Linux is a robust and reliable operating system for servers. It can be used on desktop and laptop computers as well. Linux is at the core of our server offering to small business in Liverpool, Wirral, Widnes, Warrington and the wider Merseyside. It provides a stable and secure platform for sharing files, connecting to shared printers, processing email, providing remote encrypted access to the company network, regular backups and all other functions required from a modern server. We support and promote the deployment of Linux on servers for the following reasons:

    Significant savings in licensing costs and no tie-in to a particular software vendor.
    Linux is not affected by Windows viruses – providing enhanced security and reliability.
    Linux is world famous for it security and architecture strength. The vast percentage of Internet servers - including those ran by large international companies - are based on Linux just for this reason. Companies such as the London Stock Exchange, Amazon and Google trust their core operations to Linux just for these reasons.
    Reduced hardware requirements. Linux will require much less hardware capability compared to other operating systems in order to perform the same tasks. This will result in financial savings on the initial purchase of server hardware and significant savings in energy bills throughout the lifetime of the server.     Reduced maintenance effort and thus, costs. Due to it’s inherent stability, Linux requires much less ongoing support, minimising downtime and improving overall workforce efficiency.

In a typical scenario, we use Linux for:

    File storage and sharing using the Samba software
    Remote access to the inhouse server or servers using OpenVPN SSL based connections.
    Email storage and processing using Exim SMTP software, Dovecot IMAP software.
    Calendar, contacts, to-do-list and email sharing and collaboration using the Horde suite.
    Encrypted secure backups on portable hard-drives which can be stored off premises as required.
    Voice-over-IP telephony using Asterisk.