Web Hosting - Cheaper and Easier for Small Businesses

Dauber predicted that lower prices would lead many, if not most, small
businesses to dedicated servers for their websites. However, the rise of
dedicated servers has one additional benefit, he noted. They make it easier for
small businesses to afford and manage enterprise-level e-mail products like
Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes.

Products such as these, which are staples in large enterprises, support group
e-mail, calendaring and other functions. In larger enterprises, these
applications typically are found on servers located within the company and are
managed by internal IT personnel.

However, the lowering price of dedicated servers combined with products like
Webppliance Basic, which can manage these products, means that smaller companies
will be able to afford such applications. That's particularly true with
Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, which Dauber said has more tools than previous
versions for operating from dedicated hosted servers.

"Most small companies have their e-mail services hosted (by an Internet
Service Provider), but there comes at time when you need something like
Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes," Dauber said. "It's different for every
company, but the sweet spot for that is when companies get to about 50
employees."

Byrne said he isn't involved in his institution's e-mail, but a dedicated
server has enabled him to create more sophisticated Web sites. That's possible
both because of lower costs for dedicated server and products like Webppliance
Basic.

"This takes all the features you need as an administrator and makes them very
easy," he said.

 | |