Small Business Server Updated

Windows Small Business Server (SBS) will be updated to include Windows Server 2008 and Exchange Server 2007 and will deliver a new management console, which will make the server infrastructure easier for a small business to install and keep running. As the entry-level product of Microsoft’s newly named Windows Essential Server Solutions product family, SBS 2008 targets small businesses that do not have a dedicated person for IT tasks. Although relatively easy to install and configure, the product is composed of a complex set of components that will require ongoing support.

Small Business Server Editions

SBS 2008 provides small businesses with a turn-key server infrastructure, including a file and print server, e-mail, and collaboration services for 75 or fewer users. With both a Standard and Premium Edition, Microsoft says SBS 2008 is well positioned to meet the needs of the 32 million worldwide small businesses with fewer than 50 employees and 25 computers.

From a branding perspective, SBS has been repositioned as the entry-level product of the Windows Essential Server Solutions family with Windows Essential Business Server 2008, which offers a similar bundle intended for customers with up to 300 computers. (For an introduction to Windows Essential Business Server, see “Server Bundle for Midsize Businesses Detailed” on page 9 of the Jan. 2008 Update.)