Mon, Jul 9 2012 22:10
bradley
Dave Seibert reporting from the WPC
From the comment section of Karl Palachuk's blog:
http://blog.smallbizthoughts.com/2012/07/microsoft-announced-end-of-sbs.html?showComment=1341845462578#c1439209146696818260
We had a Microsoft WW SMB PAL meeting yesterday in Toronto at WPC.
For this msg I'm going to try to leave out my feelings of SBS or SBSC going away and about how the news was annouced by Microsoft to the channel. Instead allow me to focus on a few items I learned today that I wanted to share.
- Windows Server 2012 Essential is indeed the new solution for small businesses. Now being defined as 1-25 employees.
- Mid-Market by Microsoft is now being defined as 26-250 users.
- W12 Essential is a similar code base as the regular server line. As such, it can be increased beyond 25 users through a "script" that removes its 25 user limit. And without any migration or conversion. Something that SBS never had the ability to do.
- This script (actually a license upgrade tool) will be released along with 2012 Essential release. It's pricing has not be announced yet
- SBS will continue to be sold through June 2013, Dec 2013, and 5+ years depending on licensing models like VL, OEM, and embedded. I should have a date table shortly to share.
- Existing SBS family Service Packs will continue per Microsoft normal end of life or approx 5 years.
- It is supported to run W12 Essentials under a W12 Standard Hyper-V configuration with Exchange Standard running along side it. Hence, a close configuration as to what SBS is today.
- It will be posible to standup a new W12 Essential server for say 40 users by installing it and then running the "sales/license script" to lift its initial 25 user limit. You can do this at any time. The features of Essential server will remain while the user limit will be lifted and it will function like that of Windows Standard (including gaining the features of Windows Standard).
-It will no longer require an understanding of (all) the "SBS Wizards" to admin the server but rather the W12 family of servers will function similarly. Hence, an ease of product development and future server tech learning.
I'll add to the list above once they provide us some due folllow up docs.
Dave Seibert
IT Innnovators
Dave is on the ground at the WPC getting the latest from the floor. More as it comes in. And remember we'll be doing our webcast tomorrow at 6 p.m. pacific and it will be recorded. http://www.thirdtier.net/2012/07/webinar-future-of-small-business-it/
Filed under: News
![[There's a reason that Yoda is the unofficial mascot of SBS. Size indeed matters not.]](http://www.sbslinks.com/images/headertop.png "There's a reason that Yoda is the unofficial mascot of SBS. Size indeed matters not!")