Pretty much every business now relies on computers to get any work done.  For start-ups and most SMEs, aside from office space, sourcing computers and all the essential equipment related to them is likely to be the biggest initial expense.  Therefore it is important that the best value is gained when purchasing such items.

Going for the cheapest option isn’t always the best choice as it will likely lead to problems in the future.  That doesn’t mean everything has to be brand new though, as there are many places where recycled and refurbished computer equipment for the office can be bought.

Servers

Servers are incredibly useful for all companies where employees need access to the same documents and more.  For small businesses it is always worth hoping your company will soon start to grow and expand, investing in a server that can deal with large amounts of data.

Refurbished ones from Pinnacle Data offer an affordable and high quality choice, as do brand new servers.  Rack, tower and blade servers with high performing processors and extremely large memory will ensure all the data your business requires is safe.  Productivity will be increased and they can be easily stored away to maintain a neat office.

Colleagues look at information on a computer screen by World Bank Photo Collection, on Flickr.  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License.

Operating Systems

There are various operating systems available for a set of office computers but the main two are Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems.  There is little difference between the two and choosing which one to kit out your business with will depend on the industry you work in.

Generally Windows PCs are associated with more serious, straightforward sectors, such as accounting, finance and the like.  Macs are seen as more creative, coming with different software installed.  Either will do a great job for your company but it is important to keep the same across the business as consistency is key for long term use.

Wi-Fi Router

Wi-Fi is found in nearly every modern office these days, so having a wireless router is a must.  Place it in the middle of all the devices it needs to connect to, and as high up as it can, where possible to deliver the best service to all employees.

Prevent slow bandwidth by securing the network as soon as it is installed so others outside the company don’t use the same connection.  Not only is Wi-Fi vital for connecting to the internet, it is also needed for connecting with printers and backing up documents and data.