Home Forums Discussions General Discussion In house server vs virtual hosting.

Hi all,

I am trying to upgrade to fully electronic capability (so far mix of paper and electronic). Am trying to decide between using an in-house server with IT backup vs virtual hosting at the IT company. The server involves more in upfront cost but is cheaper in the long run. Would make up cost difference in about 2.5-3 years. Which would be a better option? As background, I have a single office with 3.5 employees (5 computers total). Have never used a server before (had one of the desktops as the main computer, but this has been getting overwhelmed of late).
Would appreciate any input.
Thanks.

It is much more than just money. I have used external hosting for billing services more than once in the past. I lived to regret it. If anyone else physically owns your data, you are at their mercy. We were essentially blackmailed twice to get our data when we changed services. I will never let that happen again. Having said that, you also have to factor in the costs of backup systems. That would be a really bad place to try to pinch pennies.

I really don't think there is much decision for AC. Get your own server.

Really, with only 5 desktops, it seems you could just get a really phenomenal desktop to run AC and then a backup "server" like a Windows home server with 1 TB of storage for backup and sharing. That's what I did and it really work quite well. I have a backup on the main desktop, the Windows Home Server which has duplicability so it backs it up on two different hard drives, a USB backup, and remote backup. Hopefully I'm covered.

Also, I like the Windows Home Server because it's simple and it backs up every single computer in my office nightly.

Some will say this is too simple for a medical office but it works really well and is quite inexpensive. Granted, it was built for home use but I too only have 4 desktops and a laptop.

There are a ton of ways to do it though. But I would recommend keeping it in-house. It's worth the cost.

Keep it in house. More control. Much more simple. I would not want to be at the mercy of someone else to get my data. I think that is a huge mistake.

No doubt. I would use your own server, do your own backups, etc. It is also MUCH more rewarding.

Thank you everyone for the input. Will go with the server option.

Thank you everyone for the input. Will go with the server option.