As with any business or organization, it is important to build a strong foundation. And a sound information technology infrastructure is no exception. As information technology permeates every facet of business in the 21st century, it is imperative that you build a network and Web site that is both scalable and robust. It must also be secure from unauthorized use and help prevent malicious code attacks brought on by hackers. Moreover, your computer network and Web servers should be a modern client-server system, not some hold over technology initially developed in the 1960s (i.e. Linux, Unix based mainframes and mid-range computers). Moreover, these older technologies are expensive to maintain and often difficult to manage. Fortunately, there is a better alternative. 

It's called the Microsoft® Windows Server System™, an advanced successor to Windows 2000. This state-of-the-art network operating system is not completely new. It's core code base or kernel was initially developed in 1995 and was based on a high-performance multi-tasking operating system known as Mach from MIT. Since then, it has evolved into a powerful application and Web server capable of efficiently supporting from two to literally thousands of end users on a single server depending on its configuration. More importantly, it contains integrated network management tools built-in to the operating system itself thereby negating the need for additional and expensive third-party management tools. This factor alone contributes to its lower total cost of ownership or TCO when compared to older UNIX and Linux based alternatives.

If your interests lie in moving to a Windows based network and/or Website as noted above, our consultants can help you plan, implement and/or migrate your existing network to the Microsoft Windows Server System. It is important to note that these systems are advanced and require a certified network engineer to plan and implement except in the case of the standard edition of Small Business Server system listed below.

There are several versions of the Windows Server System and prices begin as low as $495, not including installation and configuration. For your convenience, they are outlined below.

Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 (Premium and Standard Edition)
This is Microsoft's entry level server system and is designed primarily for small organizations. It supports a total of 75 workstations (and unlimited users) and can be configured to support several branch offices with their own Windows file server. The server is loaded with applications such as, a database management system, e-mail server, Web server, and optional advanced firewall system (Premium Edition only). It supports dual-processor machines and contain access up to 4 gigabytes of RAM.

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 - Standard Edition
This is Microsoft's "basic" file and print server, but it's anything but basic. It too is designed primarily for small businesses that wish to add an additional server in order to spread demand loads for applications and users. It can be configured as a network file and print server, authentication server or domain controller and runs any of the twenty or so Microsoft server based applications designed exclusively for the Windows Server System. It supports up to four processors and 4 gigabytes of RAM. This server system is an ideal and affordable add-on to the Small Business Server when additional computing capacity is required.

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 - Enterprise Edition
This version of Microsoft Windows Server is designed support hundreds to thousands of users on a local area network that is typically found in a medium to large sized organization. It is generally used as an authentication server or domain controller, in addition to serving up server based applications such as Microsoft Exchange and SQL Server. It can support up to 8 processors on a single machine and 64 gigabytes of RAM.

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 - Web Server Edition
This is a specialized version of Windows Server designed to support a Web server farm on low-cost blade server computers. In addition, the operating system does not contain Microsoft Active Directory Services as an integral component as do all other versions of the Windows Server System. It is ideal for hosting Web sites (and multi-homing) on dozens or even hundreds of computers and is often used by ISPs. It has a 2 gigabyte RAM/Dual processor limitation.

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 - Data Center Edition
This is Microsoft's flagship network operating system. This server system is designed to replace older and more larger mainframe systems. It has been rated as one of the fastest 64-Bit operating systems in the world in past tests against comparably equipped UNIX based mainframes. It requires specialized hardware to run and is available from only a handful of vendors such as, HP and Unisys. It can support up to 64 processors and 512 gigabytes of RAM in a single specially equipped machine.

Microsoft Application Servers
Microsoft has no less than twenty application servers that support everything from messaging (i.e. e-mail and video conferencing) to database management systems. They require the Windows Server System as a platform or network operating system to run. Our consultants support these application servers on a limited basis.
 

Bethesda Web Services
Tel. 240-812-3088