For those small to medium sized business that are looking for a low cost, easy to maintain Windows Server solution, Microsoft offers Windows Small Business Server. The SBS product has come a long way since its inception and now offers a lot of functionality for a small price.
Essentially, what SBS does is it takes a number of proven network server solutions and puts them all together with an easy to use ‘wizard’ type of management system that allows it to be maintained by IT professionals with minimal experience with Windows server products. Small Business Server is ideal for businesses that require no more than 75 users or computers and typically have a single IT administrator. It’s a cost effective, efficient solution that brings a lot of services into one server.
The recently released version, SBS 2011, which is the first new release since the successful SBS 2008 product offers some new features and functionalities. SBS 2011 Standard and above are built on the proven foundation of Windows Server 2008 R2, Exchange Server 2010 SP1, SharePoint Foundation Services 2010 and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 SP2.
What’s New in SBS 2011
So the question is what new features are available in SBS 2011. Since SBS 2011 is actually a collaboration of products, let’s look at each of them separately.
The following are changes with the Windows Server 2008 R2:
- Additional hardware scaling and virtualization support
- Extended remote access capabilities
- Deterministic shutdown ordering
- Extensible health monitoring infrastructure
- Easier to use user interface
The following are changes with the upgrade to Exchange Server 2010 SP1:
- Improved Outlook Web Access (OWA)
- Improved Exchange Management Console
- New archiving options
- Automatic detection and repair of corrupted mailboxes and databases
- Additional productivity features
The following are changes with the upgrade to SharePoint Foundation Services 2010:
- Close integration with Microsoft Office experience
- Intranet site consolidation on a single “platform-on-premises”
- Ability to quickly create secure and easy to use business solutions
- Improved Remote Web Access
- Built-in monitoring, alerts and administration tools
The following are changes with the upgrade to Windows Server Update Services 3.0 (WSUS) SP2:
- Support for Windows 7
- Support for BranchCache
Which SBS 2011 Edition is Right for You?
Like previous versions of SBS, the new SBS 2011 includes a number of different versions that you can select from depending on your business requirements. The two familiar versions from SBS 2008 include Standard and Premium. SBS 2011 Standard includes all of the features discussed above. The SBS 2011 Premium Add-on includes a couple of different additions to these features including a copy of SQL Server 2008 R2 for Small Business and an additional license for Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard.
The new SBS edition that is brand new to the SBS 2011 platform is the Essentials version. This version is slated to be available in the first half of 2011 (which should be sometime in the next couple of months, the RC was made available back in February) and will provide a foundation on Windows Server 2008 R2 and tight cloud integration for services availability. The essentials edition is limited to 25 users but is intended for small offices that do not require the built-in local feature availability that is available from the higher versions.
The pricing on the SBS 2011 editions is also reasonable considering what is included in the product; the following lists the current pricing information for the three SBS 2011 versions:
| Edition | Price | Description |
| Small Business Server 2011 Essentials | $545 | Includes the Essentials edition and ability to operate with up to 25 users (no Client Access Licenses (CAL) required) |
| Small Business Server 2011 Standard | $1,096 | Includes the Standard edition and 5 CALs |
| Small Business Server 2011 Premium Add-on | $1,604 | Includes the Premium edition add-on and 5 CALs |
Should You Upgrade to SBS 2011?
Overall, Microsoft’s Small Business Server product has been a good value for the small businesses that are too small to justify the full cost of individual server deployments but require the functionality of the many different server products. SBS 2011 is no different; with this product both the foundation product and the different included server products make it a good implementation selection for businesses in this segment.
For those looking to upgrade from an existing SBS 2008 or 2003 implementations, consideration must be taken based on the core improvements that come with the new foundation offering (Windows Server 2008 R2) and then the different individual server product features available need to be analyzed. The decision to upgrade depends greatly on the future requirements of your business; if new hardware can be justified, a move to SBS 2011 is a rather straightforward decision as the new features can be provided and SBS can be packaged with the new hardware to take advantage of OEM discounts.
The good news is that SBS 2011 training is on it’s way and the course will guide you through the migration steps for moving from SBS 2003 and 2008 to the new SBS 2011.