Microsoft’s New Family
No more need to speak in code. Windows Small Business Server 2008 (previously known as “Cougar”) and Windows Essential Business Server 2008 (code-named “Centro”) are the two official members of Microsoft’s new Windows Essential Server Solutions family.
Announced at the end of February, this new product grouping has enterprise-class features tailored specifically to meet the needs of small to midsize businesses (SMBs), according to Joel Sider, senior product manager for the Windows Server Solutions group at Microsoft Corp. Small Business Server, or SBS, is a fit with customers that have up to 50 desktops, while the brand-new Windows Essential Business (WEB) Server 2008 suits companies with 25 to 250 PC users. Both products are now in beta test; availability is expected before the end of the year, although pricing has not yet been set.
“The new lineup takes advantage of our enterprise server technologies and tailors them for the needs of SMBs,” says Sider. “This family complements our enterprise offerings. The products are the ideal way for SMBs to consume Windows Server technology.” As such, they represent a rich opportunity for channel partners to serve their smaller customers’ needs, he adds.
The products—both of which feature standard and premium editions—aim to be less complex to administer and use than their enterprise counterparts. The solutions provide SMBs with a mix of affordability and flexibility on which to base their future growth, says Sider. “We want to give SMBs a consistent platform that will contribute to their growth and profit.”
Given that Windows Essential Business Server is a new product, Microsoft channel partners are likely to feel some confusion as to where each product fits. The detailed feature lists in the accompanying tables will help you understand how to guide your customers. For a quicker analysis, Michael Cherry, lead analyst at Directions on Microsoft, recommends using this simple test: “Companies that have no IT person probably will use SBS. For companies that have a full-time IT person, WEB Server would be a better fit.”
SBS 2008: PLATFORM FOR GROWTH
Since the 2005 introduction of a well-priced Windows Small Business Server bundle aimed at SMBs, Small Business Server has been the mainstay of many a channel partner’s work. The latest edition, SBS 2008, promises greater opportunities for the channel, according to Sider. The biggest change—featured in SBS Premium Edition only—is the addition of another server running SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition. This is an important feature because the second server can be used to run a line-of-business application such as customer relationship management or enterprise resource planning that the organization may not have used before.
“Now many organizations will have this platform waiting for them to run business applications,” says Sider. “That’s great for [independent software vendors] and other channel partners. It gives them the infrastructure they need to implement these applications for their clients.” He adds, “That is a big change.”
Directions on Microsoft’s Cherry agrees. “There is an awful lot of opportunity to start with SBS as a base system and do a lot of integration with other systems,” he says. “SBS previously had been used mostly for file and print services and email. Those services alone do not require a whole lot of support or assistance.” But with the addition of SQL Server 2008 in SBS 2008 Premium Edition, the server is all but begging to be used by another application. The object is to help customers select and implement an application that will enable them to advance their business objectives. “That is where you start to see a larger requirement for help and support,” says Cherry.
Another notable change in SBS 2008 is the absence of the Internet Security & Acceleration Server (ISA), which had been included in the previous Premium Edition. Cherry believes most SBS customers won’t miss ISA in the new version. “It’s not a major deal that ISA is not included this time. There is an argument that SBS will have better stability and usability without it.” SBS 2008 has a number of security provisions, adds Sider, including a one-year subscription to Windows Live OneCare for Server, a hosted service that covers anti-virus and anti-malware for the server, as well as Forefront Security for Exchange. Because SBS 2003 is about to fall out of mainstream support, SBS 2008 is a significant release: Many customers will need help moving to the next server iteration, complete with its attendant hardware and software changes, explains Cherry. And, the changes will likely be amplified, because SBS 2008, like WEB 2008, is designed to run on 64-bit hardware.
WEB SERVER: MORE CHOICES
WEB Server was designed to meet the needs of larger SMBs, which have dedicated, if overwhelmed, IT staff. “IT spending is growing fast in the midsize space,” says Sider. “A few IT guys are struggling to do everything from help desk to implementing critical business applications.” Combining management, messaging, and security servers into one, WEB Server gives solution providers a bigger set of tools and more choices to offer when considering customers’ needs. As with Small Business Server 2008, WEB Server 2008 Premium Edition includes Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition, making it a natural fit for a business application implementation. Cherry believes WEB will fill a previously unmet need in the midmarket. Even companies that are big enough to have fulltime IT staff need to simplify the complexity of running a server. According to Cherry, WEB Server does that: “Microsoft has sophisticated products and technology for the enterprise, but that is beyond the reach of this customer. Adding WEB Server was a smart move.”
LAUREN GIBBONS PAUL has more than 15 years of experience as a writer and editor for a variety of leading publications.
