Is Your Business Ready for Its First Server?

Tech Brief

an Internet.com Tech Brief. 2010, Internet.com, a division of QuinStreet, Inc.

Is Your Business Ready for Its First Server?

Small businesses love to mark milestones. Small retailers like to frame the first dollars that a customer spent in their store. Small technology and engineering firms love to recall when they moved out of the garage or basement and found their first real office space. Technology brings its own milestones to small businesses, such as buying a domain name, getting e-mail addresses, and buying PCs or laptops for the employees. But its right about the same time that small businesses get their technology legs that they need to consider how they are going to store and access the information that makes their business go. The idea of buying a server might intimidate some small business owners, but those who want to organize and secure their information, and run the most efficient business possible, will find that buying their first server carries with it a number of advantages. How does a small business know when its ready for its first server? Start by answering these questions. benefit from the centralized storage and access abilities of a server. Small business employees can rely on USB sticks and e-mail to transport files, but to ensure that the files are truly up to date, secure, and accessible requires a server. services, provides contact information, and even helps sell products across a geographically dispersed market without investing in a great deal of infrastructure. A server allows small businesses to maintain control over their Web presence creating the site, updating content, and changing the design without the limits imposed by a hosting provider.

Do your employees work from multiple locations?

These days, being in business together doesnt mean you need to be on the same continent. Whether its travel or a bicoastal partnership, employees and partners in different locations need access to up-to-date information on their device regardless of location or time zone. A server makes business information available around the clock to those who need it.

Do you have information you need to keep secure?

A number of industries have regulations regarding the safe storage and transport of data, and small businesses that operate in these industries need to abide by the rules. Regardless of the industry, keeping sensitive information about the business or its customers on laptops or mobile devices is asking for trouble. Businesses that store information on individual PCs or laptops are also making it more difficult to backup and 1

Does your business have more than one computer?

Any small business with more than one computer will find a server is the easiest way to store and access information regardless of the physical location of the user or the data. Even a small business with only one employee that uses multiple machines can

Does your business have a website?

A website helps customers find businesses, learn about products and

Internet.com Tech Brief. 2010, Internet.com, a division of QuinStreet, Inc.

Is Your Business Ready for Its First Server?

restore data when something goes wrong.

data and the pervasive use of computers and mobile devices, a server can help small businesses in any industry run more efficiently. Some industries might be more interested in security, while others will find the biggest advantage of adopting a server-based network lies in its storage capacity or ability to run applications. Here are a few cases that explain how adding a server to a small business in specific industries helps the business run more smoothly.

addresses, phone numbers, and social security numbers. Many large firms that operate in financial services have been the victims of well-publicized security breaches and had to pay severe penalties, as well as offer identity theft protection for those affected by the breach. Smaller firms can ill afford the costs associated with such a breach. The centralized data protection offered by a server can help prevent the loss of sensitive data by storing it on one server and controlling access to the data through the use of authentication. Sensitive files can be restricted to only those users authorized to view them, such as managers or advisors. A server also makes it easier to backup

Do your employees share resources like printers and scanners?

Adding a server to a small business makes it easy to centralize and store not just information, but also the resources that make the modern office run. Many offices have multiple printers, color and black and white for example, and need to provide access to these devices for authorized users. A server allows multiple users to easily share office resources so small businesses dont have to spend money on more than they really need.

Financial Services
Doing business in financial services means dealing with sensitive information. Financial service firms not only keep records of their customers assets, investments, and securities, but there is no shortage of sensitive information about the customers themselves, such as account numbers,

Does your business plan on growing?

Digital data is growing like never before because even the smallest of business have replaced paper processes with electronic and online processes. The small business that puts off buying a server to help manage and secure its data can soon find itself buried in electronic files. Buying a server before that information is scattered among multiple PCs is a good way to keep up with a growing business. Efficient small businesses devote more time to their core business and less time to tracking down information.

A server can help small businesses in any industry run more efficiently.

How Can a Server Help Your Business?

Thanks to an explosion in electronic

Internet.com Tech Brief. 2010, Internet.com, a division of QuinStreet, Inc.

Is Your Business Ready for Its First Server?

and restore sensitive information so the important details on account statements, payments, and balances arent lost in the event of a hardware or software failure or some external event. In addition to security, businesses that work in financial services will also find the addition of a server makes it easier to deal with paperwork. Financial services firms rely on customers to complete forms to complete any number of tasks, such as opening accounts, adjusting asset allocations, authorizing trades, and changing addresses. A server provides a safe and secure place to store these forms so employees can find the current version and get them to customers quickly. The addition of a server can also be the first step toward selfservice, in which customers visit a Web site and download their own forms, for example. By centralizing security and storage a server can create a number of efficiencies for financial services firms, making it easier to control access to sensitive information and helping employees and customers find the right information at the right time. The ability to communicate with customers any time of the day or night is a must in the real estate world, where a lot of business is conducted on weekends and off hours. When all of the necessary documents and collateral are stored on a secure server, employees using remote access from laptops, home PCs, or mobile devices can find the information they need and get it to interested buyers or renters with the confidence that the information is up to date. The amount of information and the likelihood that the information will change means that careful control and centralized storage of documents can save time and money for real Computer-aided design (CAD) revolutionized how products and buildings are designed by moving the design away from drafting boards and onto computers. The resulting CAD files, which are often graphic-intensive and detailed, are large files that take up a lot of space. The ample storage space of a server provides a place to store large design files without slowing Real estate agencies deal with a lot of information, and that information comes and goes as properties enter and leave the sales or leasing market. For each property listed with a real PCs to a crawl. A server also solves the transport issue that surrounds large files by allowing users to access the files by logging into a server to access the documents. A server can centrally store all of the collateral associated with a property, making that collateral easier to manage and freeing up the storage space on individual PCs. A server is also the perfect place to run database and CRM applications that track properties, clients, potential clients, and showings and need to be accessed my multiple employees. Before computers became commonplace in engineering firms, paper was everywhere and not just any pieces of paper. Large blueprints, lengthy specification sheets, architects drawings, and even models of projects cluttered desks and file cabinets. The good news is that computers freed up some physical space in engineering firms by eliminating some of the paper. The bad news is that, without a server, its almost as hard to transport and collaborate on some of these materials as it was in the days of paper. estate agency there is a significant amount of collateral created, including the basic listing information, brochures, and photos. Without a server, all of the listing information and collateral associated with a property can end up on separate PCs and laptops, making it hard for employees and agents to keep track of the most updated version as details change. estate professionals, especially when they spend a great deal of time out of the office. A server is also the first step toward creating centralized applications to keep track of properties and clients, making firms more efficient and creating room for future growth.

Engineering

Real Estate

Internet.com Tech Brief. 2010, Internet.com, a division of QuinStreet, Inc.

Is Your Business Ready for Its First Server?

Retail
But storing the files found at an engineering firm is only part of the battle. From CAD files to specification sheets, revisions and collaboration are the norm at engineering firms, and some type of centralized document management system that allows files to be accessed by authorized users, checked out so revisions can be made, and keeps a history of the revisions is necessary to prevent costly mistakes. With a server multiple engineers working for the same firm or collaborating as partners or customers can collaborate on large files without worrying about transporting the files or version control. Best of all, changes can be made in minutes and even the smallest change can be made. It wasnt too long ago that this type of collaboration relied mostly on couriers and took days worth of valuable time. Even retailers that are using hosting providers for their online stores, or A server can be the first step toward enabling e-commerce in your business, though many small retailers that sell online leave the online ordering, credit card processing, and sometimes even the order fulfillment to hosting providers that specialize in e-commerce. Using customer relationship management (CRM) software installed on a server, retailers can keep accurate lists of customer information and use it to market products and services to those who are interested. Experts claim that it is four to seven times more costly to create a new customer than to retain an existing customer, so keeping in touch with past customers is vital to keeping the business prosperous. Efficiency is important to being a successful retailer because inventory that sits in your store or warehouse costs money. Retailers can help increase revenue and control costs by adopting server-based software that makes it easier to communicate with customers and suppliers. Widespread adoption of the Internet caused a seismic shift in the retail world. Its not a stretch to say that anyone can become a retailer thanks to Web sites that quickly and easily enable e-commerce transactions. Whether a retailer is selling online, in a physical store, or doing both, a server allows retailers to efficiently handle basic tasks that will help make their business successful. A server allows retailers to host applications that keep track of sales and inventory, and then make that data available to employees, suppliers, and even customers. Centralizing and securing this information means that it can be accessed by authorized users from any location, streamlining supply chains like large retailers that run massive yet efficient operations. that dont sell online at all, can benefit from a server to help make it easier to communicate with their two most important partners their customers and their suppliers.

Healthcare
Despite the notable increases in technology in everyday life, many
Internet.com Tech Brief. 2010, Internet.com, a division of QuinStreet, Inc.

Is Your Business Ready for Its First Server?

patients still have their medical and dental histories stored in manila folders when they visit their primary care physician or dentist. Paper-based storage and transport processes lead to inefficiencies, are almost impossible to backup and restore, and are prone to loss. Healthcare providers like doctors and dentists can use a server to store patient records, schedule patient visits and office schedules, and enable collaboration with specialists and colleagues. The move toward electronic healthcare records means that doctors and dentists need a place to store information that ranges from basic personal information on patients right up to large digital files like images Timely, accurate information allows healthcare professionals to provide proper care to patients by reducing of X-rays and other medical imaging technologies. This information needs to be securely stored yet accessible to authorized users. It also needs to be transported and shared with specialists, hospitals, or other healthcare professionals brought in for consultations. The ability to backup and restore patient information is critical to maintaining accurate records and providing accurate, affordable healthcare. Servers and their ability to redundantly store information and create backups help ensure that accurate records are stored and available to those who need them. Small businesses using multiple PCs or with employees in more than one location will find a server makes the sharing of information and resources easier than ever before and gives businesses the room to grow. Information is the lifeblood of business regardless of company size or industry. By centralizing and securing the storage of information, and providing access to the employees and partners that need it, a server helps businesses run more smoothly and creates new opportunities in the process. the errors of paper-based processes and making collaboration among providers and specialists easier and faster.

Summary

Internet.com Tech Brief. 2010, Internet.com, a division of QuinStreet, Inc.