Cloud 101: Is Serverless Right for Your Business? April 19, 2024 – Posted in: Cloud Computing, IT Support – Tags: , , , , ,

There are four main functions that a server performs for most small businesses:

  1. Authentication – making sure anyone logging into the network PCs has the correct credentials, controlling what they can access and managing password changes.
  2. File management – storing files in a central location so staff can access them from their PCs.
  3. Email – creating and storing calendars, mailboxes, distribution lists and shared mailboxes.
  4. Apps – some apps like Sage require a central database which is usually stored on a server.

The most commonly used cloud based solutions to replace these in a serverless environment are:

  1. Authentication – Microsoft 365 Entra (formerly known as Azure Active Directory).
  2. File management – Microsoft SharePoint and OneDrive.
  3. Email – Microsoft 365 Exchange online.
  4. Apps – a cloud-based server set up through a service like Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure.

There are other things your server could be doing for you. These include storing redirected profiles so a member of staff logging on to any PC in the network gets the same experience, providing terminal server services where you remote from your local PC to a remote desktop service, sharing printers and sharing scanner folders. If you have door entry systems, large machines that connect to your server for files or software, large data processing systems like 3D scanners or MRI machines you may need to maintain an on-premises server.

Speaking to the suppliers of your different systems will be the best way to find out if there is a cloud-based alternative.

Key Questions

The key questions you need to ask to work out if serverless is right for your business are:

  • How complex is your environment? The more complex your inbox rules, authentication permissions, file structure etc. the more difficult it will be to migrate to the cloud. Not to say it can’t be done – but the labour and time costs of doing so will need to be factored in.
  • How much does taking care of a server cost you? Do you have AC in the whole building making the additional for the server cabinet a small proportion? Or is it only in the server cabinet so turning off the AC could save a significant amount on your electricity bill? How often do you have to call your IT Company for support with the server? How often have you had to buy new parts for your server?
  • Will the benefits of cloud benefit your business? Do you want to have staff to be able to work from home? Does anyone ever need to connect to their emails and files from a customer’s site? Or is everyone in the office all day, every day? Do you ever have power cuts or internet outages at head office? Do you need flexibility to account for business growth? Is your office internet good enough to download all files over as/when you need them?
  • How much does server hardware cost you compared to the monthly cost of a subscription? If you add up the costs of buying and setting up a new server every 5 to 7 years alongside the maintenance, and compare them to the annual cost of the subscriptions how does it work out?
  • Do you have any software that needs an App server? Sage, for example, will not work without an on-premises server. The only way to take it to a serverless environment is to build complete remote desktops in the cloud and work on hardware local to where Sage is kept. Remember to factor in moving to a cloud-based solution if you need to.

Making the Cloud Work for Your Business

Going to the cloud doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing situation. The most common hybrid solution is to take Emails to the cloud whilst files, authentication and apps stay on premises. For many businesses this offers the best of both worlds – relieving the requirements of maintaining exchange server which often require a lot of digital space and processing power – whilst maintaining control of business critical files and systems in house.

Whatever your approach a cloud migration needs planning and takes time to implement well. When it’s done right users should find it easy to use with very few substantive differences compared to the on-premises solutions from their perspective.

Whether any cloud services are right for your business, combined with an on-premises server or completely serverless, will depend on your needs. If you’d like help reviewing the options available and the likely costs of each option give us a call on 01245 265 100 or email ">.

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