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Fasthosts Warn That Old Fashioned Computing Practices Cost Small
Businesses £18 Billion Annually |
By:
Michael Hanna |
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Small to medium size UK businesses are wasting money every day
and putting the future of their business in jeopardy through old
fashioned computing practices, which are costing them £18
billion annually. This is the conclusion of the Server Solutions
Study by Fasthosts, the
UK's largest independent hosting company. Fasthosts
conducted a study into server computing solutions in SME
businesses. It examined the basic solutions needed to set up a
server securely in-house in comparison to using hosted services.
The study revealed that many small businesses in the UK host
their server in-house because of the out-dated belief that this
allows maximum access and security. Following an examination of
the SME server computing environment, the opposite was found to
be the case, as hosting a server within the company premises
requires careful consideration and preparation.
Analysis revealed that the minimum requirements for SMEs running
a server in-house are a power failure system to ensure the
server can be shut down safely in case of an emergency; SDSL
internet connection for maximum upload speed; a remote control
card for access to the server from outside the office; a
firewall for security and additional considerations such as air
conditioning; physical security and remote back up. The study
found that the cost for these quickly add up and on an ongoing
basis impact the bottom line. (Source: National Statistics and
Fasthosts' Server Solutions Study, 2005) However, when
these systems are not in place the future of any small business
can be at risk. Especially small businesses in London have a
very low three-year survival rate at 62.8% in contrast to
Northern Ireland (72.4%), Wales (86%) and Scotland (65.3%)
(Source: Confederation of British Industry, 2005).
"In our experience many businesses are still stuck in 1980s
computing mentality," comments Andrew Michael, CEO of Fasthosts.
"They need to move and embrace new computing practices. It is
impossible to put value on data so it needs to be kept under
maximum security - data is the lifeblood of any business. Only a
hosted environment offers the required security solutions in a
cost effective bundle, however the SME market remains largely
ignorant of this." Fasthosts carried out the Server
Solution Study to analyse its dedicated
server offering and ensure it matches the needs of the
marketplace. Fasthosts offers hosted services for servers in a
highly secure, air conditioned data centre in the UK. The hosted
servers can be set up instantly online and come with a private
LAN, easy to use control panel, full remote control and
firewall. An SDSL connection can be added as well as secure
database hosting. The Server Solutions Study was
carried out in November 2005 and examined the costs of essential
solutions needed to host a server securely and safely in-house
versus hosting it at a remote data centre. The study examined
the UK SME server computing environment, including all factors
essential to secure maximum uptime and the security of business
critical data. Key solutions examined included air conditioning,
SDSL, UPS, firewall, remote control card which are provided by
most hosting providers as part of a standard hosting package.
About Fasthosts Since 1999, Fasthosts has
delivered market leading online services to the home, home
office and SME markets. The business has a successful track
record and proven business model in providing high value, award
winning products. Contact details: Ed
Johnson Ed.Johnson@fasthosts.co.uk Fasthosts Internet
Ltd. Discovery House 154 Southgate Street
Gloucester GL1 2EX United Kingdom Tel +44 (0)870
888 3600 Fax +44 (0)870 888 3838
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Article Source: http://www.friendsofvista.org/articles/article31341.html |
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