How Much Does A Server Cost?

With the way technology is today, estimating server hosting costs can be tough. There are so many factors to look at when wanting to buy a new server. So the cost is determined by several factors. The primary factor would be the purpose of the server. If you are going to be using a domain controller for a server or email server, then the cost between these two machines will most definitely vary. When taking a look at the cost of a server, these are some of things to take into consideration.

Average Server Cost

Let us look at the average server cost. If you are not going with a big name brand or even if you are, the average server cost would start out in the range of low five hundred up to about a few thousand dollars. This server will most likely be a cookie cutter type model. It will not offer a lot of customization or allow for growth expansion. It will come one way with the exception of a few modifications available and it will stay that way.

Dedicated Server Cost

The option to obtain a dedicated server has become popular lately because it allows companies of all sizes to obtain a server but have it maintained by an outside team. So the cost for a dedicated server is handled on a monthly term or even annually, it just depends on the company’s budget. You can expect to spend around $100 monthly for a very modest configuration or you can look at spending several hundred dollars with a more advance configuration. Also, note that the cost associated with a dedicated server will have maintenance tied into the cost too.

Linux Server Cost

Linux is a good platform and has become very popular within the last few years. The costs associated with a Linux server will be based off the type of options you need. For instance, if you need a LAMP server, which is known as Linux, Apache, MySql and PHP you can look at spending on the low side if you look at having your environment hosted about a hundred dollars. Now on the high-end side you can expect to pay a couple hundred almost to a thousand dollars. If you purchase your hardware, the cost would include the price of your hardware and then possibly a monthly or annually support agreement that would cover the cost for patches, updates and fixes.

Windows Server Cost

Now unlike the cost for a Linux Server the cost for a terminal server license can get expensive. This is because whereas Linux is based more on open-source technology, the Windows platform is not, and Microsoft owns all code for this platform. So the cost for a server will be based on the amount of users in your environment. So it is possible that the cost for a server running Windows on the low end will be a couple hundred dollars with the high end being in the couple of thousands, because the company does not make it expensive for the software but it does for users. This is one of the reasons why Linux has become such a popular platform today. It does not charge for licensing in most cases and is free to obtain as well.

Windows Home Server Cost

The cost for a Windows Home Server is dependent upon the hardware being used. This platform is more on the lower end of the Windows Operating System. This is because this platform is not designed for hosting several users and applications. It is more for individual usage. So for cost, you can be expect to pay a couple hundred dollars and then maintaining this platform is free and covered by the cost of the purchased operating system.

Microsoft SQL Server Cost

Microsoft SQL Server cost uses a unique formula when it comes to determining the cost. For the database platform, some of the technologies like dedicated hosting or cloud hosting will work. You can certainly purchase a server and run it within your own infrastructure. The cost will appear based on several factors. Those factors will be hardware, software and the number of users. Cost for this configuration can easily reach the thousands. If you are not running a large database, you might be able to make it by in the low hundreds. Just know that database maintenance is very expensive and that its cost should be built into the overall cost for the server as well.

Windows 2003 Server Cost

How can Windows 2003 Server cost be determined? Well, it’s also based upon Microsoft’s licensing formula. While you do have to purchase the software, Windows 2003 Server cost will be heavily tied into licensing for users. In most cases if you already have the platform running in your environment, you can eliminate the cost of buying the software. Still, you cannot forget about the number of users. Therefore, if this is a new server the Windows 2003 Server cost will be based off that. Generally, the client licensing, meaning the connecting operating system will provide a license when connected that can handle licensing. You can purchase a terminal server license for the operating system based on how many users will be connected at any given time.

Exchange Server Cost

When looking at implementing an Exchange Server, the Exchange Server cost will come from the features and amount of mailboxes planned for the server. You will also have to factor in the Exchange Server cost with the operating system. Because an Exchange Server will not run independently, it does require an operating system. That operating system will have to be based on the Microsoft platform. It is possible to have these two products bundled, but the cost will still be very steep. On average, Exchange Server cost starts out in the thousands of dollars. The cost simply depends on features and users.

Microsoft Project Server Cost

As most products provided by Microsoft the licensing behind them is what determines the cost. You can look at starting cost to be around a thousand dollars. Microsoft Project Server cost will also be based on the type of version that you will be using. The cost will start around the price mentioned earlier and then could increase, because of license and the version. Once again, this is a Microsoft product so you will have to use an existing server or build one. If you build one, you will have to deal with the cost of the operating system and hardware platform. Now keep in mind, you can implement using cloud, virtual or dedicated hosting. Several factors determine Microsoft Project Server cost, but one of the key factors for cost is licensing.

Cloud Server Cost

When trying to determine Cloud Server cost the factors to consider are the requirements for the application you will be hosting in the cloud. Cloud technology is a convenient option for companies looking to reduce or not incur big costs for the hardware platform. However, cloud server cost is very tricky to determine. This is because everything you need is taken into consideration for the cost. The amount of memory, disk space and CPU’s all will be factored into Cloud Server cost.

SharePoint Server Cost

Another product of Microsoft is SharePoint. The SharePoint Server cost will include the price of hardware, software, users and licensing for those users. SharePoint is a portal product and requires the hardware to be configured based upon the traffic expected. SharePoint Server cost will start out in the low thousands and surely reach into the multiple thousands range. It is always best to use existing infrastructure or even try to offset the cost by using cloud technologies or virtual technology.

Server Installation Cost

The cost for server installation is not an expensive component. This is because most of the time, a server can come pre-installed and configured or environments have some type of automatic installation process. This allows the server to be configured for the environment very quickly. So you can base cost on an 8-hour workday. This task does not require the company’s administrator or even desktop administrator. Therefore, if you were paying around $15.00 an hour to such an employee, take that and times it by eight to determine installation cost.

Ventrillo Server Cost

Ventrillo Server cost can start out at around $2.00 a month and go up to around $30.00 a month. This type of server really depends on the amount of users that you will have. Because the technology behind a Ventrillo server is along the lines for gamers, this type of server provides communication to online gamers. What have to be taken into account are the users a person plans on hosting for communication. The good thing is that you still receive support and maintenance like some of the other packages, which have already been discussed.

Team Foundation Server Cost

The Team Foundation Server is a product of Microsoft. This product is used for life cycle management and collaboration. Like most products from Microsoft, licensing comes into consideration due to the amount of users it has. Team Foundation Server cost will involve factors based upon the implementation planned. Cost, because this is a product for use in a development or enterprise environment, will start in the thousands of dollars range. The cost can certainly increase, but it is determined based on usage and overall environment. Keep these kinds of things in mind when working on Team Foundation Servers.

ArcGIS Server Cost

This is a unique product and has a very different licensing structure. ArcGIS Server cost will be determined by the features and options you use. This product is used for mapping technology and is used by many big organizations. ArcGIS Server cost can be manageable because it runs on several platforms. This is good because it does take advantage of some of the open source operating systems. That’s a good thing for deployment of this application. The ArcGIS Server cost just will be based on the features used.

ISA Server Cost

When it comes to security related tasks and deployments, the ISA Server is one of those products. This is a Microsoft product and ISA Server cost will be based on licensing and the version. This product has two versions – Standard and Enterprise. Because of this, ISA Server cost will vary a little, but this product will still range in the thousands of dollars. The ISA Server cost can be offset by the use of a virtual platform on Microsoft Windows but as the product is used to secure the infrastructure, you have to make sure it is carefully planned.

Process Server Cost

A Process Server is a platform that if often used for the automation of company business information. When looking at Process Server cost, this tool and/or product will be based on the structure of the environment. This piece of software has several implementation factors and steps. Process Server cost will start out in the range of a thousand dollars and can easily increase with the licensing and platform of your choice. This is just a product that will be run at the upper layers of a business and will not be used by smaller companies because of the cost of maintaining it. One thing to factor in will be the support. Most likely Process Server cost will include this, but be certain because supporting this product will require specialized skills.