As a business grows and its need for additional resources increases, a new server is an inevitability. Logistics experts recommend replacing hardware every few years to keep up with improvements in the industry and maintain adequate network performance. That may sound like a lot of hardware turnover, but consider the extreme wear put on such hardware. The company’s network must be up every hour of every day, which means maintaining a constant electrical flow and dealing with temperature swings, humidity, dust, and other hazards. Even if the hardware is kept in a clean room, it’s unreasonable to expect more than a few years of strong performance from something that works non-stop. And, of course, the upside to frequent replacement is that the business will be able to grow faster and maintain excellent efficiency.
When should a company consider getting a new server, and what are the benefits?
At first, a small startup might get by with just a few desktops and deal with the hassle of transferring data and accessing resources through inefficient means. For a small company, that might be the most cost effective option. Once a business has grown to more than just a few workspaces, though, a network will be necessary, and not just a faux network controlled by a desktop running ersatz server software. Desktops are not engineered for sharing and directing resources to multiple computers, and are extremely inefficient at doing so. And because they do not offer much in the way of backend control, using a desktop to control a network will put the company at risk of data loss, malware, and slow speeds.
So, a new server will eventually be needed for a business that is growing quickly, or outgrowing its current infrastructure. In either case, there are clear benefits to bringing in fresh hardware.
A state of the art system will offer greater processing speeds, memory storage, and memory access speeds. This raw power boost will allow for quicker file transfers and resource sharing, which are essential to the business’s smooth running. Perhaps more importantly, though, is improved reliability. Any business that has experienced downtime knows how risky it is relying on spotty hardware. If the brains of the operation go dark even for a couple of hours, it can sabotage workflow and result in the company paying for unused labor.
With a new server also comes improved power usage and backup, so the system can do more with less power than before. That can add up to significant cost savings. And with improved data backup and fault protection capabilities, a business will never be put in a spot where their precious resources are unrecoverable. Improved operating software is also configured for current hardware, and it will allow the company’s IT professionals to do more with the system. And finally, with new hardware comes a warranty, so if something does fail, the business will be protected.
There are strong reasons for setting up a new server when the time comes, and a business owner will realize they made the right decision the moment it’s switched on.