Servers are the backbone of your entire enterprise’s IT infrastructure. Buying a new server is a significant investment, not just because they are expensive but also because the success of your business hinges on its performance.
Whether you have an on-premise infrastructure or opted for colocation, investing in servers requires a great deal of research. Even though the case for moving off-premise with the cloud is strong, many enterprises find that on-premise servers work best for their interest, at least to some extent.
This article provides a list of key considerations when in the market for servers. Based on your enterprise size, the cost of refreshing servers can be hundreds of thousands of dollars. Chief technology officers (CTOs) must be strategic with their choices and keep emerging technologies and business goals in mind.
8 Things to Consider When Buying Servers for Enterprises
If you’re calling the shots for your enterprise’s procurement of hardware, here’s what you should consider before making the final decision.
Business Needs
Thanks to the rise of cloud computing, servers are more capable than they were five years ago. Does that mean you need that shiny new model with a steep price tag? Not necessarily, and not always!
A basic tower unit may be enough for your business needs. It all comes down to your workloads and what you need the servers to do.
If you’re buying servers for a branch office to handle local data, you likely don’t need a high-end model with cutting-edge technology. On the other hand, if your business is running data-driven applications using Artificial Intelligence, you need a server with top-of-the-line processors and generous memory.
The complexity of your business operations may also necessitate investing in servers that are capable of handling different applications. Of course, the volume of the workload also matters.
Value
For enterprises, any big expense is justifiable with the value it brings. So take a step back and analyze how much value investing in a new server would bring your business.
Based on the existing performance data of your servers, it’s possible to extrapolate the value a better, faster server would bring. This measure can be further filtered for specific features or components of the servers. For instance, a server with higher memory can improve the response rate.
It’s also important to note that the value can be increased by increasing the overall expense. This would require hunting for the best deal for your specific servers. With bigger orders, even a small percentage of savings can translate into a significant drop in IT spending.
Used vs. New
You can buy brand new or source a pre-owned, refurbished server. This decision is linked to the value the server brings to the business. A used server may be more valuable in certain instances because it does the job without costing an arm and a leg.
That said, older servers do have a performance trade-off, which, in certain cases, may not be negligible. If your business is experiencing tremendous growth, buying used servers is not the best idea. As servers age, their likelihood of failure increases. For critical operations, you simply can’t take a chance.
Legacy servers will save you money, but that shouldn’t be at the expense of performance or security. Analyze whether a used server is appropriate for your specific needs. Otherwise, use a new one to take advantage of the new technology.
Lifespan
A server's lifespan may range from three to ten years. However, lately, the official lifespan of servers has been dwindling, with OEMs ending manufacturing in just a couple of years. Just when you’ve adopted new servers, something better comes along.
Again, it’s all about the value of the server, and it’s directly linked to its lifespan. The longer a server lasts, the more value it has for your business. OEMs may not explicitly mention the lifespan of a server, and even if they do, it’s not written in stone. In other words, the server may last beyond the official number.
Support and Maintenance
A new server comes with OEM maintenance by default. Maintenance is critical for servers, as, without it, the risk of downtime is high. You can use third-party maintenance (TPM) after OEM support ends. With certain OEMs, you may need to use TPM sooner than others.
So before you buy a server, complete a cost analysis to find out which is more economical, OEM or third-party maintenance. While OEM support is considered the best, TPM has the distinct advantage of continuing support beyond EOSL.
Redundancy
Modern servers provide redundancy for power, cooling, and storage to ensure continuous operation in the case of a component failure. While you’ll find this provision in most models, pay attention to how they achieve that to distinguish the best ones from the rest.
Redundancy may also vary by the type of server you choose. And not all servers may have redundancy for all critical components. It’s easy to forget this key criterion amidst more flashy features. However, dig deeper into the specifications of the model you’re considering or speak directly to a sales representative to find out how the server achieves redundancy.
Security
Businesses need to prioritize security when making infrastructure decisions. According to a 2022 Lenovo survey of CTOs from across the globe, cybersecurity emerged as the top challenge.
OEMs know the growing cybersecurity threats to data centers and use security to be more competitive. Still, it doesn’t mean all server security features are equal.
Choose servers with some built-in security that can be further enhanced with firewalls and security software. Choosing a server that prioritizes security adds yet another layer of data protection, which is also necessary from a compliance perspective. With built-in authentication and encryption, servers can handle data more discreetly and help prevent cyberattacks.
Future Growth
Lastly, consider the scalability of the server and how it can be expanded to meet your growing business needs.
How much more memory or storage can be added? Can you add more CPUs? Upgrades are more economical than refreshing a server simply because it can’t handle high volumes of data.
Don’t make guesses. Instead, rely on data-backed projections to estimate future upgrades and whether the server you're considering can accommodate those upgrades.
Procure Your Next Server with PivIT!
With a standing inventory from major OEMs like DELL and HPE, PivIT is an expert procurer for servers of all sizes. More importantly, PivIT can help reduce capital expenditure by as much as 60 percent. That’s millions in savings in the long term!
Consider this: PivIT helped a large private university save over $6 million in hardware procurement in three years.
