Press Release

Miti is a company specializing in sewing back packs, hand bags, laptop bags…, which was established six years ago with its head office in HCM City and branches in Ha Noi and Da Nang with the total staff up to 500 (300 in HCM City). The company’s annual turnover is about US$ 2 million. Besides sales staff and direct production workers, office workers use 20 computers. The system uses some popular soft wares and Misa accounting software. To design products, Miti uses graphic design soft wares. The Misa soft wares that Miti is now using is a version with full of subsystems, helping to solve demands about materials, warehouse management… To manage customer relations, Miti uses Easy Biz software developed by Dan Phong Company.

Although there are many applications, our system is now connected with a network depending on the PC with strong configurations, not a professional server. We are planning to use a professional server and to buy some professional soft wares to serve the task of designing back packs, hand bags… 

We do not know why we translate server into “may chu” in Vietnamese. Actually, experts call “server” because it is a kind of machine that specially serves, works very hard; it is “nicer” to call “servant”. Server is often used to provide services relating to storage, database, mail web, FTP, printing management and other services in network system…

An ordinary computer is unlikely and powerful enough to process a very large volume of information in a short time. In addition, almost all applications in businesses are often written to be able run network systems. A highly stable server will give many conveniences for companies’ business activities. So, to computerize businesses, it is important to equip the right server. Even a starting business also needs a server. Of course, I do not mention to businesses that use computers as a typing machine.
Some businesses still use PC as servers. Usually, the number of computers in their system is not many, and the services they use do not require a powerful server. However, that way of using is not effective; perhaps, they do not know that server now is not very expensive, just around US$ 1,000.00.

There are some kinds of servers corresponding to the activities of big, small and medium businesses. In today’s world of technology, we can choose servers as follows:
Big companies such as: HP, IBM servers… use Xeon microprocessor, Core 2 or Core Quad. If you are not a difficult customer, you can choose Intel server (Basic Intel server) assembled in Vietnam (just assemble Intel’s standard equipment and warranty in Vietnam). In addition, it is possible to choose Khai Tri’s Wiscom E-Server or CMS or T&H’s Servers…
For medium companies : it is possible to use servers with Dual-core Intel Xeon Processor, series Main S5000, standard HDD SCSI; standard configurations designed for medium companies with series 5000 processor and main board with series S5000 operated by HDD SATA, SCSI or SAS (it is possible to change subject to your requirements).

For small companies: It is possible to use server with Dual-core Intel Xeon Processor 3000 series. If your company develop, it is possible to change to mail server. It is possible to use Wiscom E-server Model Dual-core S3000 (operating Dual-core Intel Xeon Processor 3000 series, main board with series S3000 operated by HDD SATA at affordable costs). Some business that have been using Wiscome E-server like branches of Vietnam Agriculture and Rural Development bank, Tien Dat Electronics Company, Global Insurance company, Van Hau  Company…

According to today’s market, however, it is best for businesses to use servers with Core Quad microprocessor in terms of price, power, convenience in one time system installment for long use (it is very inconvenient, time consuming and risky for data for every re-installment. 

In my opinion, the number of servers that we have now does not correspond to the needs of our work and development trend. Starting businesses do also need servers because they shall manage and arrange – control every activity of the clients, which means to assign the right of access to database for every staff subject to their position, authority, task needs. The security level is also high because it requires password to have access; server based applications are only set up and operated by servers.

 

Businesses should only classify servers into three kinds to select with three different levels:

1. Servers cost less than US$ 1,000:  for starting businesses, businesses having less than 30 clients.
2. Servers cost less than US$ 2,000: businesses having less than 100 clients.
3. Servers cost less than US$ 3,000: businesses having less than 200 clients.

Businesses should use professional servers to be able to develop special functions that a PC, though expensive or high class, fails to do. In addition, you should enhance RAM and hard disks (HDD), instead of buying high speed CPU which is not effective. To make your database safe, it is better to buy Hotplug HDD for powerful configurations of the servers. If your company is strongly financial, it is better to use 2 servers: one for storing and processing database, the other for communicating with outside through Internet to prevent from the invasion of virus or hacker.

The server application should be done at once, or wrong server equipment, when your company develops, will restrict your management and trading and production operation. Without professional servers, financial information, customer database, information about project, new samples or model … may be leaked. Desk computers can not protect those pieces of information safely.

There are many servers less than US$ 1,000 available on the market with foreign brand names like IBM, HP, Acer, Dell… or local brand names like FPT Elead, Wiscom, SingPC, Cuulong, CLC… The quality of those servers can make you feel safe. Besides servers using Intel’s BVXL, you can buy BVXL servers from AMD at good price with equally good technical specifications. 

Data center is a bloodline in the entire business activity of a company. Mail server hosting for some companies can be a good solution but not optimal in the long run. Ordinary services can just satisfy some definite requirements.

Not to mention the entire IT system, having information on demand and effective information system management for a company is a very important job to do for a manager. The information system requires creating convenient conditions not only for staff but also for the management in daily activities and in making decisions. If the search for information takes a long time, it could slow your important business activities. More than ever before, time, nowadays, is an important factor to determine the success of a company, helping create a competitive edge. In addition, the information system of a company shall meet the information management and storage effectively, simplifying the increasing work load, integrating and easily applying in business… A powerful, stable, flexible and expandable server system shall help I.T technician solve those problems.

A small company may not have many demands. But when developing, a business needs to have a modern and a more perfect IT system, to have more servers to satisfy their business demands. However, they should not buy this server or another. It is important that they have a long term plan for their I.T system. They should need powerful, highly efficient, stable and upgradeable, economical servers to save space, to utilize the efficiency for each watt.

IBM always invests researches and develops technology solutions subject to businesses’ demands and environment. Recently, IBM has introduced servers BladeCenter S, helping medium companies having from 25 –45 servers save up to 80%, getting rid of “private data centers” in the company. The size of this system is small enough to put on a desk, using the standard power available at an office. This system can manage the storage, as well as operate 6 servers Blade at the same time. They also integrate into the company’s common applications like anti-virus/fire wall, VoIP, email, co-operation, precaution and recovery, file and printing applications. 

The number of businesses using servers in business management is very low (it is because they misunderstand the meaning of servers). About 70% of businesses that we approached still use workgroup and process data on Excel or accounting software run independently on a client. They still use email through outside hosting service. One side, they entrust their life to service providers; the other side, they fail to control input/output of the company. In a small and medium company, there is an IT performing many jobs including information system administration.

To choose a server, if you are a pro, you can buy “used” servers (second-hand) with relatively powerful configurations at about US$ 400-500/server. However, it is guaranteed. So, this is not a solution for the majority of users. The less “head splitting” solution is to buy a brand name server. HP and IBM are two leading brand names, which IBM is little bit better. From the reference price at electronics supermarkets or solution providers, we can see a server with standard configurations costs from US$ 2.500. However, you can not just end up a standard configuration. Other additional solutions include precautionary CPU, RAM to enhance processing speed, adding at least 2 HDDs (3 HDD is enough) and card controller RAID to serve the precautionary backup in form of RAID 5; recording reader…

Nguyen The Dong

When established, a business should concern about managing information, transaction and exchange, sharing inside and outside information with outside customers, protecting information. You shall definitely equip servers or sever system network. Servers shall be take form File Server, where all business information is stored. It is important to create disks and shared folders or decentralizing authority for each individual or department and to assign “quota” for each disk, item or each group in the system. Data of sales management, accounting, human resource, and salary management softwares… should be stored centrally on servers and available for everyone to access (if having authority).

With File Server, you can configure it into Proxy Server (a point to allow all staff to connect into Internet). With Proxy Server, you can control, set a time for using, and establish Internet policies. Next is the mail system with a purpose of managing mail content, address book of the entire company, precautionary mail data backup that allows staff to access through virtual VPN while on business trip outside…

Finally, it is security. With a server of decentralized authority and properly administered, you can feel secure that your information can not be accessed illegally or functionally mistaken; data stored on the server is backed up on a regular basic in order to avoid any natural loss or damage by human. You can install some supervising tools to check log file on your server to monitor behaviors of network using. Servers with average configurations can also help companies start their business with every central and professional management task 

Vietnamese companies are now having a trend to construct a private website system. So, a number of local and international e-commerce companies have come into existence, making existing IT companies turn to develop e-commerce… Besides, online service developing companies (another form of e-commerce) are coming existence day by day. Together with the e-commerce development, the users’ requirements have also more. They not only want to have a beautiful and quick website, but also to have more utilities like media, effects, easy-to-use…

To construct a website to meet the requirements, a company should invest in it. Server lease is a possibility. The demand to lease a server is very diverse such as to use email (for big companies), for their e-commerce website, to develop information management system… Those who previously leased servers are IT businesses, but now they are likely those in any sector. However, now the number of IT businesses leasing servers is higher, accounting for more than 50%. Thanks to IT development, telecommunication charges have gradually reduced, server lease charge in Vietnam has also reduced to as same as in the US, Japan and some other countries. Server lease charge is now about US$ 149/month for a server with PIV configuration or US$ 249/month for Xeon Dual Core. This is an affordable charge for almost every business.

1. If you lease a packaged server subject to your requirements, you do not have to spend any beginning investment costs. But they charge more monthly. This is the most common lease form because you do not have to worry about the quality, warranty policy, maintenance, equipment depreciation, and about upgrading the equipment (“do not know where to throw the old equipment!”) in 1 or 2 years.
2. If you lease a location for server, you have to invest to buy a server and just hire leased line, electricity, hosting. According to this form, you have to equip servers subject to the regulations (e.g. rack 1U, 2U).

At our company, besides domain and traditional hosting services (lease space to host website) at lowest rates of US$ 18/year and highest at US$ 200/year for Linux and Windows hosting since March 2006, we have developed server lease and website hosting services, in which the lowest rate for server lease is US$ 149/month for servers with standard configuration (e.g. PIV. With this standard form, it is enough to maintain an activity of one or more e-commerce websites and other enclosed services); US$ 119/month for website hosting for businesses who have already had standard servers (e.g. rack 1U, 2U). You can refer our rate at http://www.matbao.net.