Mac OS X Lion Server "the server for everyone."
Cloud computing… you've probably heard of it already. What is it really? Quite simply a remote cluster of computers (or it could only be one) equipped to perform various services via the internet and are usually located hundreds if not thousands of miles away. While it's a great concept and it's all the rage the days these days, there is little doubt that it is going to change the way we use our computers as the backbone of the Internet evolves. But what is the best practice as this point in time? That seems to be the question by many in the IT arena and it usually falls into both on-site and off-site solutions depending upon client needs.
Having said that, there are some obvious disadvantages to entrusting your business or home office to Apple's new MobileMe replacement service called iCloud or any other similar service for that matter. While it is sure to be a hit and will allow us to untangle the cords so to speak. There are some scenarios to be mindful and cautious of.
1.) What if you can no longer access or sync your contacts? Who do you call and how do you get them back?
2.) All of the sudden your iCal invites are not showing up?
3.) Internet connectivity problems preventing access problems from your local area to Apple's data center in North Carolina?
These are just three likely things that can go wrong and can make for a really bad day. In the age of instant communication, it can easily make a for an embarrassing situation tarnishing all of the hard work you put into making a professional image for your business usually resulting in potential client loss. Nothing worse than missing an important appointment only to get that phone call asking "where are you?" or "I hope you are OK?"
How do I get started?
That's easy, call us anytime and we will be happy to speak with you in person as well as answer any questions you may have over the phone before moving forward.
How much does it cost?
Mac OS X Lion Server add-on only costs $49.99 from the Mac App store after you have upgraded from Snow Leopard 10.6.8 to Lion 10.7. This is an amazing deal considering the previous server cost over $500 just for the software alone. The beauty of it is that it will run on most any modern Intel Mac.
Technical Requirements
Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor
2GB of memory
OS X v10.6.6 or later (v10.6.8 recommended)
7GB of available space
Bottom Line
It all makes sense when you read into what Apple is saying. They want it to be the server for everyone, even busy households. Wouldn't it be nice to have a centrally located iCal server in your home to manage your kid's tennis practice or school function? All while having the peace of mind that MetroMacs is overseeing your server remotely and keeping a proactive eye on all of your Mac's backups, kernel errors and other issues before they become disasters? What good does a backup do if it stops working and when it comes time to recover it becomes all to clear that the backup is from many days or even weeks ago? With all of that to keep in mind, there has never been a better time to think about putting together a Mac OS X Lion Server.
Please feel free to Contact us for additional information.
We look forward to building a working relationship with you and your Mac!