Web/Sys-Admin dudes: Tell me if I'm wrong

[GilloD]

So, my company is getting a new ERP. ERP is basically a back-end fullfillment/accounting software package. It IS the business- Customer data, order fulfillment, credit processing, accounting etc etc. We need two servers to run it: A app server and an SQL server. My boss wanted to buy some servers, stick them in the office ("or at my parents house") and put the software on there. I told him that was insane and to pony up the extra 4-500 a month for an off-site, dedicated hosting situation. Am I crazy? Here are some deets:

-10 full time employees. 3 of us work in his old apartment.
-Neither office location has anything other than residential DSL.
-At least twice in the year since I've been here there have been power outages or internet outages.
-We have no dedicated IT staff. I'm the IT guy because I happen to use the internet for more than puppy pictures. I have slowly become borderline competent at this part of my job.

Am I crazy? Is this easier than I think or I am right? I'm just thinking like. That is the whole business in a box. Someone spills a glass of water or the maid trips over a cord (She did this and wrecked a monitor) and the business is literally dissapeared. Maybe in 2 or 3 years when we have a united office and more staff, it'd be a smart idea. But for 10 people working out of 2 tiny offices with 0 dedicated staff, hosting it in house is a bad idea. Right?

[Robo]

Have you looked for a new job?

[Ganhyun]

I agree with you. I'd point out to your boss that if the maid screws up and accidentally kills that box like she did the monitor, the entire business is gone. Stress that to him and they should pony up for the off-site hosting.

[Brehvolution]

What is the ERP program called?

[Bocsius]

I don't know, seems like you should be able to keep it in house as long as you have reliable and regular backups. The company I work for is pretty small, about 15 people. All of our clients' websites are hosted offsite along with their data, but our own internal servers and data repositories are in a server room and backed up daily.

[GilloD]

I don't know, seems like you should be able to keep it in house as long as you have reliable and regular backups. The company I work for is pretty small, about 15 people. All of our clients' websites are hosted offsite along with their data, but our own internal servers and data repositories are in a server room and backed up daily.

Yeah, ours would be in a bedroom.

[Ganhyun]

I don't know, seems like you should be able to keep it in house as long as you have reliable and regular backups. The company I work for is pretty small, about 15 people. All of our clients' websites are hosted offsite along with their data, but our own internal servers and data repositories are in a server room and backed up daily.

I get from his post that they don't have a dedicated server room, but I could be mistaken.

Edit: A bedroom is not a place for a critical pair of servers. 

[GilloD]

What is the ERP program called?

Good question. We're picking one next week. Probably SAP or Sage. Although I adore NetSuite.

[Mupepe]

it can be done, although it's not a great idea.

the last company i worked for had 16 servers in pretty much a little closet.

Just keep the maid out of it as well as anyone who has no business being in there.  like install a good lock.  It's a server room, it shouldn't need to be cleaned everyday by the maid.

Create a good backup system.  my suggested would be daily backups kept elsewhere and just keep it on a rotation with a monthly backup like say on the 5th of every month.

[Rman]

Have you looked for a new job?

In this economy?