What server should I choose for my small business?

NAS Servers
Network Attached Storage (NAS) servers are an ideal choice for IT support of small businesses, owing to their low prices. A particularly useful server in this category is the Seagate NAS 2-bay 4TB. NAS servers are also considered to be very user-friendly and can be used by non-technical people, such as non-IT entrepreneur. Generally, NAS servers are specialized devices that provide shared access to business files, folders, and network resources like printers.
Application Servers
Application servers also provide shared access but are more capable of running programs. This is because of their ability to use a full-fledged server operating system software. Additionally, they offer better hardware features due to which they are somewhat expensive.
Benefits of NAS Servers for Small Businesses
Higher Storage Capacity and Data Loss Protection
Most servers have at least two hard drives that are configured through RAID. It helps to provide protection against data loss. However, the more number of drives a server is set up for, the higher is its storage capacity. One of the useful features offered by many servers is its ability to protect against data loss by automatic backups of a PC.
For instance, QNAP’s NAS servers are renowned to provide safe data backups – through apps or specific tools. Thus, even in case of data loss or accidental deletion of some files, the feature is likely to assist IT support in recovering data quickly from backup storage.
Remote Access
Additionally, some servers offer remote access which allows workforce to access data, even from outside the office premises. Due to its support for mobile devices, the individual servers always have an advantage if access is needed at any time and at any place. This makes them an ideal choice for business IT support.
Support for Network Hardware
Any entrepreneur is right to expect that server will provide support to share printers across its networks so that the workforce can make maximum use of such facility. Additionally, by having the support of IP cameras, an affordable web server can also serve as a high-utility surveillance system for business.
For IT support of small businesses, it is not a good option to purchase an expensive server only because it provides advanced features, because they may not be required for the business at that moment in time. The amount saved in selecting an ideal and cheap server that fulfils one’s precise requirements will contribute to the business’s profits.
However, window shopping for servers is no easy task when it comes to investing money in hard drives and getting the best value for a server. Prior to rushing in to read the features and services offered by different servers, it is important to understand the personal requirements of the business first and that should be matched against the features provided by the server.
The following questions need to be considered to understand what requirements are needed for server:
- Is the server only required to share files?
- Is it required for data backups?
- Will an on-site server with remote access fulfil the purpose?
- Is there a requirement for cloud server?
The business needs to go for a server for IT support that provides certain key features, needed by the business immediately or in the long run. Also, business needs to have a clear vision of what requirements will be in future, and consider a server that can turn out to be durable. This is why servers with expandable storage capacity are ideal since they are useful when storage requirements increase along with the growth of the business. Ideally, a business server has to use at least two hard drives which are configured through RAID levels 1, 5 and 10. This ensures protection against data loss and maintains support for sufficient storage capacity.