It’s not that long ago that servers, the computers that do all the back-office functionality on a network such as storing files, processing e-mail, hosting your database and managing your printing, were the sole preserve of large business. But as with everything in the computer industry, prices have come down while the technology has improved in leaps and bounds. This has also coincided with a fall off in spending by corporate technology users — Massimo Bonciani, IBM’s head of small business in Europe estimated earlier this year that spending by small companies is growing one per cent faster than the corporate sector.
The upshot is that technology companies are falling over themselves to woo small businesses into buying server technology — including tailored software packages as well as the hardware. The sell is that a single server should be able to do it all for most companies with ten or less employees. The caveat is that if you have a very specific intensive application such as a database for online shopping or handling your logistics, you may want so split the load between two servers.
If you are a small business with four or five PCs using a peer to peer network or even floppy disks to share information you may be wondering why you need to part with upwards of €1,000 for a server and the necessary software.
‘Companies in that situation have no security or centralisation of data and they’re not getting the reliability of a server,’ says Kriti Kapoor, product marketing manager for Dell’s Enterprise Systems business in Europe. ‘Seventy to 80 per cent of SMEs were hit by viruses in the last year. A server can restrict the data and files people have access to and also allow you to do virus scanning before they even reach the users. The performance and scalability of a server you just can’t get out of a desktop. They also provide a centralised space for storage and backup so you have increased
availability of your data.’
Paul Mason, SMB group manager with Microsoft Ireland, also makes a compelling argument for the adoption of server technology. ‘Why do you use information technology? To help you make better decisions. If you haven’t grasped that, server technology won’t be on your agenda. But if you have, you’ll realise having information available, in the format you want, in front of the right people, will improve your bottom line.’
Basically a server can handle all the common tasks that a small business in our networked age will need. It can run a database to store your customer contacts or any other important information, a central repository for data and managing print jobs (called ‘file and print’), an e-mail server so you can create individual e-mail accounts for members of staff or functions within your company. And the advantage of running these applications on a server rather than on a standalone PC is that that are available over the network to everyone in your organisation.
Cost conscious companies who retire their old PCs to act as file servers could also be engaging in false economics and eventually face losing their vital data. ‘A PC is built to operate during working hours, whereas servers are designed for 24/7 operation,’ explains Stephen Kelly, E-Server territory manager with IBM.
More and more companies are looking for that sort of 24/7 performance particularly those operating in the global economy. If you fall into that category Kelly advises you should be looking for a resilient server with redundant power, disks and other key components. This basically means that there is two of each important component in the box, so that the backup takes over in case of failure.
‘A company’s core business is not IT so they want something to manage itself,’ says Kelly. ‘A server is not just another piece of hardware — it needs to be managed.’ For that reason he recommends servers that have self diagnostic tools that alert users to a problem before it happens.
Single source for servers
To make it easier for SMEs to get everything they need from a single source (not to mention the revenue opportunities for them) the hardware suppliers are now bundling servers with software, backup and storage hardware, printers and other peripherals, support packages and financial services.
The good news for businesses that have invested in server technology and are now looking longingly at the capabilities and prices of the latest models, is that many of the big hardware suppliers will offer you a trade in on your old servers. HP for one
has an online tool that enables you to see what value you can get for your old kit.
Companies running older servers may be operating under the ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ maxim, but they may actually be costing themselves money in the long run. Paul Marnane from HP’s Enterprise Systems Group estimates that after three years the increased support costs for older systems become prohibitive. In particular, he identifies old NT4.0 servers as falling into this category and advises that businesses could actually make cost savings in the long run by upgrading to new servers running Windows Server 2003.
While server hardware is now well within the reach of the smallest companies, what about the software? After all the hardware is only as useful as the applications you run on it. Microsoft’s Small Business Server (SBS) 2003 is a popular option as it includes
all Microsoft’s back office products — only limited by the number of users licensed with SBS. This means you get Windows Server 2003, Exchange Server 2003, and Sharepoint Portal Server 2003 while the Premium edition adds the SQL Server 2000 database and ISA Server 2004, which provides Internet security and acceleration.
‘Its wizard based so if you’re used to Windows XP it’s very easy,’ says Paul Mason. ‘It’s made and designed for people not hugely IT literate.’ One of the key features he highlights is the remote access capabilities, which should cut down on time spent commuting back to the office in traffic and also means that users can manage backups of their data remotely. For companies with no in-house IT people it also means they can get a third party service provider who can manage the whole server remotely.
Kevin Buckley, managing director of MandrakeSoft Ireland, which sells its own distribution of the Linux operating system, reports that many SMEs are turning to the open source alternative on their servers because the software costs just €200, they can still run their Windows PCs, and there are now ongoing licensing costs. Like
SBS, Mandrakelinux 10.0 PowerPack+ bundles a number of products including a database, e-mail server, an extranet, and the OpenOffice suite of productivity tools. It includes the Samba package for file and print capability, which is useful for companies with a mixed environment as it supports Windows, Linux and Macintosh
computers, while Kolab offers e-mail and groupware functionality to share information across the company.
Buckley rejects the notion that Linux is too complex for small companies who may not have a dedicated IT resource. ‘People want wizards, that’s the reality,’ he says. ‘There’s complete wizards for setting up things like Samba — it’s all plug and play with no command lines. People are beginning to realise it’s easy to work with.’ One of his customers is a firm of solicitors that has installed Linux on its servers and desktops, as there are less viruses and other security attacks on the open source platform.
Case study
Belfast-based advertising company Poster Management Limited is the largest purchaser of outdoor advertising in Northern Ireland. It has inspectors constantly out on the road checking poster sites to ensure clients advertising is displayed correctly.
For that reason, it wanted to give staff remote access to its database so they didn’t constantly have to come back to the office to update records. It had eight PCs in its Belfast office and decided to upgrade to Microsoft SBS 2003 to give staff the ability to access the company systems from home. Microsoft business partner 4Sol upgraded all desktops to Windows and Office XP, and installed
Microsoft SBS 2003 on a single server.
‘We wanted an ideal solution that would basically look after itself. IT is just one of my roles within the company and Microsoft SBS 2003 looked like a good solution,’ said Darren Jackson, marketing operations executive with PML. ‘The remote access is of great benefit to us — we will be ahead of our competitors if we can allow clients to come into the system remotely.’
Advantages that PML have received include reduced administration, remote access for all staff and the ability to work more as a team using the intranet capabilities of SharePoint. The new technology also means PML is able to schedule daily updates of all its vital client information.
The Primergy Econel 30 from Fujitsu-Siemens comes with an Intel Pentium 4 2.8GHz processor, 256Mbyte DDR SDRAM, two 80Gbyte IDE Hard disk drives, DVD-ROM, LAN, ServerView and ServerStart, for approximately €825. Also worth considering are the PrimergyTX150 and TX 200.
HP’s Proliant ML110 is available in a number of configurations. The basic model comes with a 2.6GHz Intel Celeron Processor, integrated 128Kbyte level 2 ECC cache 256 MByte DDR SDRAM and 48x CD-ROM for approximately €504. Also worth considering is HP’s Proliant ML 33.
IBM’s eServer x206 (Single Processor Capable Server) comes with a 2.8GHz Pentium 4 Processor, 1Mbyte Level 2 Cache, 512Mbyte PC2100 DDR SDRAM, one 36.4GB SCSI Hard Disk Drives, 48x CD ROM, and integrated Ethernet Card for a recommended retail price of €1,260 (excl VAT). For those requiring extra firepower the eServer x225 (Dual Processor Capable Server) comes with a 2.8GHz Intel Xeon DP Processor, 512Kbyte Level 2 Cache, 512Mbyte PC2100 DDR
SDRAM, three 36.4Gbyte SCSI Hard Disk Drives, ServeRAID 6i Card a 48x CD ROM and integrated Ethernet Card for approximately €2,250 (excl VAT)
Dell’s Power Edge 400sc is available in a number of configurations. The basic model is a single-processor server that comes with either an Intel Celeron or Pentium chip and it offers an 800 MHz front side. It also comes with 512 Mbyte RAM, 2 x 120 Gbyte SATA disks, Raid controller with mirrored disks and Travan backup device with tape and software.
eircom case study
Some companies choose to host their own servers inhouse, but deciding to outsource management of servers to a third party can also pay dividends as CPL found out recently. The CPL Group is a leading provider of workforce management solutions in Ireland. Offering recruitment, outsourcing and HR solutions to the public and private sectors, the group is organised into seven specialist recruitment companies, each one run by a team of highly trained consultants with sector-specific experience. The nature, speed and diversity of their business require them to invest in a robust and comprehensive Internet service, particularly as much of their business is online.
In the past CPL worked with multiple providers across all their locations. Originally they had a 128k leased line and e-mail with another provider, hardware supplied by a reseller, and broadband access with Eircom. With seven regional offices hosted by different ISPs and eight individual websites, it was clear that they had a requirement for an all-in-one communications solution.
Eircom worked together with CPL and their web partner Mediaone to deliver a complete communications strategy. A high-spec Dell Server with built in redundancy was purchased on behalf of CPL by Eircom and is now fully managed by them at their facilities in Citywest. CPL can now log onto the server via an ftp protocol to update the site via the content management system developed by Eircom. The package involves products and services from right across the Eircom group; namely voice and DSL for regional offices, hardware, managed servers, ISP services, web development and a content management system.
This solution will now form the cornerstone of the new technology direction for CPL. By implementing it, the company will significantly improve their online relationship with customers and thereby accelerate future sales opportunities. In addition, CPL no longer uses its old legacy system as it can now register online, and the new server interacts with the CPL database
Ciaran Magee, IT Manager at CPL, commented: ‘My experience working with Eircom in the past was always positive so I knew that they could provide CPL with an appropriate and customised all-in-one solution. The implementation was very successful and hassle free.’
According to Fiona Flynn, Head of Sales at Eircom Net: ‘Eircom’s ability to fully identify the customer requirements, provided the account managers with an opportunity to implement a complete solution to CPL.’
09/08/04
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