Most people, when they hear mention of a dedicated server, tend to think in pretty limited scope. They’re for large websites, for databases and application development. People use them for storage, or for project management.
Think bigger.
There’s a lot of raw processing power wrapped up in that server of yours, which means you can do a lot more with it than you’d think. Here are a few to get the juices flowing. Once you’ve read this piece, give it a bit of thought – I’m sure you can come up with more.
Create A Cloud
The thing a lot of people don’t understand about the cloud is that it doesn’t just exist in digital form. It has to have base infrastructure somewhere. Infrastructure like a dedicated server, for instance.
In the same way that a dedicated server can be provisioned into multiple virtual servers, it can also serve as the foundation for a personal or private cloud for your organization. You could use it to store files, to enhance your project management process, or even to host a SaaS application.
Tap Into An Analytics Platform
As you probably well know, big data is big business – and any organization with the capabilities to analyze and understand itself on an intimate level gains a massive competitive advantage. A dedicated server (or preferably a network of them) can be put to use in that regard. Depending on how much processing power is available, you could easily run your own massive instance of Hadoop.
Create A Dedicated IoT Platform
The Internet of Things is here, and you’re eventually going to have to start using ‘smart’ devices within your organization. Stuff like embedded sensors and smartwatches create new workflows, provide your team with deeper insights into your industry, and generally improve your organization across the board. At the same time, they represent a huge security risk.
That’s a risk your dedicated server can help mitigate. By setting it up with security and management software, you can ensure you’ve full visibility into your business’s IoT infrastructure. And that, in turn, will make you far better prepared for the possibility of a breach.
If you’ve got an idle server kicking around, you don’t need to de-provision it. Just get creative with how you use it, and the results will speak for themselves. Above, you see only a few examples. There are many, many more.