 Technology
Best Practices
Server Operating System Savvy
By T. Scott Plumley
Your business is growing and it is time to start looking
at getting a true server in your organization to manage
your network. Most small businesses will choose
Microsoft Windows Server because it is easy to manage.
Also, the support base in the IT community is vast in
comparison with all other server platforms. So, you
start pricing out servers and you have options on the
Microsoft server platform in terms of Windows Standard
Edition or Windows Small Business Edition. Which do you
choose and why? I will go over the primary differences
between the two different platforms and the benefits, as
well as the limitations, of each.
Windows Server
Standard Edition
Windows Standard out of the box gives
you the ability to set up centralized file and print
management; centralized account management; web hosting;
data backups on schedule; TCP/IP management services;
Terminal Services (remote desktop); and also the ability
to install Microsoft server software such as SQL Server,
Exchange Server, QuickBooks, Act, and countless other
server-based applications. The average price for a
Windows Standard 5-User license is around $700.00. Each
additional 5-User license is around $150.00.
Windows Server Small Business Edition
Windows Small Business offers all the same services
previously listed with Windows Standard, but it also
comes bundled with Microsoft Exchange, Office Outlook
and Sharepoint Services. The Small Business Premium
Edition version includes SQL Server and Internet
Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server. Microsoft
Exchange is an email hosting product that allows you to
host your own .com email, as well as have a shared
contact, calendar, and task system for your
organization. The average price for a Windows Small
Business 5-User license is $400.00. Each additional
5-User license is the same $400 average price.
Advantages and Disadvantages – Things to Consider:
Windows Standard Edition is more expensive than Small
Business. The benefit of using Standard Edition over
Small Business is that you can easily add a second
server to your network and it can share the load. The
servers have the ability to maintain a copy of all the
user accounts, email accounts, files and database
management. This way, if one server goes down, it is
much easier to roll all your data and programs over to
the second server without having to rebuild your
network. So short term, your cost is much higher, but
spread out over the life of your system, the standard
edition built network will grow and expand without
costing you a rebuild fee each time you upgrade.
If Windows Small Business comes with all the extra bells
and whistles that Standard Edition does not have, why
would I not choose to go with that system? The primary
difference between the Windows Standard and Small
Business Editions is that Small Business only allows you
to have one physical server in charge of the network.
This is crucial, primarily because all your information
will be stored on one server and cannot be split or
shared between multiple servers. In essence, all your
data eggs are in one basket. Also, down the road when
you are ready to replace this server, the entire logical
network will have to be rebuilt because you can’t
integrate a new server into the existing network. Even
if the prices are less up front, the cost of maintaining
and upgrading the system will balance out the cost over
a 5 – 10 year period. The good thing about Small
Business is that it does give you all the bells and
whistles that you need for a low price. If you don’t
foresee your organization growing beyond five to ten
employees it is definitely an option worth considering.
When it comes time to purchase a server for your
organization, it is very important to consider growth
and longevity as well as your budget, since long term,
one option might be more beneficial than the other.
T. Scott Plumley is the President of High Speed Network
Services. High Speed Network Services provides full IT
support to small and medium sized businesses. Scott has
over 10 years experience working with small, medium and
Fortune 100 businesses. Contact Scott at 813-404-5498 or
scott@hsnsfl.com.
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