Does My SMB Need a Server?
The Mistake SMBs Make
It is surprising that the majority of companies never bother implementing a client/server based network. Instead they just continued adding on workstations to their old peer-to-peer network.
Peer-to-peer networks don't provide you with much in the way of security and resource sharing. So, not surprisingly, they often have problems accessing workstations, lose data due to viruses or spyware, or experience intermittent Internet problems. PCs networked in a peer-to-peer fashion are adequate when you only have a few users on the network, but once you have more than 5 or 6 users on your network, then you really need to consider investing in a network server.
Nevertheless, convincing a small business owner to make this type of investment can be a hard sell. Unlike large corporations, small businesses don't have the benefit of an IT department and/or the deep pockets necessary to maintain a complex IT infrastructure. However, network servers don't have to be overly expensive or complex for you to benefit from them.
