Microsoft did small business a favor when it introduced Small Business Server (SBS) 2003, giving smaller companies a single platform from which they could run all the primary functions required to run their businesses.

Instead of needing a slew of servers and application specific licensing, SBS gave companies a way to expand beyond a workgroup environment and really leverage all the benefits of a fully networked office. Throw in things like website hosting capabilities, centralized storage, shared calendaring and a Microsoft Exchange platform, and it gave small companies everything larger companies had but at a fraction of the cost.

With the introduction of SBS 2008, Microsoft added both greater computing power and vastly improved functionality. Perhaps the biggest improvement was gained by moving to a 64-bit platform which removed the 4GB memory limit on SBS, something this resource intensive operating system desperately needed. In addition, SBS also integrated Exchange 2007 which allowed SBS users to take advantage of updated Exchange features and capabilities.

Unfortunately, the days of SBS are limited as Microsoft has discontinued development of the SBS line in favor of cloud-based services like Office 365 and Azure. While this shift to the cloud works for many SMB companies, Microsoft realizes there are others who still prefer on-premise solutions, and introduced Windows 2012 Essentials (25-user limit) and Windows Foundation (15-user limit, sold via OEM only). Neither of these solutions includes Exchange, but they both have built-in “cloud connect” capabilities.

To learn more about the future of Small Business Server, how to migrate off of SBS 2003 or SBS 2008, or what other viable solutions are available for the SMB market in  Panama City, Panama City Beach, Destin, Ft. Walton & surrounding areas, give us a call.