Finding the right system for your office has recently gotten more complicated with a variety options on the table. It used to be that if a company needed a network, it had to be in-house. That’s just not the case now that the is cloud available for use. These are sometimes called thin client servers. So, when you’re making the decision to have your network in-house or in the cloud, there are a few factors to evaluate.

First, unless you use Google and save everything in Google docs or another free online service, there is typically a monthly fee to pay when using a cloud subscription service. To have an internal network you’ll have the upfront fee for equipment, set up, and maintenance (maintenance varies with the computing tasks, but is typically minimal for small businesses). Some businesses hire staff with IT experience to maintain the system, while others may use an IT contractor.

Second, you’ll need to decide what works best for the business security wise. Online cloud services offer different levels of security and encryption, so some research will have to be done to make an educated decision. If you go with an in-house server network, you will determine the level of security and you can personalize it to fit your needs.

The benefits of using fee-based cloud subscription service is that there is no equipment to maintain or regulate. On the other hand, the with the in-house network, the majority of cost is at the beginning for set up. If you choose to go with server blades for your network, you can cut the cost even further with refurbished servers from Dell, IBM, Sun or HP. You’ll have to evaluate the cost your business can absorb to function efficiently.

The next blog will discuss the security differences between in-house server networks and thin client servers.