Rancho Santa Fe Association board approves purchase of new servers

By Karen Billing

The RSF Association board Sept. 19 approved the purchase of new file servers, not to exceed $55,000, after directing staff, earlier this month, to take a closer look at the Association’s server needs.

At its Sept. 5 meeting, the board determined there was a need for further diligence before making a decision on the servers, based on questions of cost and technology, such as using “cloud computing” or a rack server.

RSF Association Director Philip Wilkinson brought an IT expert to the Association offices to evaluate the Association’s system and options. Steve Comstock, chief financial officer, said it was confirmed that the cloud computing and rack servers were not viable options for the Association’s computer infrastructure.

The new servers are needed as the Association has taken on the task of scanning all property and building files — replacing bulky paper folders with electronic records. In handling those demands, the Association’s three servers have reached their maximum storage capacity and are now outdated hardware.

Wilkinson said he was happy with the Dell product they have selected, a “more robust system” that is a significant improvement and fits the Association’s needs.