Introducing Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials

With Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials, Microsoft has the answer. Built on the firm foundations of Windows Server 2008 R2, it's a business-grade server OS that integrates the features small enterprises need whilst streamlining out the advanced tools they don't, all wrapped up in an interface that any proficient Windows user can understand.

The key to SBS 2011 Essentials' simplicity is a task-based approach, designed around step-by-step wizards and an easy-to-understand Dashboard. The initial configuration takes you through setting up your domain, creating the pre-configured company and individual user folders, and connecting any PCs in the office.

Complex dialogs are kept to a minimum. If you want to add a new user, it's as simple as entering their first name and last name, password and access level, and SBS 2011 Essentials takes you through the rest, helping you control which users get access to which files and folders, and what the limits of that access might be.

Every feature follows on from the same simplified, no-nonsense approach. SBS 2011 Essentials takes care of backup for you, with automated daily backups of both the data on your server and the data being stored on connected desktops.

While complex server operating systems need more options to support tape drives and more exotic storage solutions, Small Business Server 2011 assumes you'll be working with an external USB hard drive.

And if something goes wrong, intuitive recovery features make it easy to restore files, folders or even entire drives. Your business is protected according to best practice, without the bother of configuring those yourself.

Give workers remote access

It's the same with SBS 2011 Essentials’ Remote Web Access feature. These days, most businesses need to support remote workers, whether it's a sales force out on the road or employees working from home.

With SBS 2011 Essentials, employees can securely access the documents and resources they need from the server or connected desktops from any location with a web connection. SBS 2011 Essentials creates a built-in, secure remote access portal, configures your router, helps you establish an external domain name and controls access to the portal complete with encryption.

There's no need to mess around with more complex remote access products, no need to install client software on laptops or desktops, and you can configure user access at the same time as you add users. 

Meanwhile, SBS 2011 Essentials can help you manage all the desktops and laptop PCs in your office, checking their health, that their OS updates and malware definitions are up to date, and providing you with easy-to-read “green tick” reports that give you the information you need in a clearly digestible form.

Yet beneath all this, SBS 2011 Essentials is running on top of a proper server operating system, with all the power and control of fully managed Active Directory services, but with the complexity hidden from view. The tools are still there if you ever need to get your hands dirty, but there's no need to wrestle with the rather more daunting interface of Windows Server 2008 R2.

Of course, SBS 2011 Essentials has some limitations in comparison to Small Business Server 2011 Standard. You're limited to 25 users, and there is no bundled email or SharePoint server software. Yet even these limitations make sense in context. The user limit should be ample for micro-sized or start-up businesses, and it's balanced by the lower price and the fact that no Client Access Licences are required for connecting desktops.

Meanwhile, the lack of SharePoint and Exchange Server software makes sense in light of the fact that SBS 2011 Essentials is designed to integrate closely with online services, most specifically Microsoft Office 365.

With the Office 365 connector installed, it's possible to set up a user's Office 365 Exchange Server account at the same time as their SBS 2011 Esssentials user account, and create single domain names that work with both remote web access in SBS 2011 Essentials and the SharePoint 2010 Server portion of Office 365. SBS 2011 Essentials will also work with existing Office 365 accounts.

Given that most businesses investing in a first server would be better off outsourcing Exchange and SharePoint services to a cloud-based provider rather than trying to maintain them in-house, it's arguably the most sensible way to go.

Room to expand

While Small Business Server 2011 Essentials is heavily streamlined for the sake of clarity, there’s still room to grow.

Already, a system of add-ins allows the OS to integrate security and online backup services, including Trend Micro's Worry-Free Business Security Services hosted security service and online backup services from KeepVault and CloudBerry.

Microsoft's own Windows 7 Pro pack gives SBS 2011 Essentials admins an easy way to deploy and maintain security and Windows updates to desktops running Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate.

It can also redirect data stored on desktop folders to the server, complete with automatic tracking and replication of all changes. With the Windows Phone 7 Connector add-in, you can even view alerts, manage users and control backups using a Windows Phone 7 handset.

For fast-growing companies or those with the expertise to handle SharePoint and Exchange in-house, SBS 2011 Essentials lacks the scalability and flexibility of SBS 2011 Standard or Windows 2008 R2, but for any business taking its first steps into the world of servers, there's never been a better choice.

For details on Dell products that include Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials, call one of Dell’s experts on 0844 444 3832.