Hello all,

I'm new to this forum but not new to the IT world. I'm trying to expand my offerings to my clients from simple IT management and services to offering them virtual servers. This is what I'm looking for:
I would like to have servers (hosted somewhere) which I could then use as terminal server for my clients. Basically I would like to have the ability to have various clients singing onto the terminal server and working remotely. I think I need to have the ability to point multiple domains to that server for various users. For example: remote.x.com; remote.y.com; remote.z.com and so on. I also would like to resell exchange so when my clients sign onto the terminal server they can open their own Outlook but they should also be able to check it from OWA and their own computers.

The other matter is storage. Since people would probably have to have their data stored either on the terminal server itself (less desirable) or on external server (within host data center) or somewhere else. I'm aware that egnyte offers such service but I don't know of anyone else.

I looked at rackspace and they do offer server renting and tell me that for my kind of setup I would likely pay around $1000 per month since I would need a fairly powerful machine. I'm thinking of starting with 10 concurrent logins but if I get more clients, I will need more power.

Do you guys know who would be a good host for my needs and be competitive to rackspace?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Your monthly fee will be very large due to terminal server licensing and, I'm almost sure about this, for Office Suite licensing for terminal services. I say "almost sure" because I do not think you can get terminal services licenses for standalone OL.

Well, I think that you are forgetting that I can purchase my own license for everything and that is a one time fee. On top of that, I can always push the cost of licensing to my clients too. I'm mostly interested in a powerful server that I can set up and configure myself, which I can easily do.

Any recommendations for hosts?

Well, I think that you are forgetting that I can purchase my own license for everything and that is a one time fee. On top of that, I can always push the cost of licensing to my clients too. I'm mostly interested in a powerful server that I can set up and configure myself, which I can easily do.

Any recommendations for hosts?

Hello,
I would advise you to look at FDCServers, they have several high bandwidth setups that should suit you. They also give you as many IP Addresses as needed as long as you justify.

You should also think about co-location if you want to pay the licencing, That way you own the servret and can get physical access to the boxes.

Well, I think that you are forgetting that I can purchase my own license for everything and that is a one time fee. On top of that, I can always push the cost of licensing to my clients too. I'm mostly interested in a powerful server that I can set up and configure myself, which I can easily do.


I don't think the 1000/mo is for hardware. Did you tell them you would be purchasing your own licenses?

They are giving me a proposal next week so we will see what they say. They say that their servers run around $700 per month for a configuration that would be strong enough for a terminal server but I think that it's a little high? What do you guys think?

Get the details and post them here. Looks like there is some info missing

I also would like to resell exchange so when my clients sign onto the terminal server they can open their own Outlook but they should also be able to check it from OWA and their own computers.

The ability to use Outlook in Terminal is not neccessary when your clients can use OWA.
Removing that requirement will cut the cost significantly.
For storage, you may setup some network drive which will map depends on user login.

You are right. OWA from the terminal session is an option but the whole experience would be as good. Also, people need to have the Office Suite to conduct their normal work. Not too many people want to do open office although that is an option.

I think I could use KIX login script to map drives for people.

I'm looking at iweb, they seem to have a good computer that would do a terminal server for about $450 a month with about 2000GB bandwidth and plesk panel using Windows 2008.

Are they good host?

Why would you install plesk on a terminal server? Its not even compatible as far as I know.

Are you sure you know what you want?

I don't need plesk but it's a free option. But you're right, I don't need it to administer the server at all. I can do all from remote desktop.