How Server-based Networks Boost Small Business

Server based networks aren't just for the Enterprise. Any business, large or small, can benefit from the advantages of having a fast and well-equipped server as the heart of their IT infrastructure. A server can help you increase your productivity, enables smart backup and archiving, and vastly improves the security of your data. The addition of network attached storage (NAS) - an easy and cost-effective upgrade - brings another set of benefits to your business and enables a straightforward growth path.

Microsoft's new Windows Small Business Server 2008 platform is an all-in-one server solution designed to give the same kinds of high-end networking features that power the Enterprise to the SMB market. It combines Windows Server 2008, Exchange Server 2007, Office Live Small Business 2008, Windows SharePoint Services and more into a single OS that can run on a single server. It includes Internet connectivity, internal Web sites, e-mail, remote access, mobile device support, file and printer sharing, backup, and restore, all in one package.

BENEFITS OF SERVER-BASED NETWORKING

The benefits of centralizing your IT infrastructure compared to a low-end peer-to-peer network include:

• Centralized File Management:
  Spend last time trying to find where your critical business information is saved. By taking vital data off individual desktops and putting it into a single, searchable, organized and redundant repository, you increase accessibility to that information and make it work for you in a more efficient way.
  
  
• Mobility:
  Small Business Server 2008 provides a Remote Web Workplace and services for supporting Windows Mobile devices as clients to SBS applications. It delivers secure access to business contacts, calendars, e-mail, files, and other important desktop resources from any web-connected computer or mobile device like Windows Mobile smart-phones.
  
  
• Collaboration:
  A network OS like Small Business Server 2008 can transform the way your employees work, increasing collaboration by creating virtual spaces where they can share schedules, files and whatever else they need to get a project done. You can also increase communication with outside vendors, clients and customers by granting them access to these virtual spaces as well. SBS 2008 makes it easy to set up satellite offices and to work together on shared documents across any distance.
  
  
• Performance:
  If you have highly paid employees, the last thing you want is for them to be waiting for their software or print request to respond. With innovations like multicore processors and Gigabit Ethernet managed by the power of SBS 2008, the performance improvement is palpable.

Future Growth

As plan for the future, remember that incorporating a well-designed information technology infrastructure today will ease your journey toward growth tomorrow.


For more information about our professional IT support solutions, please contact us at: 206.709.9556 or e-mail info@digitalseattle.com.

Digital Seattle is an IT support and managed information technology provider serving Western Washington's small to medium-sized businesses throughout the greater Puget Sound area, including Seattle, Bellevue, Tukwila, Burien and surrounding areas.