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| Thread ID: 96203 | 2009-01-02 06:53:00 | Does a small business need their own Exchange Server / Terminal Server? | Chilling_Silence (9) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 734364 | 2009-01-02 06:53:00 | So Ive just spoken with some more friends who run a small business, they've just spent a bucketload of cash getting their own Exchange Server, their own Terminal Server (Both separate hardware) and there's only about 5-6 users. Is it really worth it? Or are there some benefits here Im missing? Basically, Ive been friends with another fella for a while who runs two small businesses. One has been running for several years now, and he signed up with an IT company a few years back who gave him a similar setup: 7x Thin Clients Terminal Server Exchange Server 24-Port Switch Proxying all internet out some super-expensive Cisco router All in a massive 40U rack! I went and setup his second business around 6 months ago with: A Linksys Router & a pfSense box 5x Toshiba Laptops 8-Port PoE Switch (To power the SIP Phones) Cost is 30-40K (Im not sure of the whole cost, the owner didnt want to say, plus it was around 18 months ago so might not be accurate in todays market) vs $6.5 to 7K I s'pose what Im getting at: Why would a small business want to host their own Email server? Does a small business really NEED a Terminal Server? What benefits do they offer that I've missed? Not really wanting to take a big dig at businesses that base their business around selling / supporting Microsoft etc, but Im just curious, having seen a few small businesses (<20 employees) in the last couple of years fork out big bucks for it, and I s'pose Im not sure why they would. Thoughts / Comments / Insults / Insights appreciated Chill. |
Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
| 734365 | 2009-01-02 06:56:00 | Insane. | pctek (84) | ||
| 734366 | 2009-01-02 06:58:00 | Insane. Elegant, in its brevity ;) |
Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
| 734367 | 2009-01-02 07:07:00 | NNNNOOOO | GameJunkie (72) | ||
| 734368 | 2009-01-02 07:11:00 | Is there any instance where a generic small business (Not something specialist) would want something like that? There must be, coz MS created the "Small Business Server" :p I winged all my MS Certifications, so never got the "sales speech" that would tell me all the product advantages, and reasons to sell to my clients etc ;) |
Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
| 734369 | 2009-01-02 07:14:00 | Hell NO!!!! Exchange and Terminal Server is best suited for 150 - 200+ user base. Terminal Server would be an option if you had more users than computers... it is easier to user a TS than buy a PC for each user especially if the user rewirements are minimal such as email and Internet access. Definitely not the best move they have made... unless they're expecting huge growth in this time of economic stagnation. |
chiefnz (545) | ||
| 734370 | 2009-01-02 07:16:00 | Any ideas what selling points said IT Co. would have used to convince them to part with their hard-earned cash then? Both businesses pretty much do basic email / web browsing, a little desktop publishing ... |
Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
| 734371 | 2009-01-02 07:33:00 | They could have maybe argued scalability? | beeswax34 (63) | ||
| 734372 | 2009-01-02 07:36:00 | Any ideas what selling points said IT Co. would have used to convince them to part with their hard-earned cash then? Both businesses pretty much do basic email / web browsing, a little desktop publishing ... I won't name the business, but one organisation I know of (with around 10-20pcs I think, scattered throughout 5 or so offices around the country) was convinced to invest in a terminal-services like setup, for "backup" purposes. I.e. since all of the user's documents, settings, and what-not were on the server (Terminal Services), then the daily tape backup of the server would also take care of backing up the user's data, settings, and anything else they would care about. Users at remote sites would connect to the server at head office via some sort of expensive VPN-type system leased from Telecom. For what they were doing, that was just plain stupid, since there were much better alternatives available. Maybe the "backup" benefits were one of the selling points used in your scenario? |
somebody (208) | ||
| 734373 | 2009-01-02 07:54:00 | So Ive just spoken with some more friends who run a small business, they've just spent a bucketload of cash getting their own Exchange Server, their own Terminal Server (Both separate hardware) and there's only about 5-6 users. Is it really worth it? Or are there some benefits here Im missing? Basically, Ive been friends with another fella for a while who runs two small businesses. One has been running for several years now, and he signed up with an IT company a few years back who gave him a similar setup: 7x Thin Clients Terminal Server Exchange Server 24-Port Switch Proxying all internet out some super-expensive Cisco router All in a massive 40U rack! I went and setup his second business around 6 months ago with: A Linksys Router & a pfSense box 5x Toshiba Laptops 8-Port PoE Switch (To power the SIP Phones) Cost is 30-40K (Im not sure of the whole cost, the owner didnt want to say, plus it was around 18 months ago so might not be accurate in todays market) vs $6.5 to 7K I s'pose what Im getting at: Why would a small business want to host their own Email server? Does a small business really NEED a Terminal Server? What benefits do they offer that I've missed? Not really wanting to take a big dig at businesses that base their business around selling / supporting Microsoft etc, but Im just curious, having seen a few small businesses (<20 employees) in the last couple of years fork out big bucks for it, and I s'pose Im not sure why they would. Thoughts / Comments / Insults / Insights appreciated Chill. Sounds like they got ripped by Gen-I :D A Terminal server is overkill unless they have a specific app that runs better on a TS. A server running SBS2003/8 would be a good idea though. Cheap as chips for an entry level HP with SBS and 5 user cals included. No need to go overboard with the server specs. Having Exchange is great for the emails, calendar and contacts sharing etc as well as the backup side for all the users emails plus Documents folder. Then you also get the remote access if anyone needs to check emails etc away from the office. |
CYaBro (73) | ||
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