Windows SBS 2011 Essentials vs Standard

The latest version of Microsoft’s server OS for small businesses comes in two flavours: the Standard edition is for slightly larger organisations with more demanding needs, while SBS 2011 Essentials is a stripped-back, simplified version for smaller companies without dedicated IT staff.

Ease of administration is very much at Essentials’ core. A user-friendly, wizard-based dashboard makes it easy to set up and manage users, share resources and security policies. Each user gets their own folder on the network, and you have complete control over which users get access to which shared folders.

Meanwhile, SBS 2011 Essentials will run automatic backups – not just of the server but of your company’s computers – either to an internal hard drive or external USB drive, along with intuitive tools that make it simple to restore individual files or whole folders. A wizard also takes the work out of setting up remote web access, automatically configuring many routers and establishing a web-based domain that can act as a gateway.

SBS 2011 Essentials doesn’t offer built-in Exchange or SharePoint services, but it’s designed to work in close collaboration with hosted services or Microsoft’s own Office 365 cloud-based email, communication and collaboration service. This combination gives companies the performance and peace of mind that comes with in-house servers, but with the flexibility and cost-savings of a cloud-based approach.

SBS 2011 Standard offers the next step up. It’s an all-in-one server suite for up to 75 users (Essentials is limited to 20), with Exchange Server 2010 SP1 and SharePoint Foundation Services 2010 bundled in. This gives you everything you need for an in-house email, calendar and scheduling solution in one box.

Health-monitoring facilities and centralised security management tools, designed to ensure that all your PCs stay protected against malware, make SBS 2011 Standard a more powerful server OS, and with an emphasis on accessible control panels and step-by-step tools it’s still relatively easy to use.

It’s also a larger investment, not just in terms of upfront costs, but because you’ll need a Client Access Licence for every PC that connects to it, with five CALs costing approximately £260 exc VAT.

See the table below for a direct comparison of the features each package offers.