Entries from March 2010 ↓

A SQL server is the most common and scalable backend solution for enterprise applications. However, if you are looking at purchasing an enterprise software package they typically require that you purchase a $4000 SQL server. Nonsense! If you buy server than you have to buy a rack, setup a temperature controlled room, setup a network to handle it, hire an It guy to maintain it, blah blah blah. GoDaddy offers a remote SQL server for $15 per month with as many databases as you want! It’s easy to setup, 99.9% uptime and you don’t have to worry about supporting it or backing it up. It’s unlimited bandwidth too. It’s like having your own server. From experience we have nearly 30 databases on GoDaddy and are growing rapidly. Don’t waste your money on buying a server. For those of you that have a old clunky SQL server or can’t afford the maintenance anymore, it’s very easy to migrate as well.

From experience, virtual and remote offices are a wonderful thing. However, when sharing resources like a server for storing files or trying to use software that only works at the office, it can be a pain. Our company specifically has been struggling with this issue. For the longest time we haven’t been able to share our documents or link to the same CRM (customer relationship management) because we all work out of our homes and are not on the same network. Finally a solution came to us. Hamachi. It’s a FREE product (non-commercial) that links everyones computer together so they are on the same network. For you techies out there, it’s a free VPN client. By linking your virtual or remote offices together through hamachi2 you can share file servers, printer, or business software like Business Contact Manager. This will even work for gamers who want to plan on a LAN connection. It’s a beautiful thing especially since it is FREE!