Windows Small Business Server 2003

At it’s core, SBS is a bundle of server-side applications and features optimized for the small business. It comes in two versions: standard and premium. The components included in SBS are:

• Windows Server 2003 operating system. This is the standard operating system SKU that has been optimized for two processor support only (instead of the typically four processor support).

• Exchange Server 2003. This is the e-mail messaging application.

• Windows SharePoint Services (WSS). This application provides intranet collaborative capabilities and basic document management capabilities.

• Shared Fax Service. This is the computer-based faxing application.

• Outlook 2003. This is the latest version of the world’s most popular messaging client.

• Remote Web Workplace. This is a Web-page based portal that allows a mobile or at-home worker to check e-mail securely via Outlook Web Access (OWA), connect to his own desktop computer at work, or establish a connection to the internal SharePoint site.

• Security. Security is of course a complex matrix and includes logon, folder/file-level, and Internet-related security measures. All of these measures are present in SBS 2003. Internet intrusion protection is provided by Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) in the standard SBS edition and ISA Server 2000 in the premium.

• Consoles. The internal management consoles use MMC 2.0 technology and present an updated look and feel, with the tasks now broken into core SBS items and other server applications.

• The premium edition of SBS 2003 will also include the SQL Server 2000 database and the ISA Server 2000 security application.

• Bargain in a box. Many businesses purchase SBS for simple economics: It’s cheap. The bundled costs of SBS are significantly cheaper than the standalone price of the individual components purchased separately. In fact, the pricing model for SBS has been cheaper than any two separate components purchased separately. That is, SBS is cheaper than purchasing Windows Server 2003 and Exchange 2003 Server alone. This pricing paradigm holds for both the standard and premium editions of SBS 2003.

• BackOffice in a box. This is the feature creature argument. Many people purchase SBS because of the sheer number of applications it offers. These applications can make a small business with a modest technology budget appear larger than life in the eyes of the business community. That is, a small business can look and feel like a large business with SBS