astro posted on July 15, 2010 08:01
On his way back to Redmond, WA, Guy Haycock, senior product planner for Windows Server Solution Marketing at Microsoft Corp. gave SMB Nation the scoop on the Small Business Server surprise preview of a pending dual release at WPC, their Worldwide Partner Conference.
Release One: Supporting up to 75 users, the next version of Windows Small Business Server (code name “7”) is expected to deliver a richer remote access experience. There will be a “freshening” to all of the component software in the suite, updating software within to the latest versions (Windows Server 2008 R2, Exchange Server 2010 SP1, SharePoint 2010 Foundation, Windows Server Update Services 3.0 and SQL Server 2008 R2). Small business customers will find significant security and management and ease-of-use niceties such as file-and-print, email and Internet services to employees.
Release Two: A brand-new edition of Windows Small Business Server, presented as a “first server” option for small businesses with up to 25 users, is also coming! This super-affordable server will be Microsoft’s first to deliver both traditional and cloud capabilities. This SBS (code name “Aurora”) is expected to deliver vital security features, plus automated backup and restore capabilities. Business information will be accessible from almost anywhere.
Conveniently, it will run business tools and software that enable on-the-fly changes, as needed, even if the accessing computer lacks the file’s native software. Still in development BPOS features are expected to extend functionality further.
Pulling back the curtain a little early let Microsoft gather feedback from its Partners, but left some of us wanting details on the expected releases (no final dates have been released out of respect for the development team who were conspicuously absent from WPC because, most likely, they were still hard at work). It has been stated that code will be released by end of summer, though.
We are also unsure of the eventual price points, though Aurora, a “starter server,” as Haycock said, is expected to be priced affordably, most likely pay-as-you-go.
The most up-to-date news on the products can be found at the SBS TechNet Blog: http://blogs.technet.com/b/sbs/
Haycock says the response to these new server products has been very gratifying.
In this past week alone, four partners, Symantec, Level Platforms, Disk Keeper and HP made statements about their intended integration with SBS Aurora.
Keep an eye out for announcements yet to come.
Showing their adaptability, Microsoft has made Windows Server Solution Software Development Kit (SDK) available to developers. The SDK download is available now. Go to http://connect.microsoft.com/sbs.