The Raspberry Pi device is renowned as the best-selling British computer, with global sales peaking at 19 million in 2018 (they’ve since gone on to break the 30 million barriers too). Despite this, not everyone is familiar with the Raspberry Pi computer, which has also become an increasingly fundamental part of education in the UK and enabled a rising number of students to learn the fundamentals of coding.
But how can Raspberry Pi devices benefit businesses and commercial ventures?
Here are some ideas to help you on your way!
1. Set up an email server.
Businesses are increasingly vulnerable to cybersecurity, with up to 68% of company leaders suggesting that this risk increased markedly in 2020. However, smaller and startup ventures may lack the resources to invest heavily in their cybersecurity safeguards, potentially putting these entities at greater risk in the digital age. This is where a Raspberry Pi comes into play, as you can use this type of computer to set up a secure email server that saves content exclusively onto the device. This makes them inaccessible to any other service or provider, helping firms to strike the ideal balance between security and the amount that they spend. In addition to your Raspberry Pi, all you need to create a viable email server is a power supply, a static IP address, and a memory card.
2. Build a VPN server.
On a similar note, you can also use a £30 Raspberry Pi computer and basic keyboard set-up to build a VPN (Virtual Private Network) server. Although this won’t have the capacity to change the location of your IP address (in the way that a traditional VPN server would), it does allow you to connect external devices to browse the Internet more securely through your existing home network. VPN’s are important in this respect, as they provide an additional layer of security by re-routing traffic through an external server that resides in a different location. Businesses are increasingly inclined to make use of VPNs in the modern age, particularly as cybersecurity risks rise and enterprises take steps to protect their most sensitive data.
3. Create a WiFi router.
Pretty much every business in the digital age boasts a wireless (Wi-Fi) internet connection, although a growing number of firms are now looking to maintain separate networks for visitors and employees. There’s also the challenge of providing remote workers with a reliable internet connection so that they can continue to optimize their productivity even in challenging circumstances. To achieve this, you could consider building a bespoke Wi-Fi router on a Raspberry Pi, so long as you’re connected to a monitor and have an SD storage card and viable power supply.
Of course, this type of router won’t provide you with the same level of coverage as an enterprise-grade alternative, but it’s definitely an ideal and competitively priced option for smaller ventures.
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