Business Server Suites Ship

Microsoft is now shipping the latest versions of its two business server suites, Small Business Server (SBS) 2000 and BackOffice Server 2000. Both products consolidate Windows 2000 and several of the .NET Enterprise Servers in a relatively low-priced package, and may help increase adoption of these products. However, customers should consider more than price when evaluating these packages: factors such as expandability, ease of installation, and upgradability must be evaluated independently before proceeding.

SBS 2000: Improved, but Still Limited

Like SBS 4.5, SBS 2000 includes the latest versions of Windows Server, SQL Server, Exchange Server, Internet Security and Acceleration Server (which is the successor to Proxy Server), Outlook, FrontPage, a shared modem capability, and a shared fax function. New to this version is HealthMon 2.1, a console that informs administrators of the server’s status, and which can inform them if a problem occurs; upgraded fax capabilities; and an improved Internet Connectivity Wizard, which makes it easier for administrators to configure a network for Internet access, e-mail, and security. Microsoft also claims to have made the previously troublesome installation process more flexible and reliable. Finally, users will benefit from the new features of Windows 2000 itself, such as Terminal Services, which allows administrators (including the resellers and consultants who will be overseeing the bulk of SBS 2000 installations) to configure servers, troubleshoot, and add users from a remote location.