Physical Server vs. Cloud Server for small business

[RX_EVOLV]

Agree with Rage2.. if you guys are just need a place to store files like invoices, billing, etc.. just use Dropbox. Our small company (>8 employees) have been using dropbox for the past 5 years with no issues. Works out to $130/year/staff. For accounting we use Quickbooks Online.

However I'm starting to look into OneDrive. For $99/year, you get Office 365 subscriptions + 1TB OneDriveper user, so cheaper than Dropbox + access to Office. Do you guys have any experience with One Drive??

[rage2]

I love my OneDrive. I had a lot of extra lifetime GB tied to by account from referrals and other bonuses back in the day, so I use it for my personal stuff on my laptops. We have an O365 sub for work but no OneDrive to go along with it, some cheaper subscription.

Haven't tried OneDrive for business, or permissions sharing, so no idea. The file sync is bulletproof. It just works (at least with Windows).

[ExtraSlow]

I use my g-suites drive space for all the g-suite (docs/sheets etc) stuff for my business, as well as periodic backups of other important files as well. I don't have any kind of sync in place. So far, pretty happy with it.

[A790]

Originally posted by rage2
G Suite is actually $10/month/user which includes unlimited storage, but in our experience the sporadic sync errors makes it unreliable for business use. It works well if you use everything through G Docs/Sheets/etc and not rely on file sync, but I doubt it applies here which is why I brought up Dropbox. I hate to say it but Dropbox is more reliable when it comes to file sync (same with iCloud drive, One Drive...). No clue why G Drive just sucks in this department.

Weird, I have experienced no issues and I sync 100GB right meow.

Either way, getting a custom server for OP's needs is super overkill. SUUUUPER overkill.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by suntan
As a Canadian company I would never store files in a US datacentre that's subject to the Patriot Act.

Doesn't matter. 90% of Canadian internet traffic is routed thru US infrastructure. If you do cloud without private key encryption VPN or use something like Azure express route, your data is exposed anyway even if it's hosted in Canada.

The only thing hosting inside Canada buys you is FBI can't come in with a warrant to grab all your stuff. RCMP has to do it for them.

[rage2]

Originally posted by Xtrema
Doesn't matter. 90% of Canadian internet traffic is routed thru US infrastructure. If you do cloud without private key encryption VPN or use something like Azure express route, your data is exposed anyway even if it's hosted in Canada.

Who would connect to the cloud with no encryption. I don't think any cloud vpn supports unencrypted mode haha.

Originally posted by Xtrema
The only thing hosting inside Canada buys you is FBI can't come in with a warrant to grab all your stuff. RCMP has to do it for them.

Ya and RCMP has zero problems helping out. I know this from experience lol.

[spikerS]

Originally posted by Xtrema


Doesn't matter. 90% of Canadian internet traffic is routed thru US infrastructure. If you do cloud without private key encryption VPN or use something like Azure express route, your data is exposed anyway even if it's hosted in Canada.

The only thing hosting inside Canada buys you is FBI can't come in with a warrant to grab all your stuff. RCMP has to do it for them.

Not true, at least for TELUS anyways. We have 2 major backbone routes. One is 100% north of the border with our redundant link partially in the US around the great Lakes. When everything is working properly, the redundant link is super under capacity. We have lots of clients that can't have their data subject to the Patriot act, so we do a lot of work to keep it all in Canada with the south route only used for emergencies, unless they really sending or receiving to a US data center.

[spikerS]

Originally posted by rage2



Ya and RCMP has zero problems helping out. I know this from experience lol.

LOL I was gonna point him in your direction to debunk that myth.

[revelations]

Originally posted by A790

Weird, I have experienced no issues and I sync 100GB right meow.

Either way, getting a custom server for OP's needs is super overkill. SUUUUPER overkill.

Sounds like OPs (and most small business') realistic options are:

- Windows (or Linux) PC acting as file share
- Cloud storage (Google, dropbox, etc)
- NAS system

[A790]

Originally posted by revelations




Sounds like OPs (and most small business') realistic options are:

- Windows (or Linux) PC acting as file share
- Cloud storage (Google, dropbox, etc)
- NAS system

Well shit, for $7k that's a lotta years of cloud storage... lol.

[revelations]

Its 7k for a cardboard box with a server inside, THEN the IT guys tack on another 3-4k for migration, setup, etc.

[blindsight]

.

[R-Audi]

Thanks everyone, I am going to have a sit down with our IT guy and others to see if I am missing anyting in terms of our needs and uses. I think the server is way overkill and happy to listen to all suggestions.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by rage2

Who would connect to the cloud with no encryption. I don't think any cloud vpn supports unencrypted mode haha.


Ya and RCMP has zero problems helping out. I know this from experience lol.

Well, at least my current client has little to no barrier to cloud as much as I sound like that IT guy advising OP.

My previous client have dealing with Iran and another had some questionable financial dealings, they won't even put stuff in Q9, let alone into the cloud.

Originally posted by R-Audi
Thanks everyone, I am going to have a sit down with our IT guy and others to see if I am missing anyting in terms of our needs and uses. I think the server is way overkill and happy to listen to all suggestions.

Yeah, make sure your IT guy has a good explanation. It may cost you a little bit up front to change software/workflow to go to the cloud but in the long run, if you expect to stay as under 100 staff, should be cheaper to run your biz in the cloud.

[R-Audi]

Originally posted by Xtrema


Yeah, make sure your IT guy has a good explanation. It may cost you a little bit up front to change software/workflow to go to the cloud but in the long run, if you expect to stay as under 100 staff, should be cheaper to run your biz in the cloud.

If our business was booming and added another location or two, the most we would ever hire is another 2-4 people.. so it looks like a dedicated server is overkill. The one thing that is currently up in the air is we are looking at a new phone system, where as our old one was backed up on the server, which could alter our requirements.

I probaby should have given more info on the business, to make more sense. We are a full service Business Centre, that being we lease out full service office space. Server is only used for internal items though. We are currently in 2 buildings, so there is file sharing.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by R-Audi


If our business was booming and added another location or two, the most we would ever hire is another 2-4 people.. so it looks like a dedicated server is overkill. The one thing that is currently up in the air is we are looking at a new phone system, where as our old one was backed up on the server, which could alter our requirements.

I probaby should have given more info on the business, to make more sense. We are a full service Business Centre, that being we lease out full service office space. Server is only used for internal items though. We are currently in 2 buildings, so there is file sharing.

That could be a FTP/TFTP/DHCP type requirement and that could be a legit reason for a local server.

[rage2]

If you're multi location with such a small # of employees, then cloud file services is the way to go. As for phone system, we moved that to the cloud too.

https://www.8x8.com/

It's nice that everyone is just a simple extension away, and every call is coming from the same place regardless of where they are. Really feels no different to working on different floors even though guys are 1/2 way around the world. The Polycom phones are pretty solid, but yea, you'll want decent internet if you have a lot of concurrent calls on simultaneously, especially if you opt for the video phones like we have. QOS on each router is a must so some idiot watching youtube isn't going to fuck you over.

Working from home for me is awesome with their setup. Mobile app is a bit weak in poor wifi or data areas, but you can route incoming and outgoing calls through the cell voice network.

Our company saved a ton of money moving over, and that's at ~500 employees. Those PBX systems aren't cheap, I've bought 4 systems in 16 years when I ran IT here, so I'm going to guess the savings are even more for a 10 employee company.

[R-Audi]

Originally posted by rage2
If you're multi location with such a small # of employees, then cloud file services is the way to go. As for phone system, we moved that to the cloud too.

https://www.8x8.com/

.

We are just starting the phone search.. major neccessity is the ability to have a main switchboard for reception though, each location has some 75-90 odd different business that we answer the phone for. I'll take a look at the 8x8. We hav the ability to use Shaw fibre, so I assume that is sufficient.

[rage2]

We've never used it, but they have switchboarding.

https://www.8x8.com/voip-business-ph...es/switchboard

The nice thing is handling everything at a single location, so if you expand, you don't have to hire 2-4 people (I'm assuming call volume is relatively low) and manage all buildings in a single location, even around the world.

[suntan]

Originally posted by spikerS


LOL I was gonna point him in your direction to debunk that myth.

It's not really up to me, it's up to the policies of current and future clients.

FYI, we get asked about where are infrastructure is all the time.

And yeah, I get that the authorities can get information without a warrant. The concern with a lot of clients is that the Patriot Act is so sweeping, that their information can be released even though they had nothing to do with whatever the concern was, whereas with current Canadian legislation the boundaries for warrantless information retrieval is specific and limited.