The first part that I want to discuss is a brief history of Web Servers. In the beginning the Web server was a basic HTTP server that would map pages directly to files. And since that time companies and individuals have come to expect a lot more from their servers. Now people are not only managing the server, managing the connections, domain names, and the content of the Web site. The need to incorporate all of these features into the server has lead to the most recent changes in the server software. Companies are looking for a server package that will give them all of software that they need to set up their Web site and manage their server. For these reasons we have seen a big change in server software and will continue to see changes in the future (Gagne Cathleen, 1997).
This has lead to some of the new products that I am going to discuss now. Companies today are looking for increased flexibility, and speed of Internet sites. WebMate Technologies Inc. has produced a product that does just that. They have included a built-in database to store content, scripts and formatting commands in Hypertext Markup Language. WebMate/Foundation software also has a built-in scripting language that is a combination of C and Perl languages and they included debuggers in this package to make programming easier (Mitch Wagner, 1997. A small company called IBM makes the next package that I want to discuss (ha ha). The name of the package is called RS/6000 Internet POWERsolutions; this is what I would call a complete package. The bundle includes Netscape Navigator, IBM Net.Data, AIX implementation of Sun's Java programming environment, Adobe Acrobat Reader 2.1, RS/6000 Welcome Center: Internet edition, and the RS/6000 Web Server Software. This is everything that a company or an individual would need to set up their own server and Web site (Anonymous, 1997). Some of the other packages that I looked at are: Apache 1.02, Microsoft Internet Information Server 3.0, Microsoft personal Web Server 1.0a, Netscape Enterprise server 3.0, Netscape FastTrack Server 3.0, and Novell Web Server 3.1 (Gibbs mark, 1998). These packages are among the newest and are considered the leading Web Server Software. With the constant changing of these packages you need people that can adjust to the demands of the users and the company and know many aspects of Web Servers.
The benefits of the use of a server for your company are the fact that once you have Web pages posted on the Internet any one that has web access can look at your site. One of the major benefits of a company Intranet is the fact that it will not drain IT budgets as people thought it would. Many companies have all of the needed components, all that they need to purchase are Web servers and too look at security for the company. Another benefit is the fact that a lot Web server software is free over the Internet and this allows companies to use the software and not spend a lot of money on it. This means companies can experiment to find the best server for their company (Niall McKay, 1997).
The current trend in use has to do with buying a package that includes all of the needed software to make a complete Web site. These companies are looking for packages that will meet their needs and allow for changes in growth and functionality in the future. Another trend for the future is going to be for servers with more power, lower prices, and an ever-growing list of add-ons. The main idea behind all of this software is allow for companies to get what they want which is speed and ease of use for their customers (Gibbs mark, 1998).
The next question that you may be asking is what kind of expertise do you need to use this server software well to answer that question you have to know how complicated of a system you are going to run. They have a wide variety of servers for the individual that is only going to run static HTML to get product information. Companies also offer packages that are very complicated and run many application including an integrated database with order forms and runs dynamic HTML with Java script. All of these components can cause major problems and can make setup of the server very complicated. The types of people that you need to setup one of these complicated sites are specialists in Java script, database management, HTML and you have to have an IS manager that can coordinate all of these people to complete the project. This can include a major commitment of IS teams and specialists (Niall McKay, 1997). The biggest decision that a company needs to make is the type of server that they need for their company.
The question that companies want to know is what are the implications of putting this type of server in their company. The implication of choosing a server deals with the actual running of a company and the amount of publicity that a company receives. If a company simply needs to have a Web Server that can get resumes off of the Internet the amount of investment and the implications to the company are small (more resumes). However if you want a server that has all of the bells and whistles then you can expect major changes in the company. These changes include the way that people reorder your product the way that the company sets up their hiring practices. The company that selects the right server for their business will have a competitive advantage over their competitors, especially if they can accurately predict where this technology will be in the future.
Some of the changes that you will see as an individual in the company that has an Internet or an Intranet, are the ease with which you can exchange ideas with all portions of a company. Some of the bigger changes may include more people to work on the server and set up web pages. And an IT manager to over see the entire operation and implementation of the new server (Todd P Pike, 1997).
When planning to implement new software (server) in a company there is a lot of time and research that has to be put into this process. There is a lot of questions that a company needs to answer before they can pick a server to suet them. They must pick the functionality of a server to meet their needs and they have to plan for growth and future add-ons for the company. This is a very difficult process to complete and the person that is making the decisions must have excellent knowledge of the company and of the process of setting up servers. With the vast number of servers available the company will get to test servers to make sure they get the right server for them(through free software and short trials).
In conclusion I have shown the newest server, the people that use this software, the benefits of use, the current trends, and the human expertise needed to build the system. I have also discussed the implications of this technology in a company that is small and has only limited use for a server, and I have covered the implication of putting in a new server with many features and add-on capabilities. While looking at a server a company muse see what will meet their need and have the ability to see what they will need in the future.
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