Most of the networks that we supply are really a combination of the above systems, where the main network structure is Client-Server based, but elements of Peer-to-Peer may also be incorporated to enable additional file and printer sharing, and rapid reconfiguration 'on-the-fly'.

As well as the obvious benefit of sharing information between users in real-time a networked system offers many other benefits.

Reduced ongoing hardware costs
Because it is possible to share certain hardware resources within a network, capital expenditure on printers and peripheral devices can be greatly reduced. For instance a ten user network might require only two workgroup level printers to cope with all ten users printing requirements, rather than ten personal printers. This would not only result in a lower initial cost, but would reduce ongoing expenses for consumable items, as larger printers tend to be more cost efficient on a price per print basis. A knock-on effect of this type of scenario might be that a single colour printer that was previously used for the occasional mail-shot and only accessible from one system, could now be utilised fully from any system within the office.

Disaster recovery
Just how much is your data worth to you? If you came into the office Monday morning, and all of your computers had been stolen in the night, or the building had been destroyed by fire, how long would it take you to be in a position to start trading again?

By centralising essential data storage on a network and implementing a clearly defined backup routine, you could be trading again a lot faster than you think. Client records, account details, work in progress, current quotations: these items are the core of your business, and have a far greater value than the equipment they run on.

The chances of all your computers being destroyed or stolen at the same time are slim. The chance of one failing is much higher.

Scenario: You come in to the office Monday morning and discover that one of your PCs has failed and that the employee who uses it has 'forgotten' to take a backup of the accounts information for the last three weeks. What next?

1.) I have a PC network. I configure the accounting software on another PC, and attach it to the central data set on the server.

2.) I have no network. I tape my employees P45 to the side of the failed PC, attach the failed PC to my employee via a piece of rope, and drop it from a great height. I then frantically search the building for hard copies of all the information lost, and spend the next 48 hours overdosing on caffeine and nicotine whilst re-entering all of the information manually.