Hosted Working Server Space

[kaizersose]

I need to procure some space on a server that would be used to host working files (MS Office, Quickbooks, CAD etc) and can be accessed by multiple users in multiple locations. The goals is that multiple employees of a small business in different locations can work on shared documents at the same time. Sort of like Google Docs but with the ability to host any type of file.

Do I need a VPN service? I am only vaguely familiar with this stuff. Help is much appreciated.

-K

 

[kaizersose]

bump...nothing? really? should this be in another forum?

 

[chuck2002]

There might be a Sharepoint service out there that you could look into. You can do all kinds of collaboration on one. As long as you don't have to manage your own. They can be a bear to manage....

 

[heymrdj]

Sounds like you need to set up a WebDAV area. Something like an Apache Webserver with a WebDAV system will allow applications to pull, save, and modify applications on an online workspace.

 

[RebateMonger]

An easy way to manage documents is with SharePoint. It includes Check-in/Check-out so you don't have multiple people editing the same document at the same time.

MS, among others, provides hosted Exchange and SharePoint services, but you'd have to get Exchange under their plan, along with SharePoint:
MS Business Productivity Online Suite

 

[Emulex]

sharepoint sucks balls for large size files over wan slow links.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: Emulex
sharepoint sucks balls for large size files over wan slow links.

So does a VPN or anything but a local server or Terminal Services.

It really depends on typical file sizes and how many times a day the files need to be accessed.

 

[Emulex]

no i mean trying to upload a file (or change one) can fail miserably over wan.

ideally you'd want something that has a semi intelligent transport (scp/sftp/ftp/ftp over rdp).

reading is fine. its the upload with packet loss over wan that webdav isn't necessarily the best protocol for. one of my peeves with sharepoint.

please share with us if you have any add-ons that might improve this i need to upload zip files 20-200 meg across the country and have had not much luck when there was any sort of network congestion

 

[azev]

Maybe a dedicated server hosting and THIS might work.

 

[FastHosts]

Buy a dedicated sever off me http://www.fasthosts.co.uk/dedicatedservers/
39.99 p\m Best deal around mate

 

[kaizersose]

thanks for the responses...can someone ban the spammer please?

it would be for small file sizes. i think the largest would be a quickbooks data file. also, i personally would not be administering the server, just helping to get it set up. are there any commercially available services for small businesses? something like a remotely administered server for a monthly fee?

 

[seepy83]

Originally posted by: kaizersose
also, i personally would not be administering the server, just helping to get it set up. are there any commercially available services for small businesses? something like a remotely administered server for a monthly fee?

It sounds like a Hosted Sharepoint service would be a good fit for the business. Sorry, I don't have any particular providers to recommend.

 

[kaizersose]

Originally posted by: seepy83

Originally posted by: kaizersose
also, i personally would not be administering the server, just helping to get it set up. are there any commercially available services for small businesses? something like a remotely administered server for a monthly fee?

It sounds like a Hosted Sharepoint service would be a good fit for the business. Sorry, I don't have any particular providers to recommend.

thanks, i think that is a good place to start from. i use sharepoint at work for MS Office files, but there will be other file types (quickbook, possibly a CAD file or two) that will need to be hosted as well. can sharepoints accommodate this?