Does Your Company Need Its Own Web Server Computer?

by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
Web Marketing Today, February 8, 1996, Issue 6

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This article contains older information. Go here for newer information on miscellaneous Internet marketing strategies.

The short answer is "not likely." You'll save lots and lots of money by leasing space on your Internet Service Provider's host computer. In-house Web servers cost money for hardware, software, system administrators, firewalls, leased T1 lines, and the list goes on. We're easily talking about $20,000 and up and up and up. Compare that to paying a $100 set-up fee and $100 per month to an ISP (and usually you can get those services for considerably less).

Don't be talked into it by a computer systems person who wants a new toy. Make sure you need it. You MAY need an in-house Web server computer if:

• You are getting tens of thousands of hits a day
• You need access to sophisticated programs your ISP won't install
• You need to provide direct Web access to data from your mainframe

Even then, investigate keeping your hardware physically located at your ISP's physical location (called "co-location") to save money, and share the services of a systems administrator and a fast T1 line with other such businesses.

What I like about the Web is the low entry fee. Don't make it higher than it needs to be for your company.