Microsoft's new all-inclusive servers

Microsoft has announced server bundles for small and midsize companies based on Windows Server 2008. The Small Business Server (SBS) launched a few years ago now has a big brother – the Windows Essential Business Server. Microsoft is marketing them both as part of a new product line called "Essential", which it will be releasing in the second half of 2008.

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The Small Business Server is designed for 5 to 50 users and, like its predecessors, will be available in two versions. The Standard Edition includes Exchange 2007, SharePoint Services 3.0 and a one-year subscription to Forefront Security for Exchange in the Small Business Server. The Premium edition includes SQL Server 2008 and allows you to set this up on a second physical server for the first time; up to now, SBS's licence only applied to one server.

The Essential Business Server will also be available in two versions, with the difference once again being SQL Server in the Premium edition. The standard version of the Essential Business Server also contains the "System Center Essentials 2007" monitoring and management solution as well as the coming version of Internet Security and Acceleration Server. This server can run on three different physical servers, or four with the Premium edition. No price information has been announced. All of the products require 64-bit processors.

(jbe)