THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE SBS "DIVA"

With apologies to Vlad and David.. as I'm throwing down a challenge to each of them....and to Vlad we'll have to ask him to redo the Exchange 2007 webcast as there were some recording technical difficulties so the webcast isn't saved. 

But here's the business owner side of me challenging Vlad and David to convince me here.

Okay say that Exchange 2007 is wiz bang and all that...but it only supports 64 bit platform.  Most businesses in the small world that I've come across...whether they do SBS or not, are still doing a ton of 32 bit server platform. 

Furthermore the enhanced cal rights of R2 only cover Exchange 2003.  So I'm looking at Server OS costs, Exchange 2007 costs, hardware, cals, etc etc....

So ...while I'm sure Vlad is speaking from a non SBS/more SMB world environment.... David's "even if you have SBS 2003 you can have Exchange 2007" is a little hard for me to swallow as needed in the typical SBS firm.  You want me to ... buy a 64 bit member server, the OS, Exchange 2007, cals, the server cals, leave behind the wizards and glue of SBS for exactly what benefit?  I'm certainly not upgrading to Outlook 2007 yet, and as far as the vast and great upgrades in OWA?  ... sorry folks, I'm an RWW gal anyway, so I get back to the Outlook on my desktop no matter what, to a hot off the presses platform that I need to investigate if the normal a/v stuff works with?  You haven't convinced me.

Granted to the not techy business owner who merely reads the slick marketing stuff, hears SBS 2003 R2, looks at the calendar and doesn't want old technology, but you guys are going to have to convince me that in a typical SBS network that will need a data migration of that email database that there's a benefit here.  Just today though, someone was asking about the ability to hang an Exchange 2007 next to a SBS 2000 box.  Quite honestly I'd kill off that 2000 platform first as from a security and business functionality standpoint, SBS 2003 is WAY better, from lesser security issues and vulnerabilities standpoint to Remote Web Workplace as the killer app.

To larger, non SBS shops?  Oh sure, then I can see where the .."hmmm do I go with tried and true or (b)leading edge and really geeky?" question is asked and the geek factor wins.

So to David and Vlad a challenge.... convince me.. the business owner who sees the migration road in front of me, the costs of "change" and convince me why Exchange 2007 on a separate box may make sense in the SBS world.  I can see it in a non SBS marketplace.  I'm having a hard time with the numbers in the SBS world.

.. I always say... Big server land bleeds, so we don't have to.  I'll wait for the rest of the 64bit platform to be done and finished and then I'll start worrying.  In the meantime, with the addition of ExchangeDefender.com, my email needs are pretty well set right now (other than my email these days is pretty BORING and it's all Vlad's dog's fault as he filters out all the good email spam these days)