[There's a reason that Yoda is the unofficial mascot of SBS. Size indeed matters not.] So how long is SBS 2011 supported? - THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE SBS DIVA
Thu, Jul 5 2012 17:23 bradley

So how long is SBS 2011 supported?

I always look to Exchange as the support deadline and per this:

Microsoft Support Lifecycle:
http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?p1=13965

It's all the way to 2020. 

Also some things to think about...

You now get 2 virtualization rights with Windows Server 2012.  So if you want to build your own SBS equivalent with an on premise Exchange, you get the right to install Windows Server twice in a HyperV not just once.  (Source see http://www.aidanfinn.com/?p=13042  )

There will be a "thing" that will allow you to grow past 25, keep the wizards and the RWA  - see http://blogs.technet.com/b/sbs/archive/2012/07/05/windows-small-business-server-essentials-becomes-windows-server-2012-essentials.aspx for a hint of it.  Also read about how Windows Server 2012 Essentials will support an on premise Exchange.  So while there is disruption, it's not as bad as the Home Server folks and enthusiats that now have to figure out what their next home NAS unit will be.

 

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# re: So how long is SBS 2011 supported?

Friday, July 06, 2012 1:28 AM by Rick

The key part being "you can purchase and convert to Windows Server 2012 Standard, removing the maximum user and device limits while retaining all your data and configuration settings as well as the unique value-add features that Essentials provides."

And as mentioned, you can have local Exchange. But to make the picture complete, there's also SQL and Sharepoint. They could be the second allowed VM, I suppose, but does Essentials bring them into the fold and make them part of the "integrated management experience"?  If not, I'm not sure that this type of SBS Frankenserver 2012 is really smarter for a small business than deploying SBS2011 and being done with it, older versions of point products or not.  It's certainly not cheaper.

# re: So how long is SBS 2011 supported?

Friday, July 06, 2012 8:06 AM by David

Am I seeing this correctly?

To get close to the equivalent of SBS Standard with the Premium Add-On you would need 2 Windows Server 2012 Standard licenses to support VMs for DC, Exchange Server Standard, and SQL Server Standard, right? Which is over $3,200 (Open NL) for starters. (882x2+708+898).  (I don't have time to verify prices here.) So a price increase of SBS 2011 Prem at $2,700 ($1096+1604), but not unbearable.

However, my clients are just under or over 25 seats. Allow me to use 20 seats as an example for CAL costs. About $100 (30+68), as a guess, for Standard equivalent CALs and about $240 (another 30+209) for Premium equivalent CALs? (Note the price increase for SQL Server CALs over previous version, let along the price increase over SBS Prem CALS.)

If all users require Premium to get to SQL Server based accounting programs, then 20 users is $6,800 in CALs. This used to be $3,278 for SBS Prem (20 pack standard and premium at 1447+1831).  

Great! So what used to cost under $6,000 is now $10,000, just for licensing? Plus the additional cost for installation and support of non-integrated, non-wizard Exchange? Ya, right.

# re: So how long is SBS 2011 supported?

Saturday, July 07, 2012 3:56 AM by Keith

EOL for Windows Server 2008 R2 is 2018.

# re: So how long is SBS 2011 supported?

Tuesday, July 10, 2012 7:51 AM by Atlanta Jack

Pretty amazing stuff. Seems like 2 weeks ago that all of us were supporting Windows 95/98 with NT 4.0 and then Back Office incarnations. All of this is about moving revenue stream from smaller It firms into Redmond. This has been obvious for some time that there really was no concern for companies under 5000 computers. Pyschologists tell us that humans are resistant to change. This is very apparent with Windows XP which still has a big portion of the total computer market. Even with "Cloud" scenarios you still have to have some local infrastructure (What? You cannot just line up 25 computers, put them on the Internet and you are done?). Point is, there will be a need for local IT work with SMBs for years.