IT server/backup/security setup HELP!!

[Mcropper]

I am an employee of a newly setup business in the energy sector consulting companies in gaining new business and their operations etc. We are in the process of moving into a new office in march and a server/file system is required. I have been to a few IT consulting firms and they are charging a lot so before i spend i wish to know more about how i could set up a server system. The office we are moving into already has an existing server system however we do not wish to share our sensitive data with them..

We are dealing with sensitive company information and need a secure way to access the files from other computers. also would like to know how exchange servers are incorporated.

Could anyone shed a little light on this for me...... Thankyou for your time in advance!!!!!

[RBS]

Sorry, but I dont get your idea. What is your task you are trying to solve? Do you need file server, email server or ? Are you asking for server model reccomendations?

[PhilipDixon]

if you wish to pm me we can have a chat on the phone. As with the above post your requirements seem quite large from one server. where in actual fact you might only mean a file server and email clients.

[stugster]

The fact you're asking this question almost guarantees you won't be able to set it up and manage it yourself.

[leemason]

A few questions:

1. How many users do you have?
2. How much file storage do you estimate you will need?
3. Do you want your own e-mail server or are you happy to use a webmail facility?
4. Do you need remote access (outside the office) to you data?
5. Do you have any other database driven systems (i.e. CRM, etc) that will run on the server?
6. Do you need to integrate with a telephone system (i.e. VoIP)?
7. Backups: This depends on how much data you will be be storing.

There are a number of other questions but this is a good start...

[KM-Tiger]

We are dealing with sensitive company information and need a secure way to access the files from other computers. also would like to know how exchange servers are incorporated.

If this data is business critical and sensitive, you would be well advised to avoid a DIY approach. You may well be able to get something to work, but will it really be secure and will you be able to effectively maintain it? Consider the risk to the business of things going wrong.

If price is the issue, then you could avoid software licence fees by having a server that uses Open Source software. Not free, as it will still have to be installed and configured, but no licence fees to pay, now or ever, and nothing extra if the business expands to have more users on the network. And no extra licence fees for anti-virus, anti-spam, internet access control.

As Lee Mason rightly observed, carefully define your business requirements first, then it's possible to look at solutions that can meet them.

Details of Tiger servers here (http://www.tiger-computing.co.uk/services/tiger-business-servers.html).