Business Server Buying Guide

When Do You Need a Server?

Choosing a laptop or desktop is no longer complicated: words like "processor," "hard drive," and "RAM" are now part of everyday language. When it comes to servers, however, things get more complex.

Before buying a server, you need to understand how it will be used, which applications it will run, and how important those functions are for your business.

What Is a Server?

Think of a server as a more powerful computer than a standard desktop, designed to provide services, information, and applications to other computers connected to it over a network. Servers are built to handle heavier workloads and offer remote management tools that let IT staff monitor usage and diagnose issues from anywhere.

There are actually two different definitions of a server: a server (as hardware) is a physical machine connected to a network where, alongside the operating system, one or more software services (hosts) run. A server (as software) is a program that provides a specific service, which can be requested locally or over a network by other programs known as clients.

When Is a Server Necessary?

Before purchasing a server, it's worth asking whether:

1. Your company uses two or more computers: centralizing data storage in one location makes file access and sharing easier, improving how information is managed overall.
2. Employees travel frequently for work: a server that lets employees connect remotely to the company network and access information from anywhere can be a real advantage.
3. Employees share documents across different computers: servers provide a centralized location for storing and organizing important documents, preventing accidental loss of files. A server can also help organize data and protect the business in case of file corruption. By running backups, files stored in copies can be restored at any time. Thanks to multiple hard drives on a server, the system remains recoverable even if one drive fails.
4. You need to host your company website: a server makes it easier to manage and develop your site.
5. You need to share access to peripherals such as printers or fax machines: servers provide access across the whole office, reduce the load on local PCs, and queue print or send jobs.

It's clear that a server allows employees to share software tools and access company databases both online and offline, making it easier to manage computers and monitor access to sensitive information by staff and devices. It becomes easier to prevent unwanted intrusions thanks to better management of access policies for company IT resources and antivirus software. A server also makes it possible to add new platforms, plan activities, share information, manage customers and suppliers, send group emails and faxes, and organize contacts and customer data in a single place.

Buying Isn't the Only Option: Managed Cloud Servers

Not every business needs to physically own a server. If your priority is getting started quickly without managing hardware, updates and replacements, the alternative is a managed cloud server: the same core functions — centralized storage, remote access, backups — without the upfront investment, with maintenance handled by the provider. The choice between the two mostly comes down to how much direct control over the hardware matters to you versus the flexibility of a monthly fee.

So, Which Server? Not Just Whether You Need One

At this point you know WHETHER you need a server, not yet WHICH one. The next question is the format that fits your business — tower, rack, blade or a virtualized environment — covered in How to Choose a Business Server; once the format is clear, the choice moves on to brand and model, the topic of Best Business Servers: How to Choose Between HPE, Dell, Lenovo and Supermicro. If you'd rather talk to a technician directly before reading further, the contact form at the bottom of this page is the fastest way to do that.