How much does it cost to buy a dedicated server for small and medium enterprises (SME)
In this article, we explore how much it will cost to buy a dedicated server for small and medium enterprises. We will learn about different types of server, their components and other items you should consider when buying a server. Servers are an excellent source for doing IT operations of your business; storing the files, running your applications and form the foundation of your IT network.
(We have focused on servers that you would buy and install in your office rather than using a cloud server or a server hosted in a data centre).
Server Manufacturers
Some common server manufacturers include Dell, Fujitsu, Lenovo and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). Some other names that you may see mentioned include Cisco, Supermicro and Huawei.
You may ask who is the best? That is a very subjective question and difficult to answer. Much like the UK car market; there are different classes of car, models, engines and feature packs. Some car manufacturers dominate some segments of the market (i.e. sports cars) but focus less on others (i.e. city cars) – servers and server vendors are no different. Some are class-leading in the datacentre/high-end areas, while others have a strong offering in the small business (SMB) space.
Before focusing too much on the vendor, it is best to focus on your needs and specific considerations for your business first.
Server Types
There are three main types of server:
Tower Server: These look like a traditional PC, a vertically standing box. Tower servers are sometimes known as pedestal servers. These are free-standing and can be installed in a cabinet or on the floor.
Rack Server: These are flat servers that you would install in a server rack or cabinet. These are commonplace in data centres and usually most common looking servers.
Blade Server: These look like a large Tower or Rack Server – but actually, feature several servers in one chassis. These servers increase the efficiency and performance and may cost more in the beginning as upfront payment is required to purchase blade servers which may be quite high in the beginning but in the longer run may be efficient.
Companies to buy:
OVH: It’s a french company which is the worlds third largest server provider
Leaseweb: Its a Netherlands based company which is one of the best servers provides in the world
Take a look at our dedicated server configurations at Web Pundits.