Being a small business often comes with loads of different perks. For one, you will have the chance to ride on the success of larger companies, using their work as an example to follow. Along with this, depending on the work that you do, you could also find yourself getting away with things which you shouldn’t, all for similar reasons. Of course, though, there is one area which you can’t avoid; servers. With two key options in front of you, you have a choice to make which will impact your company going long into the future.
Having your own servers on premises is the method which every company used to use. This sort of system is great for businesses with the need for tight control over their network, as it gives you direct access to the hardware itself. Along with this, a lot of people also find that having their servers in the office will make them more secure. The biggest major downside to this is price, as it will mean having to buy or lease loads of computer hardware, while also employing people to look after it for you.
Nowadays, more and more companies are throwing away the old approach, choosing to go with an option which takes their servers off-site, and into the hands of a capable business, like Microsoft. Systems like Office 365 for Business are great examples of the sorts of tools people are using to handle their file sharing, collaboration, emails, and even user logins for their computers. Of course, though, when you’re managing something like this yourself, it can be hard to get everything right, and a lot of people will make mistakes along the line.
In reality, regardless of the option you choose, you will always have a way to handle the work you need to do, and it doesn’t matter where your data is held. Companies like Telcom Savvy, for example, have loads of experience in managing their own VoIP servers. This gives them the skills to host one for you, while also enabling them to offer set up services if you want to have your own machines for everything.
Choosing the right option for your company will largely come down to costs. If you have huge amounts of data and an income to match, storing your data on your own servers could save you money over the years. Of course, though, for companies with very little, it will be hard to afford hardware like this, and an external option will be much more viable. Only you can make this choice, and it could be worth doing some research to ensure you’re making the right one.
Hopefully, with all of this in mind, it should become a lot easier to start working on your business’s servers. A lot of companies ignore this part of their work, simply keeping their machines separate or in systems like Homegroups. Of course, though, as you grow, it will be critical that you have scalable systems which won’t be ruined by more people joining the company.