Can you run a dedicated server for a school district's email system?

JCristea · #1 12-02-2005, 07:02 PM

My local school district still has not set up their own email system. The superintendant has a hotmail email address. Pretty embarrasing for a M$100 a year budget. As a taxpayer, I'm disgusted with this.

I talked to the IT guy. He said it would cost too much.. he thinks like $12,000-$20,000.

I know I don't know enough about having my own server but would like to put it out to you to see if you can figure out a plan to run their email without it costing a fortune. I'm thinking like $5,000 a year or less.

Can it be done? If so, do you want to do it?

- Jim

MSB_Airwolf · #2 12-03-2005, 06:20 AM

If you have access to their DNS servers, you can get a DOMAIN here & just use it for E-Mail. Just go into the DNS and add the appropriate A records and update the MX record. I have done this for several clients. They have some cheapie hosting service they think is great, but it doesnt do crap for them as far as E-Mail or other GREAT FEATURES like HostGator provides. So I just let them keep it & set them up for the same cost just to provide E-Mail that they could pay for the whole works. GEEZ, I wish people who dont know what they are doing would TRUST us that do !!!!!

Serra · #3 12-04-2005, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCristea

I talked to the IT guy. He said it would cost too much.. he thinks like $12,000-$20,000.

He is correct. It would be very expensive to setup an email domain if the school doesn't already have a server to put the mail server on. The best solution is to stick Microsoft Exhange on an existing server. Exchange costs less than $1500.00, but would require a MS server with enough power to run it.

The MX record solution is by far the cheapest solution as it would only cost the amount of the hosting account. It doesn't even need to be a dedicated server, a bigger semi-dedicated plan would be enough.

FaysalM · #4 12-04-2005, 10:29 PM

Hi. I sent you a Personal Message on this thing. I can set it up for you cheap

and maintain it.

Faisal.

Serra · #5 12-05-2005, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FaysalM

Hi. I sent you a Personal Message on this thing. I can set it up for you cheap

and maintain it.

DOH! Why didn't I think of that.

MachineDog · #6 12-05-2005, 08:54 PM

Lol, yeah serra. Woulda thought you'd of came up with that idea first. And really it isn't that hard to do. It's even possible to do off of a shared account if they needed. So many emails though they might need a semi-dedicated or even a dedicated. Inwhich a dedicated comes installed with the mail server already so it wouldn't be too hard to manage via cPanel.

FaysalM · #7 12-06-2005, 03:06 PM

Hey Guys

Hahahaha yeah :P dont worry ya'll are still welcome to email him

...

I was offering a dedicated Server, or semi dedicated. Its not really that expensive once you know what scope you want. Even with a dedicated server the maximum cost should be less than $5000.

I have a few dedicated servers which i bought in bulk sitting doing nothing, they would be perfect for such a setup.

Although i do use hostgator as a shared reseller account for some of my customers!

Faisal.

Serra · #8 12-06-2005, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MachineDog

Lol, yeah serra. Woulda thought you'd of came up with that idea first.

I actually am running a system like that for two clients.

They tried to get their computer guy to setup a mail server on their local system and he explained that it would be far easier and far cheaper to just purchase web hosting and use the mail server that comes with the shared account. Luckly their computer guy is a owner of a company I give free hosting & web design/maintenance to in exchange for referrals.