up to 12 users. We’re finding the lack of centralised data a problem, and I want to enable remote working for some staff – I believe it’s time we invested in our first server? Whatever we choose, though, must work with our existing technology and provide us with a ‘grown-up’ network at a reasonable price. We're dealing mostly with sensitive customer data, so the solution must also give our staff secure remote access to business contacts, calendars, email, files and other desktop resources while they're out on the road. How would you suggest we proceed? - Mike, Leicester
Answer: Hi Mike- Even in the current credit crunch, where you may be looking more closely at what you can afford, I’d say putting off the decision to install a server is generally a false economy. The question really is “Can you afford not to have one?”- so you’re right to be thinking about it now. We generally advise our customers to think about investing in a server once they’ve got five people or more in the office. With 12 PCs already, a server is long overdue.
Customers invariably come to us with some kind of initial pain-point that suggests they need to upgrade to a server. Usually they’ve either lost data or, as you mention, they need to access data remotely when they are out and about. Nobody wants to lose business just because they missed a crucial email.
Entry point
So what is a server and how can it help make your business run more smoothly? Well, a server is fundamentally a single, specialised computer that centralises all your information and computing resources. It’s loaded with software designed to perform specific tasks - such as file sharing, print processing, and Internet connectivity for each of the individual PCs, mobile devices, and printers on your network. It allows your business to achieve dramatic time and cost savings over a peer-to-peer network (the basic method of connecting multiple computers together) – which I guess is what you’ve been doing so far.
Eight users is really the most you ought to be pushing on a peer-to-peer network. Not only are you missing out on centralised, secure storage and remote access; you’re probably reaching the boundaries of your network’s ability to cope.
Your ideal entry point is Windows Small Business Server (SBS) 2008, an affordable solution that comes in two editions - Standard and Premium* - both designed to handle between five and 75 users.
Sort the chaos
With 12 individual PCs operating in isolation, it must be virtually impossible to get a handle on where all your data is stored. Everyone saves files in random places on their individual machines, making it extremely difficult for colleagues to locate and view the latest version of one another’s documents. A server enforces discipline by centralising everyone’s data and allowing them to manage business-critical information more effectively. If one member of staff is on holiday, there’s no longer any need for business to grind to a halt.
Sharing files and other data across PCs becomes much easier, as does moving data from one PC to another. SBS also provides a much better return on investment (ROI) on individual workstations as your files and data are transferred to the server. Support is also simplified, so you should see reduced IT support bills, too.
A scalable solution
You’ll find a server becomes a big part of your company and the way you operate, so it has to be able to grow and scale with your expansion – and SBS 2008 does just that. It offers many of the features used by larger companies, such as manageable email, Internet connectivity, internal websites, remote access, support for mobile devices, file and printer sharing, backups and more. Also, because it’s built on Microsoft software and technology, it’s designed to retain the value of past investments by working with your existing technology.
Brimming with benefits
SBS also lets you access the information on your network remotely via a mobile device. This means wherever your employees are - out of the office, at home or on the road, they’ll always be able to respond to sales leads, contact customers, and keep your business moving forward. With SBS, there are several features that help make this possible - here are just a few:
| • | Remote Web Workplace lets your out-of-office workers access data on the server over the Internet.
| | • | Active Sync allows any user with a Windows Mobile 5/6 mobile phone (and there are plenty on the market) to use Exchange email, contacts and calendar when they are out of the office, as though they were at their desks.
| | • | Similarly, SBS 2008 allows your employees to use a single, company-hosted email account, as opposed to web-based email services, which can look a bit amateurish as they are really designed more for personal use. | | • |
SBS 2008 also lets you run line-of-business applications, such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.
|
Total security
Finally, I fully understand your concern about security. With SBS 2008, there’s no need to worry because it’s specifically designed to help you keep your data safe. Firstly, it helps protect your vital business information from loss by automatically backing up the data on your network and helping you recover files if they are accidentally deleted.
Secondly, it makes your network much more secure by allowing you to determine which individuals and devices are authorised to access information (using a natural, plain English interface).
Thirdly, it safeguards the integrity of your data by managing anti-virus, anti-spam and malware protection software centrally, across the entire network. That alone is a security level you can’t hope to match with piecemeal anti-virus programs on each workstation.
A ‘grown up’ network
All in all, I believe SBS 2008 is what you need to provide you with a ‘grown-up’ network at a reasonable price; because it combines several server technologies all within one Microsoft licence. It will certainly give you all the tools you need to present a more professional image to customers and partners.
My main advice is: don’t delay the decision any longer. Contact a Microsoft Small Business Partner or reseller right away for a deal designed to meet the specific needs of your business (find one near to you here). I hope this helps; and please get in touch again if you need any further assistance.
I wish you the best of luck,
--Steve
* For detailed information on the individual features of SBS 2008 Standard and Premium, please see: http://www.microsoft.com/sbs/en/us/editions-overview.aspx
| 
