[ubuntu] Network type advice

Hi,

I am quite new to Ubuntu and have been left with a major problem. I do work for a non profit organisation and the guy that set it all up has died so I can't ask him any more unfortunately.

Basically the system has been set up with VM Ware. The problem is one of ongoing cost and support. The best way to describe what we do is that we are an online library. We get paper information (text and images), scan and ocr it then upload it to a database with a web front end to allow public access. We also record voice information which is transcribed; also we record movies. This means we have a server storing files from collections that are categorised and loaded onto the web server. We have an external server that we back up to across a 100/50 fibre network. Both servers are backed up by an onsite NAS.

The predicament we have is paying for licences to run the VM Ware products and I am trying to get my head around why we need to be so sophisticated. Would just running a "simple" Ubuntu server and a web server suit our needs?

We have had advice from a company that is used to working in the windows environment and is pushing for us to go that way.

What do you think and why?

Cheers,
John